ASU defensive lineman Justin Wodtly (95) celebrates a third down stop against UCF during a game at Mountain America Stadium in Tempe on Nov. 9, 2024. Patrick Breen/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Arizona State Making Progress with Elite 2027 Defensive Lineman

Originally posted on Arizona State Sun Devils on SI
By Max Dorsey | Last updated Jan 4, 2026 8:00 AM ET

While most of the college football recruiting world is focused on the chaos of the 2026 transfer portal window, Arizona State and head coach Kenny Dillingham are still actively recruiting the 2027 class and making progress with several of the nation’s top prospects.

One of those prospects is a four-star defensive lineman from Texas, who recently named Arizona State as one of the five schools that are standing out in his recruitment so far.

Arizona State Standing out to Four-Star Defensive Lineman

Throughout the 2027 recruiting cycle, Arizona State has been targeting Khyren Haywood, a four-star defensive lineman from Guyer High School in Denton, Texas. The Sun Devils were the first program to offer him in June 2023 and have been actively pursuing him since.

Rob Gray-Imagn Images

On Nov. 17, Haywood narrowed his decision down to 12 schools, naming Arizona State alongside Arizona, Baylor, Florida State, Kansas, Kansas State, Northwestern, SMU, Stanford, Texas Tech, USC, and Washington.

While all 12 of Haywood’s finalists are still in contention to land him, he recently told Rivals’ Chad Simmons that five schools stand out above the rest: Arizona State, Arizona, Kansas State, Kansas, and Texas Tech. He also noted that he hopes to take an official visit to each program.

Rob Schumacher/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

“Official visits are still in the works,” Haywood told Simmons. “My next visits will be official visits and I feel good about five schools. Arizona, Arizona State, Kansas, Kansas State, and Texas Tech are schools I feel confident that I will take official visits to."

When discussing Arizona State specifically, Haywood told Simmons that he enjoyed his unofficial visit to the Sun Devils during their game against Texas Tech this season and was impressed by Dillingham and the rest of the coaching staff's knowledge of the sport.

Mark Henle/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK

“I was there for the Texas Tech game," Haywood told Simmons. "It was farther away, but it was a great trip. The staff did a great job with me and my dad. I met with coach Dillingham, coach Reynolds, and coach Williams. I loved their personalities and their knowledge of the game. Coach Dillingham is young, but he knows so much.”

If Haywood does end up committing to Arizona State, he'd be a massive addition to the Sun Devils' 2027 class. Rivals' industry rankings list him as the No. 302 overall prospect nationally, the No. 38 defensive lineman, and the No. 46 prospect from Texas.

Jacob Reiner-Imagn Images

Haywood doesn't have a timeline for his commitment and is unlikely to decide until after his official visits. Still, it's clear he's starting to trim his list, and Arizona State is very much in contention to land the four-star defensive lineman.

This article first appeared on Arizona State Sun Devils on SI and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: