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Former Arizona State quarterback Bryce Perkins signed Wednesday with Arizona Western College, where he hopes to start and lead the Matadors back to the national junior college championship game.

Perkins, a redshirt sophomore, sat out last season at ASU after suffering fracture in his neck that nearly ended his football career. He was limited during spring practice because of the injury. Last month, he announced he was transferring because “this school is not the right fit for me and the goals I have set for myself.”

Arizona Western coach Tom Minnick said he knew that Perkins was considering a transfer before ASU spring practice. There is a connection to Perkins, who starred at Chandler High School, through Jim Ewan, who coached Perkins’ older brother Paul when he was at Chandler then later lived in Yuma, where Arizona Western in located.

“Our missing piece was quarterback,” Minnick said. “We have the No. 1 tight end, No. 1 running back and one of the top receivers. We need a leader to come in and take control of the guys coming back. Bryce is a big part of it.”

RELATED: ASU quarterback Bryce Perkins considering transfer options

Arizona Western was 11-1 in 2016, losing 25-22 to Garden City Community College in the NJCAA title game.

Minnick said Perkins is cleared for contact and “feeling fine and anxious to get back.” 

Perkins could play one season at Arizona Western then transfer back to an NCAA Division I school in December with two years of eligibility remaining.

“He gets to play,” Minnick said. “Why go sit? He needs to go play and prove himself again. He has the heart of a champion. I’m not worried about him. I’m happy. We’ve been searching to find a quarterback who can help us win, and we’ve always recruited Chandler.”

More: ASU WR Cameron Smith departs for Notre Dame as graduate transfer

Perkins threw for more than 5,000 yards and rushed for more than 1,600 with 26 touchdowns in his prep career. In 2014, he led Chandler to its first state title since 1949 and was named Arizona Division I Player of the Year. 

Minnick compared Perkins to Tanner McEvoy, Arizona Western’s quarterback in 2012 who went on to Wisconsin and now is a wide receiver with the Seattle Seahawks.

“He’s a dual threat guy who can wreck havoc on the defense,” Minnick said.

Even without Perkins, ASU has five scholarship quarterbacks – Manny Wilkins, Blake Barnett, Dillon Sterling-Cole, Brady White and Ryan Kelley. Wilkins and Barnett shared the No. 1 spot on the depth chart after spring practice. White is coming back from injury. Sterling-Cole and true freshman Kelley could redshirt.

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