Arizona State Continues Push to Keep Arizona's Top Football Talent Home

Arizona State's return home against Baylor did not go according to plan on the field, but one result should not overshadow what was happening around Mountain America Stadium.

The Sun Devils hosted a loaded group of recruits for the matchup, including several nationally ranked prospects in the 2028 class, according to SunDevilSource.

Lancaster, Texas, safety James Foster III headlined the group as the No. 18 overall prospect in the class according to 247Sports. Orem, Utah, edge rusher Major Stokes checked in at No. 32 nationally, while San Antonio wide receiver Carson LaCombe was ranked No. 226.

The out-of-state group also included Regis Jesuit (Colorado) quarterback Luke Rubley, Cypress Falls (Texas) running back Deron Simpson, Mount Pleasant (Texas) linebacker Lincoln Dyke and Brother Rice (Michigan) athlete Tyler Trusel.

It was an impressive collection of talent from across the country, but two prospects on the guest list did not have to travel nearly as far.

Mesa edge rusher Sione Taueli and Horizon offensive tackle Liam McNeal were among the in-state targets in attendance. Both are members of the 2028 recruiting class and represent what has become an increasingly important part of coach Kenny Dillingham's recruiting strategy.

Arizona State is showing it can cast a wide net nationally. The next challenge is making sure some of the best players in its own backyard do not get away.

Arizona State's in-state push continues

Dillingham has not been shy about his desire to recruit Arizona.

Arizona State introduced its "Golden Ticket" initiative with the 2027 class, identifying a select group of in-state prospects whom the staff considered priorities and giving them what Dillingham described as legitimate, committable offers.

The concept continued with the 2028 class, and both Taueli and McNeal were among the players Arizona State identified as Golden Ticket prospects.

The approach appears to be gaining traction while also staying on the radar of nationally ranked recruits.

Arizona State's 2027 class currently includes several Arizona high school players, led by Basha offensive tackle Jake Hildebrand, who became one of the biggest in-state recruiting wins of the Dillingham era when he committed in May.

Hildebrand was considered the state's top 2027 prospect by 247Sports when he committed and became ASU's first in-state top-100 commitment in the site's ranking history dating to 2012.

He has since become a recruiter himself.

As previously covered by Arizona State On SI, Hildebrand has been actively trying to convince other prospects to join him in Tempe, providing something coaches cannot: the perspective of an elite Arizona recruit who had opportunities to leave the state and instead chose to stay home.

That makes weekends like the Baylor game important even when the scoreboard does not cooperate.

Sione Taueli is producing at Mesa

Taueli is already showing why he has become one of Arizona State's priorities in the 2028 class.

The 6-foot-5, 225-pound edge rusher from Mesa is rated as a four-star prospect by the 247Sports Composite and the No. 6 player in Arizona for the 2028 class, according to the rankings shown on his recruiting profile.

Through six games this season, Taueli has recorded 45 total tackles, 10 tackles for loss, four sacks and 15 quarterback hurries for Mesa. That comes after a sophomore campaign in which he finished with 65 tackles, 15.5 tackles for loss and 3.5 sacks.

In just 17 varsity games across his sophomore and junior seasons, Taueli has accumulated 110 tackles, 25.5 tackles for loss, 7.5 sacks and 32 quarterback hurries.

Dillingham has already made his presence felt in Taueli's recruitment. The Arizona State coach attended Mesa's Sept. 25 game against Mountain View, continuing a recruiting effort that goes beyond simply extending an offer. In a world with so many fake offers being floated around it is reassuring to see the head coach of a team take the time to make it to a high school contest.

Taueli returned the favor by making another trip to Tempe for the Baylor game.

Another massive in-state prospect

McNeal gives Arizona State another intriguing in-state target, literally.

The Horizon junior is listed at 6-foot-8 and 240 pounds by MaxPreps, while his 247Sports profile lists the offensive tackle at 6-foot-7 and 260 pounds. He already holds multiple Division I offers, including one from Arizona State.

He also received one of ASU's Golden Tickets for the 2028 class.

McNeal told Rivals following the Baylor visit that Arizona State has done a strong job recruiting him and specifically pointed to the relationships the coaching staff has developed with him.

For an offensive lineman who still has nearly two full years before signing day, those relationships could become increasingly important.

Arizona State and Arizona are fighting for their backyard

The battle for Arizona's top talent is also becoming increasingly interesting between the state's two Power Four programs.

Arizona State and Arizona have every reason to make the state a priority. Every prospect the Sun Devils keep home is one less player they potentially have to face elsewhere, and the same can be said for the Wildcats. Add national programs consistently coming into the state looking for talent, and recruiting Arizona has become a battle on multiple fronts.

That competition can ultimately be good for high school football in the state. Arizona prospects have two Power Four programs close to home fighting for their attention, while still having opportunities to play across the country.

Arizona has always produced Power Four talent, but that does not mean the state's two major programs have always been able to keep it home. National programs regularly recruit the Phoenix area, and Arizona's best prospects have plenty of opportunities to leave.

Dillingham is trying to change that.

Arizona State's 2027 recruiting class already includes four Arizona products: Hildebrand, Mesa wide receiver Kingston Anetema, Basha kicker Mikey Barth and Higley cornerback Nasim Eason.

But ASU is not recruiting the state by itself.

Arizona has its own opportunity to sell prospects on staying home, creating what could become one of the more interesting recruiting competitions in the West. The Wildcats and Sun Devils are not simply competing against each other; they are trying to prevent programs from across the Big Ten, SEC, Big 12 and ACC from taking Arizona's top talent out of the state.

There is also something to be said about building that competition. If Arizona State and Arizona both make recruiting their home state a priority, prospects no longer necessarily have to look hundreds or thousands of miles away to find Power Four opportunities.

For the Sun Devils, the strategy is clear.

Get Arizona's best players on campus early. Identify which prospects are truly priorities. Build relationships with their coaches, families and teammates. Then give them reasons to believe they can accomplish what they want without leaving home.

Dillingham has talked about activating the Valley since taking over the program. Arizona State's Golden Ticket initiative has turned that philosophy into a tangible recruiting strategy, and landing Hildebrand showed that it can work.

Now the next wave is arriving.

Taueli and McNeal still have plenty of time remaining in their recruitments, and neither should be viewed as a lock to stay in Arizona. The competition for both will only increase as they move closer to their senior seasons.

For Arizona State, keeping the best players in Arizona is no longer just something to talk about.

The Sun Devils are making a concerted effort to do it.

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