Just a few minutes after Arizona State secured a commitment from their third transfer wide receiver, they also got good news on one of their last remaining positions of need: cornerback. That came Monday afternoon when Nyland Green committed to the Sun Devils.
BREAKING: Former Georgia and Purdue CB Nyland Green has Committed to Arizona State, he tells @on3sports
— Hayes Fawcett (@Hayesfawcett3) January 13, 2025
The 6’2 186 CB will have 1 year of eligibility remaining
Was ranked as a Five-Star in the 2021 Class (per On3)https://t.co/RlUbB6Fk7q pic.twitter.com/kKgj43vyg5
Green was once one of the most hyped up prospects in the nation. Rated as a 5-star cornerback in Georgia, he was in the Top 5 both at his position and in the state; Green was also ranked as the 19th best player in the country.
Green committed to the hometown Bulldogs in 2020 and took a redshirt during the Covid-shortened season. Over the next three years, Green was slowly given more and more playing time at Georgia, but he finished the 2023 season with just 143 total snaps played in three years, leading him to the transfer portal.
That's when Green landed at Purdue. He immediately became a starter for the Boilermakers, but it didn't go very well. Purdue won just one game all year long - their season opener against FCS Indiana State - and was dreadful on both sides of the ball.
Green struggled too, giving up three touchdown passes and only batting down six passes on the year with five penalties called against him. It wasn't all bad, though: Green gave up completions on just 56.8% of his targets and finished the year with two sacks, showing off his versatility.
Listed at 6'2" and 186 pounds, Green profiles as an outside cornerback who excels in playing the boundary. His size and athleticism once made him the target of blue bloods everywhere on the recruiting trail, and Green certainly still feels he has something to prove.
He'll arrive at Arizona State with one year of eligibility remaining. The Sun Devils return starters Keith Abney and Javan Robinson, but dismissed their third cornerback and will see slot defender Shamari Simmons go to the NFL Draft.
Arizona State has several options to fill Simmons' role, with both Abney and Robinson being on the list. That would open up even more opportunity for Green to compete at outside corner. Either way, his raw talent is a welcome addition for defensive coordinator Brian Ward.