It's been a great week to be a Sun Devil. Arizona State landed commitments from two top 10 wide receivers in the transfer portal, on top of getting the talented Cutter Boley to come over from Kentucky.
Kenny Dillingham isn't satisfied.
On a very busy Thursday, the Sun Devils added five new players via the portal, bolstering all three phases of the game in the process.
S Lyrik Rawls
Perhaps the highest-profile player to commit on Thursday, Lyrik Rawls is a major addition to the defense. Rated as the 25th best safety in the portal, Rawls was a starter at Kansas this past season, finishing second on the team in tackles. He transferred to Kansas from Oklahoma State. Rawls figures to slot in as the starting free safety.
C Tana Alo-Tupuola
Another anticipated starter, Tana Alo-Tupuola emerged as the starting center for Georgia Tech this year as a sophomore. The Yellow Jackets were one of the best rushing offenses in college football, and at 6'2" and 325 pounds, Alo-Tupuola was a big part of that. Wade Helton showed promise in his starts at center this past season, but Alo-Tupuola offers a different caliber of player.
LB Owen Long
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.
QB Mikey Keene
Expectations are high for Cutter Boley, but there's no guarantee he'll be able to hit the ground running in Tempe. In an effort to bolster the depth behind him, Arizona State has landed veteran quarterback Mikey Keene. A local product who starred at Chandler High School, Keene was a very prodictive starter for Fresno State before spending this past season as the backup at Michigan. He'll have a chance to compete for the starting job here, especially if Boley struggles early on.
K Carson Smith
With Jesus Gomez off to the NFL Draft, the Sun Devils have found a new kicker. Carson Smith has transferred in from FCS Austin Peay, where he kicked for the last two seasons and was just named the Specialist of the Year for his conference. Smith reunites with Arizona State special teams coordinator Jack Nudo, who initially recruited Smith to Austin Peay from East Carolina two years ago.
DT Hyrum Vaeono
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.