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
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.
WR Nico Brown
A rare Ivy League football star, Nico Brown is coming off a year in which he had 1,085 receiving yards and 11 touchdowns. The Huntington Beach, California native could be eyeing a return to the West Coast, and Arizona State seems happy to oblige.
TE Kristian Ingman
Looking to upgrade from the FCS, Portland State tight end Kristian Ingman is considering Arizona State. Mostly a blocking tight end, Ingman stands as the 65th highest rated tight end in the portal, originally out of Reno, Nevada.
Ingman is set to visit on January 8.
OT Luke Baklenko
Potentially a massive upgrade at tackle, Luke Baklenko spent the past year as a starter for the Oklahoma Sooners. Prior to that, he was a two year starter at Stanford. Originally from California, Baklenko could potentially move closer to home for a Sun Devil squad that lost both starting tackles from this season.
Baklenko is set to visit on January 9.
DE Noah Carter
The third-highest rated player in Arizona from the 2024 class, Noah Carter spent the past two seasons at Alabama. A former 4-star that was close to being a 5-star, Carter was heavily pursued by Arizona State the last time around.
Carter is set to visit on January 5.
LB Jojo Hayden
A linebacker from Illinois, Jojo Hayden has largely been a reserve player in two seasons. He posted 26 tackles this past year, splitting duties between defense and special teams.
Hayden is set to visit on January 6.
CB Jahlil Florence
A former 4-star recruit out of California, Jahlil Florence committed to Oregon, but he's been buried on the depth chart. After appearing in 11 games as a redshirt freshman, Florence only suited up for two games this year. He would have a much more direct path to playing time in Tempe, as Arizona State will lose each of its starting cornerbacks.
Florence is set to visit on January 6.
CB Nigel Pringle
A tall cornerback prospect out of Houston, Texas, Nigel Pringle chose the Razorbacks a year ago. After a coaching change, though, Pringle is in the portal and looking for a new home. The Sun Devils have built a decent pipeline in the state of Texas that should help here.
Pringle is set to visit on January 4.
K Mateen Bhaghani
With Jesus Gomez out of eligibility, Arizona State needs a new kicker. They seem to have their sights set on UCLA's Mateen Bhaghani, who's perfect on extra points in three years as the kicker for the Bruins. He's also 88.9% on all field goals and has had success with longer kicks, too.
Bhaghani is visiting January 3-4.
Incoming
QB Cutter Boley - committed on 1/3/26
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.
WR Omarion Miller - committed on 1/5/26
Omarion Miller, rated as the second-best wide receiver in the transfer portal, is coming off a strong season at Colorado. He put up 808 receiving yards and eight touchdowns despite catching passes from three different quarterbacks and having a change in play-caller midseason.
WR Reed Harris - committed on 1/7/26
Another highly-touted receiver, Reed Harris is the fourth-highest rated transfer wideout. A lone bright spot at Boston College this year, Harris tallied 673 receiving yards and caught five scores. He's drawing plenty of interest on the market.
WR Raiden Vines-Bright - committed on 1/4/26
Initially a local product, Raiden Vines-Bright starred at Corona Del Sol before moving to Florida to play his senior season at the prestigious IMG Academy. Vines-Bright then committed to Washington, where he saw gradually increasing snaps each week, especially out of the slot. A former track star, Vines-Bright is a burner with potential to become an all-around threat in the passing game.
RB David Avit - committed on 1/4/26
A big, bruising type of runner, David Avit has spent the last two seasons playing at FCS Villanova. As a true freshman, Avit racked up 923 rushing yards and nine touchdowns. He saw fewer carries this year but still finished with 687 yards and eight touchdowns.
C Tana Alo-Tupuola - committed on 1/8/26
The starting center at Georgia Tech this past year, Tana Alo-Tupuola helped anchor an offensive line that paved the way for plenty of rushing yards this past season. With a coordinator change in Atlanta, though, Alo-Tupuola is in the portal as a junior-to-be.
S Lyrik Rawls - committed on 1/8/26
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.
LB Owen Long - committed on 1/8/26
A tackle machine at Colorado State, Owen Long is coming to Arizona State after leading the FBS with 151 tackles this past season. Rated as the fifth best linebacker in the transfer portal, Long is a huge addition to the Sun Devil defense. Along with the news that Zyrus Fiaseu received an extra year of eligibility, Arizona State seemingly has their two starting linebackers for 2026 in place.
CB Ashton Stamps - committed on 1/6/26
Ranked as a top 20 prospect in the state of Louisiana, Ashton Stamps stayed close to home and committed to LSU. He earned a starting job initially, but fell down the depth chart in 2025, leading to his transfer.
CB Caleb Chester - committed on 1/4/26
Jumping in the portal just a year after committing, Caleb Chester was an overlooked prospect who stayed close to home to play for the Texas Longhorns. However, with Texas swapping out defensive coordinators, Chester was looking for a new school.
RB Marquis Gillis - committed on 1/6/26
Another running back transfer from the lower levels, Marquis Gillis comes in from Delaware State. He ran for 1,195 yards with eight touchdowns this year, leading his conference. Notably, his position coach at Delaware State was former NFL star Clinton Portis.
K Carson Smith - committed on 1/8/26
Carson Smith spent the past year kicking for FCS Austin Peay, where he was named his conference's Specialist of the Year. Notably, new Arizona State special teams coordinator coached special teams at Austin Peay before joining the Sun Devils.
P Nick McLarty - committed on 1/5/26
Arizona State's quest to improve their special teams continues, with Australian punter Nick McLarty coming over from Ohio State. Listed at 6'7" and 255 pounds, McLarty looks more like a defensive end than a specialist. He punted just three times in two years with the Buckeyes, but McLarty will have a chance to contribute for the Sun Devils.
QB Mikey Keene - committed on 1/8/26
Arizona State already brought in Kentucky transfer quarterback Cutter Boley, but they could look to bolster the position with Mikey Keene. A former standout at Chandler High School, Keene started multiple seasons at Fresno State before spending this past year as a backup at Michigan.
DT Hyrum Vaeono - committed on 1/8/26
A junior college transfer, Hyrum Vaeono comes in from Butler Community College in Lawrence, Kansas. Upon committing, he described Arizona State as a "dream school" and cited their long list of fellow Polynesian players in the program. He had 18 tackles and 2.5 sacks this past season.
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.
RB Kanye Udoh
Initially expected to stick around for a second season, Kanye Udoh entered the transfer portal just a couple days after Arizona State secured a commitment from David Avit. With the two having similar play styles, Udoh may have figured he was being pushed out.
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.