Jaden Rashada says his first college football experience was at an Arizona State game. He grew up in the area and his father, Harlen, was a defensive back for the Sun Devils in the 90s. He remembers watching Manny Wilkins. He looked up to DJ Foster — now the ASU manager of player development.

When Rashada’s whirlwind recruitment took one final turn and he left Florida after signing with the program, in so many ways it was fitting that Arizona State was his eventual landing place.

“You live and you learn. You become a stronger man. I wouldn’t change my journey for anything,” Rashada told reporters on Saturday after ASU’s spring practice, per SunDevilSource.

He feels at home with the Sun Devils.

A big reason why is coach Kenny Dillingham.

“He reached out to me (when he got to Oregon) and our relationship just grew from there,” Rashada said. “We would talk like every day, every other day. Just building a genuine relationship. I was actually gonna commit to Oregon because of him and he was like, ‘You know, just take your visits, take your time.’ It was never like him rushing me. He always gave me the real with everything. That’s probably why I ended up here.”

The Sun Devils’ first-year head coach recruited Rashada when he was with the Oregon Ducks last year. Before Oregon turned its attention to 5-star quarterback Dante Moore, they were firmly in the mix for Rashada. Dillingham built a relationship with the Pittsburg (Calif) quarterback during that time.

When he left for ASU and Rashada went back to the drawing board in his recruitment, Dillingham was there to offer everything Rashada needed.

Asked why he thinks Dillingham’s offense is the right fit for him, Rashada said trust was a big thing. Dillingham’s system doesn’t just showcase the quarterback, it puts a ton of agency on his shoulders to make decisions.

Rashada sounds like he spends as much time as possible with his coaches. Even as a first-year freshman, he has a calmness and a knack for coachspeak when he’s in front of reporters’ cameras. Asked about his goals, Rashada said he only has one.

“Just get 1% better every day,” he said. “Be a better version of yourself on and off the field than you were yesterday. That’s really my goal this year.”

Asked about his own expectations for his first year of college ball, he instead took a team-specific approach.

“We’re trying to become Pac-12 champions,” he said. “That’s how we practice and approach lifts, practices, film sessions.”

Rashada will compete with Trenton Bourguet and Notre Dame transfer Drew Pyne for the starting job this offseason. He might win the job. It certainly won’t just be given to him. That’ll make for an interesting spring period, a must-watch spring game, and a fascinating fall.

“I can’t describe it,” he said when asked to describe his game. “You guys will see one day.”