Q&A with new Arizona commit Khary Crump

Hear from the second member of Wildcats’ 2020 class

The Arizona Wildcats hosted their annual Spring Game on April 13, and with it, hosted a lot of recruits on campus.

One such recruit was 3-star cornerback Khary Crump from Culver City, Calif.

The physical corner decided that seeing campus was enough and decided to pull the trigger, to everyone’s surprise.

Read on for that and more as we caught up to the newest member of UA’s 2020 recruiting class.

AZ Desert Swarm: You took a visit out to Arizona during the Spring Game. How did that visit go for you? What stood out to you the most?

Khary Crump: “It went very well. The atmosphere (stood out the most). And also the campus and meeting with Coach Meat (cornerbacks coach Demetrice Martin). I feel like I can perform at a higher level with him coaching me. I mean, with the DBs he’s had recently, he’s had a lot of success. I feel he’ll have more success with me.”

AZDS: Arizona has a new, important facility for the football program with the Cole and Jeannie Davis Sports Center. What did you think of the new indoor practice facility?

Crump: “It’s beautiful. The best part of that is, it gets hot in the summer there’s a great place to practice. It’s a great facility.”

AZDS: You committed while on campus. How did that decision come to fruition and who did you tell first, Demetrice Martin or Kevin Sumlin?

Crump: “I spoke to Coach Meat first. We were sitting in his office and we were talking about where I’d fit in. And I popped the question: ‘How would it look if I committed?’ Well, it looked good so I committed. Then I told Coach Sumlin after.”

AZDS: How did Coach Martin and Coach Sumlin react to your announcement?

Crump: “Happy but surprised. They weren’t expecting it. It surprised everybody.”

AZDS: During the Spring Game, CB McKenzie Barnes and S Christian Young came away with some turnovers. How do you feel Arizona’s DBs performed?

Crump: “I thought the DBs played well. They did their job, their part, very well.”

AZDS: Are there any DBs currently on Arizona’s roster that you strive to emulate or hope to take up the mantle, such as Lorenzo Burns or Jace Whittaker?

Crump: “No, not really. I haven’t done any research on any of the DBs. I just try to do what I do. I know what I need help with and I know what I’m good at.”

AZDS: Based off your experience during the Spring Game, how do you envision game days will be like in Arizona Stadium?

Crump: “I know the fanbase is really tight. The people from Tucson take it very seriously, they like to win. So I’ll try to take it like every other game. Not to serious or think too much about things. Just perform.”

AZDS: What aspects of your game are you trying to improve?

Crump: “Mainly playing off-man. I feel like if I can perfect my off-man, like I can guard someone without using my hands, that’ll put my game on the next level. That and improving my eyes, not always wanting to be so aggressive. Don’t jump on the double move, be disciplined.”

AZDS: What do you feel is your strongest attribute that you bring to the field?

Crump: “My best attribute is my on-the-line technique. I feel that if you slow down the receivers, it’s so much easier to guard them. If I get my hands on you at the line, it’s pretty much over. I’ve slowed you down. Now you pretty much don’t have much time, about 1-1.5 seconds, to run your route. It just makes my job that much easier.”

AZDS: What makes you excited about being a future Arizona Wildcat?

Crump: “Mainly the opportunity for success. It’s a new opportunity. I’m not in my home state. You know, a new place, new people. A new beginning and living on my own. Me trying to find myself and me being a man.”

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As you can see from above, Crump has a lot of respect for Martin and trust in his coaching. And the two are not strangers. Meat extended an offer to Crump back in June 2018 and had been in contact with him from his time at UCLA.

Crump is extremely physical and tough for his size and he plays with confidence. He is one of the best cover corners I’ve seen in awhile and one of the best on the West Coast. As mentioned above, he does a great job of disrupting the receiver at the line and uses his hands effectively. One thing you notice when you flip on his film is that he is very good about turning his head around to locate the ball. That is usually the hardest aspect of the position to teach and he is proficient at it.

He will need to work on his aggressiveness as to not over-pursue or bite on double moves. He will also need train his eyes to catch more of the little nuances that receivers use to break coverage. Crump can also add about 10-15 pounds of muscle to his frame and still keep his speed.

Overall, he is a great piece to start the defense for the 2020 cycle.

His junior highlights are below.

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