There are only 99 days until Sun Devil football returns, and our first spotlight player in this countdown series is none other than one of the anchors of the current defense, CJ Fite.
A member of Kenny Dillingham's first ever recruiting class as head coach at Arizona State, Fite committed out of Tatum, Texas. Playing at a small school in far east Texas, Fite was not the most well-known prospect but offered unlimited potential due to his frame and athleticism.
Rated as a low 3-star prospect, outside of the Top 200 in the state of Texas and outside the Top 100 among defensive tackles in the nation, Fite received just four Power 5 offers. He ultimately chose the Sun Devils, buying into the vision that the newly-hired Dillingham was selling.
Fite unexpectedly earned playing time as a true freshman, largely thanks to injuries in what proved to be a very forgettable season for the Sun Devils. Despite finishing 3-9, Arizona State saw several young players flash some promise, with Fite being one of them. He finished second among defensive tackles in run stops, ahead of several upperclassmen, and came on strong towards the end of the year.
Coming into last season, Arizona State sought to bolster their defensive line room, and added six new defensive tackles, with four by way of the transfer portal. Fite didn't take it personally, though, and continued to grow and improve as a defender.
Despite playing as part of a deep rotation that also featured Zac Swanson, Jeff Clark, and Jacob Rich Kongaika, Fite finished the year as the team's best interior run defender - posting an impressive 1.2 yards average depth of tackle - and was second among defensive tackles in sacks.
Fite offered more than just production on the field, though. He was one of 12 players voted to the team's Leadership Council last year, despite only being in his second year at Arizona State. His presence in the locker room was an invaluable piece of the Sun Devils' run last year, especially on defense.
Fite returns in 2025 with great expectations both for himself and the team as a whole.
Clark has graduated, but Swanson and Kongaika both return, and Arizona State brought in My'Keil Gardner via the transfer portal from Oregon, but Fite knows he'll be a key cog on this defensive line yet again. Arizona State's defense had several dominant games last year, and coordinator Brian Ward's scheme was starting to show great promise down the stretch.
With Fite anchoring this defensive line, and several other key players coming back, Arizona State has real hope to field one of the best defenses this program has seen in quite some time. And with 99 days to go until the season kicks off, Ward and the rest of this coaching staff have to be feeling pretty happy that Fite is still wearing number 99 for them.