Washington State transfer safety picks Arizona State

The safety position has seen several players put up big numbers in the two seasons with Brian Ward coordinating the Sun Devil defense, and they may have just found their next big star. Adrian "Boogie" Wilson has announced his intent to transfer to Arizona State.

The Texas native originally committed to Colorado as a 3-star prospect, but he withdrew his commitment shortly after Deion Sanders was named the head coach. After an extended recruiting process, he chose Washington State, who had just lost Ward to Arizona State as their defensive coordinator.

After redshirting his first year, Wilson saw light work in 2023. He moved into a key role in the Cougars secondary this year and finished fourth on the team in tackles despite being the third safety on the team. He struggled at times in coverage, but Washington State moved Wilson around the formation, splitting time between playing deep, lining up in the box, and working as a slot defender.

While Ward never coached Wilson at Washington State, his scheme is philosophically the same as head coach Jake Dickert, who just departed for the Wake Forest job. There will be a lot of similarity in scheme and language for Wilson, thereby easing the learning curve at Arizona State.

That likely played a major factor in Wilson's decision, as he took visits to Miami and Missouri, among other prominent schools. The Sun Devils also have a clear path to playing time for Wilson. They're likely to return Xavion Alford and Myles Rowser as their top two safeties next year, but Wilson can fill the role of third safety that Cole Martin was expected to fill next year before he entered the transfer portal.

Wilson also comes to Tempe with three years of remaining eligibility. He will have a chance to get acclimated in the defense in 2025 before ascending to a full-time starting role in 2026. This is a big get for the Sun Devils, and arguably an upgrade over Martin.