Arizona State 4-Star QB Commit Dillon Sterling-Cole Says ASU Is 'Perfect Fit'

Dillon Sterling-Cole announced his college plans Tuesday by way of ESPN, but the 4-star quarterback has known of his future whereabouts for a few days.

And in those days, the Houston prospect has been overly giddy about discussing college. It's to a point where if he even mentions college, there's a lasting smile that follows.

On Tuesday, Sterling-Cole made his commitment public and verbally committed to Arizona State, becoming the Sun Devils' top-ranked pledge and 11th commit overall. He also became the last of the 4-star pro-style quarterbacks to commit.

In short, it was hard for Sterling-Cole to control his jubilation.

"It's exciting. I mean, I'm so ecstatic about being able to make this decision," Sterling-Cole said. "I never really thought this day would ever happen. I really just hoped for it and prayed on it a lot, and look at me now."

Sterling-Cole, the nation's No. 9 pro-style quarterback, filled a need for an Arizona State team still looking for a signal-caller in the 2016 class. He chose the Sun Devils over offers from Houston, Mississippi State, Florida and Texas A&M—the school his father, third-round selection in the 2000 NFL draft pick and former Denver Broncos wide receiver Chris Cole, attended from 1996-99.

Comfort was the primary reason Arizona State won the recruiting battle. Sterling-Cole said the school "had that feeling" from the moment he stepped on campus.

"I was able to speak with family members and friends," he said, "and it just felt like the perfect fit for what I was trying to do and how I'm to develop as a player and a person. They've been speaking to me a lot about being able to play early."

The shot of playing early is something that drew Sterling-Cole in, and with Arizona State's offense, that could be sooner than later for him. He is familiar with the Sun Devils offense, as he runs a similar offense at Westfield High School.

It's an offense that helped him generate 2,325 passing yards and 24 touchdowns with only six interceptions as a junior. As a sophomore, Sterling-Cole threw for 2,303 yards and 26 touchdowns with only seven picks. In those years, he also rushed for 15 touchdowns, including 11 as a sophomore.

"What they do [at Arizona State] is basically what we do [at Westfield]. It's a pro-style [offense] out of the gun with a few [plays] under the center," Sterling-Cole said. "The campus is amazing, and the stuff they have available not only for the student-athletes but also students in general really attracted me.

"The way they go about doing everything there is great. Everything is at your hands. It's basically easy access; you just have to go get it. You have to want it."

Arizona State quarterbacks coach Mike Norvell recruited Sterling-Cole. He said he's excited to learn from Norvell and head coach Todd Graham in a Sun Devils offense that averaged nearly 40 points and 460 yards per game.

Choosing to play in the Pac-12, Sterling-Cole said, was "absolutely the toughest decision I've ever made." Reason being, he chose Arizona State over two schools he was really high on—Texas A&M and Houston.

Many expected him to follow his father's footsteps and be a legacy. And then there were others who thought he'd be a part of one of the best Houston Cougars recruiting classes ever—one that includes the defensive tackle duo of 5-star Ed Oliver and 4-star Jordan Elliott.

He added that Houston unofficial visits were memorable because of the coaching staff, which includes old Westfield head coach Corby Meekins, who now is the tight ends coach for the Cougars.

"With my dad being able to sit down and talk to me through the process himself," Sterling-Cole said, "knowing he was comfortable with it made it less stressful for me.

"I know some people wanted me to go to Houston. Being close to home, it would have been easy for my family to attend the ball games. Plus, I really had a homely feeling when I went on unofficial visits. But with the way the Pac-12 is run and the quarterbacks who come out and are developed into the NFL, I thought why not use it for what I do with my skills?"

Credit: 247Sports

Sterling-Cole said his next goals are to get better on the field and to do his part to help land star talent. One player he's hoping the Sun Devils get is his high school teammate, 4-star receiver Tyrie Cleveland.

"No matter what, he's going to be my brother, regardless of if he attends the same school I do," Sterling-Cole said of Cleveland, his favorite target at Westfield who caught 53 passes for 1,105 yards and 13 touchdowns as a junior.

"He's going to fit in at any system, but honestly, it'd be pretty cool to have my boy as my target on the filed. I'm not going to persuade him hard, but I am going to nudge him now and then. I mean, he should be the No. 1 wide receiver in the country. He's proved himself."

Damon Sayles is a National Recruiting Analyst for Bleacher Report. All quotes were obtained firsthand. All player ratings are courtesy of 247Sports' composite ratings. Follow Damon via Twitter: @DamonSayles