Arizona State Lands Washington State Transfer

The countdown is now under 80 days until the 2025 Arizona State football team kicks off their campaign against Northern Arizona on August 30.

The Sun Devils enter year three of the Kenny Dillingham era having gone 11-3 the previous season and nearly advancing in the College Football Playoff.

The 39-31 loss to Texas was just the beginning despite the result not being a desired one - the program actually started attacking the portal before their season officially ended.

Dillingham secured commitments from potential difference makers such as Army running back Kanye Udoh and Alabama wide receiver Jaren Hamilton - these additions compounded with the 2025 recruiting class adds leave very few holes on the roster at large.

That doesn't mean that the coaching staff is stopping in making additions as summer practices quickly approach.

Former Washington State defensive lineman Rashad McKenzie Jr. committed to play in Tempe on Thursday after playing sparingly since joining the program in 2022.

From Washington State Athletics:

RS-SOPHOMORE (2024): Appeared in two games…appeared on defense late in season-opening win over Portland State and against No. 21 Syracuse in Holiday Bowl.

RS-FRESHMAN (2023): Suffered season-ending injury against Northern Colorado in his collegiate debut.

FRESHMAN (2022): Did not appear in a game…redshirt season.

HIGH SCHOOL: Attended Bishop Alemany High School…as a SENIOR, named to Daily News All-Area Second Team after making 48 tackles including 18 tackles-for-loss…rated three-star prospect by ESPN.com, Rivals.com and 247Sports.com…rated No. 109 defensive lineman in the country by 247Sports.com.

The 6'6" lineman is set to join a position group that includes C.J. Fite, Zac Swanson, MyKeil Gardner, and potentially Elijah O'Neal - the outlook surrounding this deep room could be looking even more optimistic after this commitment.

Swanson previously spoke on how important the culture that the coaching staff has built is to how the team operates - this could be vital in the effort to add talent moving forward.

"Mainly, I appreciate this staff so much. They do so much for us, and the main thing is, like, they really create a relationship with their players. Like, a lot of times, programs around the country will just kind of treat the players like they're robots, like they're just football players."

Read more about a local 2026 recruit officially committing to Arizona State earlier in the week here, and a fellow transfer that is looking to make his mark in Tempe in WR Jalen Moss here.

Please let us know your thoughts on this potential high-upside portal addition when you like our Facebook page when you click right here.