It's a new year and the transfer portal is officially open. Arizona State closed out their 2025 season with a narrow loss in the Sun Bowl to ACC champion Duke despite missing 35 players, including many starters.
Now, Kenny Dillingham is setting his sights on getting back to the Big 12 title game in 2026, and the transfer portal will be a big resource in doing just that. We'll be keeping track of every player movement - departing transfers, incoming transfers, visiting prospects - right here over the next few weeks, so be sure to bookmark this page and refresh for updates.
Visiting
QB Cutter Boley
The Kentucky native stayed close to home, committing to play for the Kentucky Wildcats. He appeared in four games as a freshman, with one start, while preserving his redshirt. This year, he was the starter and flashed elite potential. Boley has had issues with turnovers, but scouts have praised his raw skills. There is a belief that, with the right coaching, Boley could become a first round pick.
Boley is set to visit Arizona State January 3-4, and buzz suggests this may be a done deal sooner rather than later.
WR Kwazi Gilmer
The search to replace Jordyn Tyson has apparently led to Kwazi Gilmer, a former 4-star commit with UCLA. Gilmer has 880 receiving yards and six scores over the last two seasons, and made a considerable jump this year when UCLA switched up its offensive coaching staff.
Gilmer is set to visit January 3, and he has also set a visit with Oklahoma State for January 5.
S Lyrik Rawls
Texas-native Lyrik Rawls has had a meteoric rise of late. Originally playing for Oklahoma State, he transferred to Kansas this past year and became a starter, finishing second on the team in tackles. Now, he's looking for a place to finish out his final year of eligibility in style.
Rawls is set to visit Arizona State, along with Clemson and Duke, though the date is unknown.
Incoming
Outgoing
QB Sam Leavitt
The writing had been on the wall ever since he skipped the end-of-the-year team banquet, but Sam Leavitt is officially in the transfer portal with a "do not contact" label. That suggests the quarterback already knows where he's going, and it's not Arizona State. Leavitt entered the year with Heisman buzz, but uneven play was capped off with a serious leg injury that will limit his availability this offseason, making a transfer fairly risky.
RB Raleek Brown
A former 5-star commit at USC, injuries always prevented Raleek Brown from showing off his immense potential. He finally got healthy this season and turned in a stellar year, leading the team in rushing with 1,134 yards. Brown declared for the 2026 NFL Draft back in December, but he entered the transfer portal on January 2, and may be looking for one last pay day in college before going pro.
WR Noble Johnson
Noble Johnson transferred in from Clemson a year ago, hoping to contend for a starting spot alongside Jordyn Tyson, but it never happened. Johnson had a few highlight plays back in spring ball, but he struggled with consistency.
WR Zechariah Sample
A true speedster, Zechariah Sample came to Arizona State with sky high potential as a downfield threat. He emerged late this season as the Sun Devils' top punt returner, but it seems Sample is looking for more to do on offense.
WR Akim Lanieux
Akim Lanieux was an impressive wide receiver at the junior college level who transferred into Arizona State this past year. He was stuck on the scout team this season, and with one year of eligibility remaining, he's looking for a better opportunity to see the field.
TE Jayden Fortier
The first 4-star commit of the Kenny Dillingham era, Jayden Fortier was overflowing with promise when he became a Sun Devil. Unfortunately, he was derailed by injuries. Fortier suffered a torn ACL late in his final year of high school, which impacted his development during his redshirt year. Another injury last year further stagnated Fortier's growth. Now, it seems as if Fortier is just looking for a fresh start.
TE Coleson Arends
Coleson Arends was one of a few on this list who went from walk-on to scholarship player when the NCAA expanded from 85 to 105 scholarships this past offseason. Primarily a special teams player, Arends is looking for more playing time elsewhere.
OT Josh Atkins
Sam Leavitt's starting left tackle for the past two seasons, Josh Atkins came into the year with high expectations. Like the rest of the team, Atkins played well but didn't quite live up to the hype. Granted an extra year of eligibility, Atkins is now looking for a new place to call home before shooting for the NFL.
OG Joey Su'a
Once a celebrated transfer from Arkansas, Joey Su'a was a hulking mass of human that offered Arizona State a fun developmental piece on the offensive line. However, Su'a didn't progress the way coaches hoped, and a fresh start may be best for all involved.
C Sean Na'a
Bringing similar potential to Su'a, Sean Na'a unexpectedly played significant snaps as a true freshman out of necessity. Na'a highlighted potential in those games, but the staff still used his redshirt in 2024 to develop him. Na'a was originally being groomed to play center, but his development stalled and he was surpassed by others at the position.
LB Tate Romney
One of many players who returned home to play for the Sun Devils in Kenny Dillingham's first year on the job, Tate Romney finished out 2023 as a starter on defense. A broken arm early in 2024 pushed him down the depth chart, and the emergence of Keyshaun Elliott and Jordan Crook left little playing time for Romney this season.
CB Javan Robinson
A key starter for the Sun Devils each of the last two seasons, Javan Robinson was a difference maker at cornerback. A bit undersized for the role, Robinson was often picked on by opposing quarterbacks, but his scrappy style of play made up for it and then some. With one year of eligibility left, Robinson seems to be looking for a higher profile program to aid his quest of reaching the NFL.
CB Chris Johnson
Once a highly-touted recruit with NFL bloodlines, Chris Johnson was always a bit of a tweener in the secondary. Listed as a cornerback, Johnson struggled to stand out in a crowded room, and he moved to safety this year but still failed to climb the depth chart.
CB Tony-Louis Nukba
Tony-Louis Nkuba was another big get in that 2024 recruiting class, alongside Chris Johnson, but he had similar issues. More of a true cornerback, Nkuba eventually saw playing time in the Sun Bowl, but it was too little, too late.
CB Joseph McGinnis
Another walk-on turned scholarship player, Joseph McGinnis was unlikely to see the field in 2026 but could find playing time somewhere else.
S Adama Fall
Like McGinnis, Adama Fall went from walk-on to scholarship but his path to seeing the field was extremely slim.
S Nikko Klemm
Brother of tackle Jalen Klemm, Nikko Klemm was another walk-on turned scholarship player who will find playing time somewhere else than Tempe.
S Jack Bal
A walk-on who was promoted to a scholarship player, Jack Bal actually came close to seeing the field. He turned heads in spring ball and worked his way into the cusp of the two-deep while starters ahead of him were injured. But Bal is unlikely to see playing time with the Sun Devils next year.
S Tommy Romano
Much like the names before him, Tommy Romano is a former walk-on whose path to the field no longer exists at Arizona State.