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Big 12 coach questions whether Arizona State's transfer portal pieces will fit together

Brian Jones Profile Picby: Brian Jones21 hours agobrianjones_93

An anonymous Big 12 coach wonders if the transfers Arizona State brought in can come together and do big things in 2026. Athlon Sports spoke to the coach about the Sun Devils and how they will look this fall.

“I’ve been impressed with who they picked up in the portal. The question is, how do those pieces in the portal come together? They’re a tough, physical team, and in the Big 12, it’s more finesse offenses,” the Big 12 coach said.

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“They’re better across the board; they’re better at wideout. I know they had Jordyn Tyson, but he was kind of in and out of the lineup. (Colorado transfer receiver) Omarion Miller is a special player. (Boston College transfer receiver) Reed Harris is a special player, and they have some young guys that they like.” 

The coach continued, “I think they’ll be better on both sides of the line of scrimmage, just with the way they’ve been recruiting. They’ll lose a bit of production in the backfield because I thought Raleek Brown was really, really good. But I’m expecting them to be good.”

Arizona State earned a No. 34 ranking in On3’s top transfer portal classes of 2026. 25 players joined the Sun Devils, but the team lost 38 to the portal.

Kenny Dillingham has done good work at Arizona State

In 2025, Arizona State went 8-5 and 6-3 in Big 12 play. The team finished the year with a 42-39 loss to ACC champion Duke in the Sun Bowl.

Head coach Kenny Dillingham is entering his third season with Arizona State. He made an immediate impact in his first season, leading the Sun Devils to a Big 12 title and an appearance in the College Football Playoff.

In December, Dillingham signed a five-year contract extension with Arizona State. The deal came as he was rumored to be in the running for the Michigan job.

“Michigan’s an unbelievable job with unlimited resources, with people who will do whatever they can to make it successful, who want to see it succeed,” Dillingham said, per Pete Thamel of ESPN. “Somebody’s going to get an unbelievable opportunity … to take over one of the best programs in the country, with one of the best rosters in the country.”

Athlon Sports took a closer look at Arizona State in its 2026 College Football Preview Magazine. Fans can purchase the magazine by clicking HERE.