Former 4-star TE leaves SEC school to join Arizona State

This was a strong pull from Kenny Dillingham

Kentucky v Louisville
Kentucky v Louisville | Andy Lyons/GettyImages

Arizona State coaches have been working double time lately, trying to prepare for the Peach Bowl while also working the transfer portal, but head coach Kenny Dillingham scored his best get yet. Kentucky tight end Khamari Anderson has opted to join the Sun Devils out of the portal.

Anderson was one of the top tight ends in the portal, rated by 247 Sports as the third best among his position still available. The former Kentucky Wildcat comes with three years of eligibility and a chance to become a star player in the Arizona State offense.

Anderson, a native of Detroit, Michigan, committed to Cincinnati early on in high school. Once he was upgraded to a 4-star prospect, big programs came calling. Anderson eventually committed to Kentucky, a program that's had great success in landing top talent from Ohio and Michigan in the last decade.

Anderson redshirted his first year and had minimal playing time this year for a Wildcats offense that took a huge step back in terms of production. Essentially the team's third tight end, Anderson had just 29 yards on five receptions. The program anticipated his ascent next year, but Anderson opted to enter the portal.

Since then, he's received plenty of interest from all over college football. Auburn and Colorado locked him in for visits early on, but Anderson's trip to Tempe was shrouded in secrecy, as Arizona State hoped for a quick commitment. They got their wish, and Anderson is now a Sun Devil.

Anderson had previously stated that his top priority was a team that would properly utilize his talents. Anderson has prototypical size for the position and is a mobile receiving threat who is also an above-average blocker.

Arizona State made frequent use of 12 personnel this past season, and Chamon Metayer - who will be playing in his final year of eligibility next season - finished third on the team in both receptions and touchdowns.

He also stressed the importance of finding a good quarterback to play with, which is where Sam Leavitt comes in. Obviously, Leavitt is an established starter who will enter next season with Heisman hype.

Beyond that, though, is the fact that Leavitt was committed to Michigan State around the same time the Spartans were heavily courting Anderson out of high school. While the two did not formally meet during this process, there was familiarity between the two, and the chance for Anderson to finally team up with Leavitt now after seeing what the quarterback accomplished in his first year as a starter played a role in this decision.

Anderson is a significant addition for Arizona State, largely for the manner in which they sealed his commitment. He's still a young player who will need a little more development, but Anderson should find a role behind Metayer this year before being set up to take on the top job in 2026.

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