Arizona State Misses Out on Prized 2027 Recruit

The 2027 class is shaping up to be the best of the Dillingham era, as 4-star WR Nico Bland and QB Weston Nielsen have already pledged to join the program, with others such as blue-chip local OT Jake Hildebrand (Basha H.S.) in a position to sign to ASU by the end of the cycle.

Unfortunately, not all targets will end up being successfully recruited; that much was the case on Friday when Hildebrand's teammate in RB Noah Roberts chose the Texas Longhorns over ASU, Oregon, and Michigan.

Arizona State missing out on a blue-chip local recruit stings a bit, but they will recover and be able to assemble a strong class despite it - more on the fallout below.

Arizona State Misses Out on Another Local Prodigy

Roberts was very interested in ASU - in large part due to RB coach Shaun Aguano - but ultimately opted to follow the footsteps of one of his football idols in Bijan Robinson. Roberts becomes the fourth Sun Devil recruit who received a "golden ticket" last summer to commit elsewhere. QB Kael Snyder committed to Boise State, OL Ben Lowther re-committed to Stanford after re-opening his process in recent months, and WR Zerek Sidney, who opted to commit to Washington.

The ultimate struggle to retain in-state talent remains at the moment, although the Sun Devils are well-positioned to land Hildebrand and WR Jai Jones by December. The $10 million endowment the program received will almost certainly aid recruiting efforts moving forward, complementing Dillingham's prowess as a recruiter.

Arizona State RB Group Still Stands Strong

Aguano has a clear plan of attack, even after losing out on Roberts - both now and moving forward. There are as many as six running backs that have made a case to see the field in a significant manner in the upcoming season, including the returning Kyson Brown and transfers Marquis Gillis/David Avit.

The player of the future at the position is quite clearly Cardae Mack, who has left a lasting impression as a true freshman - potentially easing the pain of losing out on Roberts in the process.