Arizona State Football Sees 2026 Recruiting Class Improve

TEMPE -- The 2025 Arizona State football season is not going according to plan to this point - as the team sits at just 5-3, with four more games to go in the 12-game slate.

Injuries, a lack of consistent complimentary football, and a schedule that was densely packed with challenging games in the middle of the schedule are all reasons behind the start, but this has not deterred head coach Kenny Dillingham and staff from hitting the recruiting trail with ferocity - as the 2026 class is potentially slated to be the best that the 35 year old has crafted during his time as head coach.

Craig Haubert of ESPN explained why Arizona State's 2026 class has risen from 42 to 37 in recent weeks - including the fact that the Sun Devils currently have a pair of commits from within the ESPN top 300.

"Kenny Dillingham deftly pulled all roster-building levers available to him as he restored the Sun Devils to national relevancy. They have an interesting 2026 class that includes an ESPN 300 QB. Four-star Texas native Jake Fette is a dual-threat playmaker with excellent short-area quickness and a smooth, consistent release. Arizona State has already landed a pair of tight ends alongside him, including Hayden Vercher, who could be a weapon at the position as he possesses excellent ball skills and is a good route runner with more than 1,000 yards receiving in 2024.

On defense, Julian Hugo was a nice pull out of Texas as he is an explosive defender with active hands and posted double-digit sacks as a junior."

Arizona State on SI breaks down what the program has done well and what can be improved upon in future classes below.

Positives From Arizona State's Recruiting Class

• The most blatant positive is that the program has successfully infiltrated Texas - as they have become the program that is most involved in the state outside of ones that are located there. Fette is a crown jewel of the class, although he might have to wait to become the starting QB.

• Another major positive is that they were able to branch out this class, as commits such as TE Landen Miree (Ohio) reside in states that aren't usually targeted. This is a display of the heads-up approach that Dillingham and staff have taken and show how adaptable the coaches are.

What Can be Improved?

• The most glaring weakness in the current arrangement is a lack of commit from California - a state in which Arizona State was incredibly involved in at one point. Dillingham has made it a point that he wants to schedule non-conference games against schools in the state as a means to re-enter the market - it's hard to see that idea not panning out in future years.

Read more on why the Arizona State men's basketball team will exceed expectations in the 2025-26 season here, and on why the 2025 football team is at a crossroads following a loss to Houston here.