Black Friday shopping in the transfer portal for Arizona State

Arizona State still has lots to play for, with a shot at the Big 12 title game on the line this week against bitter rival Arizona. However, for many teams it will soon be the time of year that players enter the transfer portal and look for a new place to call home.

While the Sun Devils are still focused on the games left to be played, their personnel department will be monitoring the pseudo free agent market with next year in mind. And with needs at receiver, edge rusher, kicker, and running back, these are some players to keep an eye on as Black Friday shopping gets under way.

Oregon State RB Anthony Hankerson

With Cam Skattebo wrapping up a fantastic season for the Sun Devils, the starting running back job will soon be vacant. Running backs coach Shaun Aguano has done a great job of always stacking the cupboard at this position, and while Arizona State has some players on the roster right now - namely Kyson Brown and Raleek Brown - they will likely attract interest from top rushers in the portal.

Anthony Hankerson could be one such player. The Florida native originally committed to Colorado under Karl Dorrell and stuck around for Year 1 under Deion Sanders, playing as a change-of-pace back both years. He transferred to Corvallis for 2024, where he's been one of the few bright spots for the Beavers.

Entering the season finale, Hankerson has 972 rushing yards on 221 carries with 14 touchdowns and ranks in the top 20 in yards after contact and broken tackles while being just behind in 10+ yard runs. With the Beavers' uninspiring first year in a new-look Pac 12, Hankerson may be looking for a better opportunity as he prepares for his senior year. The success Skattebo has had in Tempe would make Arizona State a prime opportunity.

West Virginia RB CJ Donaldson

For the same reasons that Arizona State may be appealing to Hankerson, they might be a real contender for West Virginia running back CJ Donaldson. The Mountaineers are bowl eligible this year, but rumors persist around head coach Neal Brown's job security. If West Virginia makes a change, Donaldson would likely look to bolt.

Donaldson has been part of a time share for carries at West Virginia the last two years, and he's topped 600 rushing yards both seasons while averaging 4.7 yards a carry. At 6'2" and 238 pounds, Donaldson is a downhill runner whose style is very comparable to Skattebo. While he's produced less than Skattebo due to the running back rotation West Virginia uses, his yards after contact per attempt is very similar to the Sun Devil star.

Donaldson could look to take a bellcow role in Tempe and lead the offense, or he could opt to hold a similar role as he has now to complement the other backs already with the program. Either way, the opportunity would be present, and Arizona State offers more stability in what will be Donaldson's final year of eligibility.

Oklahoma State WR De'Zhaun Stribling

Last year, standout receiver De'Zhaun Stribling opted to transfer out of Washington State following the massive changes to the Pac 12. The Hawaii native received plenty of interest, but he ultimately opted to go to Oklahoma State. While Stribling has been productive in Stillwater - approaching 900 yards on just 50 receptions - the Cowboys haven't been as good as many expected them to be.

The Sun Devils have a star receiver in Jordyn Tyson, but not many reliable options outside of him. Adding some talent to this position group has to be the top priority for this offense, and Stribling would be an ideal candidate. He'd be closer to home in Tempe, have the opportunity to be mentored by wide receivers coach Hines Ward, and play with one of the up-and-coming quarterbacks in Sam Leavitt.

Southern Miss QB Tate Rodemaker

Speaking of Leavitt, the quarterback has repeatedly insisted he's going to stick around Tempe for the long haul. But Arizona State's depth behind him is about to get very thin, as Jeff Sims is expected to be out of eligibility following this season. The Sun Devils will add freshman quarterback Butter Tollefson next year, while Christian Hunt and Navi Bruzon were on the team this year, but it would make sense for Arizona State to add a more experienced depth piece.

Enter Tate Rodemaker. The Georgia native committed to Florida State, and was directly recruited by Kenny Dillingham at the time, but Rodemaker primarily rode the bench behind Jordan Travis. He transferred to Southern Miss this year, where he became the starter, but the Golden Eagles have won just one game all year and fired their head coach after seven games.

Rodemaker won't command much interest in the portal, which may lead to him sticking around for whoever Southern Miss hires next, but he could have interest in reuniting with the coach that recruited him. Rodemaker would get the chance to be the primary backup and help mentor Leavitt under a head coach he knows very well.

Washington State WR Josh Meredith

When San Diego native Josh Meredith was coming out of high school, Washington State was the only Power 5 school to offer him. After two years buried on the depth chart, Meredith has emerged in his redshirt sophomore season.

He's currently third on the team in receiving for a Cougars team that has surpassed most expectations. Washington State is 8-3 heading into the final week of regular season play, and their explosive offense has powered them here. It's been so good that offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle is being connected to high profile jobs, such as the Oklahoma OC opening.

If Arbuckle leaves, that could prompt Meredith and others to test their value in the portal. If that happens, Arizona State would make a lot of sense given their need for receivers outside of Tyson. With two years of eligibility remaining after this year, Meredith would have time to significantly raise his stock at a program on the rise.

Florida State WR Xavier Johnson

Sensing a theme here? Arizona State needs receivers, and it might be their biggest need this offseason. One name they could easily target is Florida State's Xavier Johnson.

Johnson is an Arizona native, and the Sun Devils have often targeted former Arizona players in the portal under Dillingham. The head coach is also close with Seminoles head coach Mike Norvell, and that relationship could come into play here after a disappointing year in Tallahassee.

Johnson has hardly played at Florida State in the two years he's been enrolled there, still without a catch to his name, so this would be more of a developmental pick in the portal. But landing Johnson would go back to the idea of Arizona players returning home, and Johnson could be developed into another star receiver in the mold of Tyson.

Fresno State WR Jalen Moss

Alright, one more receiver target before we move on to the defensive side of the ball. Fresno State lost head coach Jeff Tedford shortly before the season began, working with an interim head coach all year. Still, their best players could be on the block this year.

Jalen Moss is one such player, currently second on the team in receiving. The California native was offered by the Sun Devils under the previous regime, and after a strong season with the Bulldogs he could be eyeing a chance to come to Tempe and fit in as the number two receiving option.

Fresno State DT Jacob Holmes

Moving to the defense but sticking with Fresno State players, Jacob Holmes would offer a valuable body for Brian Ward's defensive line rotation. CJ Fite is going to be the top interior defender next year, and Anthonie Cooper is expected back after a season-ending injury, but Holmes would add versatility upfront.

The Chandler native is tied for the team lead in sacks after leading the team last year, and he's been one of their most reliable run defenders. He'll be going into his final year of eligibility next year, and could raise his draft stock with a good year in Tempe.

Fresno State EDGE Korey Foreman

One another Fresno State player who might be of interest to Arizona State is Korey Foreman, a former five star edge rusher who very nearly committed to the Sun Devils under the previous regime. He instead went to USC, where he was foolishly converted to an off-ball linebacker.

Foreman transferred to Fresno State this year after USC fired their defensive coordinator, and he transitioned back to an edge rusher. He's played in a rotational role as he bulked back up to the size he needed to be at, but Foreman is tied with Holmes for the team lead in sacks.

Arizona State is expected to return their top three edge defenders - Prince Dorbah, Clayton Smith, and Justin Wodtly - but Ward's scheme calls for a deep rotation of pass rushers and Foreman would have ample opportunity to work into the rotation in Tempe.

Washington State EDGE Raam Stevenson

If Arizona State is, indeed, looking to beef up their edge rushing rotation, they could go back to the Washington State well for the third straight year since hiring Ward away from Pullman. Raam Stevenson would make plenty of sense if that happens.

Stevenson, a Texas native, was recruited to Pullman by both Ward and current Arizona State linebackers coach AJ Cooper. He's currently third on the team in sacks in his first year as a key piece of the Cougars' defensive line rotation, and it would be a seamless transition into the same scheme with the Sun Devils.

UNLV K Caden Chittenden

If wide receiver isn't the biggest need for Arizona State this offseason, kicker is. The Sun Devils have used three different kickers throughout the year, with none of them proving to be reliable. Expect the Sun Devils to monitor the kicker market closely.

UNLV's Caden Chittenden could be one such target. In his first year in college football, Chittenden leads the nation in scoring. He's also attempted the most field goals with 30 and converted 80% of them, one of the better marks in the country. If he opts to test the transfer market after such a good year, Chittenden would likely be aggressively pursued by Arizona State.

UCLA K Mateen Bhaghani

When Dillingham first arrived in Tempe, he brought in Cal kicker Dario Longhetto, who played well for the Sun Devils. Dillingham could once again look west for his kicker and target UCLA's Mateen Bhaghani, who transferred to UCLA after one year at Cal replacing Longhetto.

This year, he's hit on 81.8% of his field goals. Much like Longhetto, Bhaghani would benefit from playing in Tempe instead of on the coast where wind currents are much stronger. Longhetto provided a very reliable kicking option for Arizona State, which is what they'd be looking for with Bhaghani too.