Recruiting Roundup: Top JUCO player caps off big week for Arizona State

The recruiting grind never stops, especially for Kenny Dillingham and the Sun Devils. Arizona State knows they won't reach the College Football Playoff again without putting the work in on the recruiting trail, and their most recent commit - JUCO star Joshua Shanklin - capped off a busy week.

Since Sunday, the Sun Devils have secured the commitment of four players, three of them being 4-stars. While Shanklin qualifies for the 2025 class, Arizona State's 2026 class has moved up to 11th in the country and second in the Big 12, behind only Kansas.

Here's what you need to know about each commit.

EDGE Joshua Shanklin

Stars: 4
Overall Rank: 5
Position Rank: 1

A year ago, Joshua Shanklin fielded zero scholarship offers. Now, he's the fifth-rated JUCO prospect in the country, and committed to Arizona State after touring the nation for a lengthy list of official visits.

Shanklin, who racked up 14.5 sacks and 69 tackles as a true freshman, received heavy interest from the likes of Ole Miss, Missouri, West Virginia, and UCLA, among others. But the California native picked the Sun Devils, who will see their top three edge players graduate after this season.

Shanklin will come in with four years of eligibility as a JUCO transfer, and the 6'4" 220 pound edge rusher may need to take a redshirt year to bulk up a bit, but his pass rushing prowess is not in question. HIs commitment caps off a really strong week of recruiting for the Sun Devils.

RB Cardae Mack

Stars: 4
Overall Rank: 416
Position Rank: 18

Running backs coach Shaun Aguano extended his streak of putting Sun Devil running backs in the NFL with Cam Skattebo this past weekend, and he followed it up by landing one of the best running back recruits in the country in Cardae Mack.

Committing out of Humble, Texas, Mack actually played quarterback this past season but finished with more rushing yards (1,918) and rushing touchdowns (22) than he did through the air. All told, he finished with over 3,200 yards of offense, and has been recruited as a running back.

Mack committed to Arizona State despite holding offers from a handful of SEC and Big Ten programs, as well as plenty of other schools. He offers elite athleticism, which helped him stand out against some top-shelf talent in the Houston-area high school leagues.

WR Nalin Scott

Stars: 4
Overall Rank: 311
Position Rank: 49

Aguano may have the track record, but wide receivers coach Hines Ward has the name recognition, and it's certainly helped Arizona State land some high profile pass catchers. Nalin Scott is the latest example, committing to the Sun Devils during the Football Fan Fest after Kenny Dillingham completed a 100-yard bear crawl.

Scott, a Georgia native, is rated as the 49th best receiver in the nation. Also a track star, Scott brings top-end speed to the position, which has boosted his ratings as a prospect despite playing in a talent-rich area.

Nearby powerhouses like Georgia, Florida, and LSU had offered Scott, but he chose the Sun Devils instead. Going into deep SEC Country and landing a high profile player like Scott is a big deal.

LB Oscar Aguilar

Stars: 3
Overall Rank: 1,167
Position Rank: 100

An early contender for the most underrated commit of the Sun Devils' 2026 class, Oscar Aguilar just barely got into the Top 100 among linebackers but fell outside of the Top 1,000 overall. Still, Aguilar has the coaching staff just as excited as the other three commits they got this week.

Aguilar has been a starter on the varsity team at Downey High School in California since his freshman season. Playing linebacker, defensive end, and even some tight end, Aguilar has amassed 258 tackles, 14 tackles for loss, four sacks, and has forced five fumbles.

Don't be surprised if Aguilar gets bumped up in the ratings by the time he actually arrives on campus, as all he does is make plays. For now, the Sun Devils are content to have landed an under-the-radar stud.