In-State Recruits Visit ASU Amid Loss to Houston

Not only did the Sun Devils lose to Houston on Saturday, but they did so in front of two of the best Arizona prospects in the 2027 cycle.

Oct 11, 2025; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; A general view of the helmet worn by the Arizona State Sun Devils during the game against the Utah Utes at Rice-Eccles Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Rob Gray-Imagn Images | Rob Gray-Imagn Images

Arizona State had a rough Saturday. They lost a pivotal Big 12 matchup with Houston and did so in front of two of the best in-state prospects in the 2027 cycle.

Two four-star prospects from Basha High School in Chander, Arizona, were in attendance for the Sun Devils' loss. Losing the game in front of them won't make or break Arizona State's recruitment on either of them, and it certainly won't help.

Which 2027 Arizona Prospects Were In Tempe This Weekend?

Four-star running back Noah Roberts and four-star offensive lineman Jake Hildebrand were in Tempe on game-day visits this weekend for Arizona State's loss to Houston.

Oct 25, 2025; Tempe, Arizona, USA; Arizona State Sun Devils quarterback Sam Leavitt (10) against the Houston Cougars in the second half at Mountain America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Here's where Arizona State currently stands on both its recruitments and how the loss might have impacted the Sun Devils' status with both recruits.

Roberts is one of the top running back prospects in the 2027 cycle. Rivals' industry rankings list him as the No. 78 overall player in the class, the No. 5 running back prospect, and the No. 1 recruit out of Arizona.

The Sun Devils were already falling behind on Roberts, as the young running back had already garnered significant interest from Ohio State and Notre Dame, taking unofficial visits to both schools so far this season.

Oct 25, 2025; Tempe, Arizona, USA; Houston Cougars running back Dean Connors (44) against the Arizona State Sun Devils in the first half at Mountain America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Had Arizona State beaten Houston on Saturday, it could've left a strong impression on Roberts and swayed him from going out of state. However, the loss to the Cougars almost certainly hurt the Sun Devils' chances of landing the top in-state prospect.

Arizona State has long been pursuing Hildebrand, which makes sense considering Rivals' industry rankings list him as the No. 108 overall player in the 2027 cycle, the No. 11 offensive tackle prospect, and the No. 2 recruit from Arizona.

Rivals gives the Sun Devils the highest chance to land Hildebrand at 24.9%, but Texas A&M has also been pushing for the young offensive lineman recently.

Oct 18, 2025; Tempe, Arizona, USA; Arizona State Sun Devils running back Raleek Brown (3) celebrates with offensive lineman Josh Atkins (53) and wide receiver Malik McClain (12) after scoring a touchdown against the Texas Tech Red Raiders in the fourth quarter at Mountain America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

With Arizona State losing to Houston and the Aggies winning over LSU on Saturday, the Sun Devils may have lost some traction in recruiting Hildebrand. 

Even if that's the case, head coach Kenny Dillingham and his staff have built a strong relationship with him, and despite being in Tempe for the loss, it probably didn't affect their standing overall.

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