The Arizona Sun Devils have made a splash in their 2017 recruiting class with wide receiver and return specialist Ryan Newsome. The 5-foot-8 sophomore Texas transfer played high school football in small town Aledo, Texas. There, Newsome garnered attention from large power five colleges such as Alabama, Oklahoma, Ole Miss and even Arizona State. Eventually the four-star recruit chose the University of Texas.
Last season as a true freshman, Newsome only managed to appear in three games for the Longhorns. Playing sparingly as a wide receiver and return man, Newsome caught four passes for 23 yards and returned six kickoffs for 110 yards.
According to 247Sports, Newsome’s presumed “lack of fit” in the Longhorns offense is the reason for his decision. Newsome went on to describe that it wasn’t anything to do with the players coming in yet more so with the Longhorns decision to use him as a return man rather than a slot wide receiver. Newsome told 247Sports.
“I don’t want to be wasting the years just doing punt return when I can play slot. I feel like I should be able to showcase that” Newsome told 247Sports. “I really didn’t feel like the system fit me because the guys are more like 6-foot-3, 6-foot-4 in the slot and I really didn’t feel like I fit thatmold. I just felt like they didn’t want to use me like that.”
Newsome, who is expected to be on campus this week, will now have to sit out a full season before playing in 2017 for the Sun Devils. Newsome will still have three years of eligibility remaining after he waits a year.
