Arizona State's Roster Among Highest in FBS Players With Undergraduate Degrees

The Sun Devils have over 20 players on their roster who have already earned their undergraduate degree.

When the Arizona State Sun Devils take the field this Thursday, they'll do so with some of the highest number of players with degrees to their name. 

On Monday, The National Football Foundation (NFF) & College Hall of Fame released a list of 3,284 student-athletes who have earned their undergraduate degrees and will be playing college football this fall while pursuing second diplomas.

The NFF saw a jump in graduates from 2019, with only 1,452 total players on the list then. Due to COVID-19 and players granted an extra year of eligibility in 2020, the NFF did not survey teams across college football. 

Arizona State has 22 student-athletes on their current roster with a degree already, second only to in-state rival Arizona (26 players) in the Pac-12. Out of the 125 FBS schools surveyed, ASU was tied for the 17th-highest amount of undergraduate players. 

All 22 undergraduate Sun Devils: Kyle Breed, D.J. Davidson, Timarcus Davis, Erik Dickerson, Kellen Diesch, Shannon Forman, Ralph Frias, Vincenzo Granatelli, Alexander Harris, Henry Hattis, Curtis Hodges, Tyler Johnson, Jack Jones, Chase Lucas, Michael Matus, Travez Moore, DeAndre Pierce, Kyle Soelle, Xavier Steele, Corey Stephens, John Stivers and Logan Tyler. 

Former punter Michael Turk was also on the list prior to transferring to Oklahoma. 

“Today’s release allows us to recognize a truly exceptional group of college football players,” NFF President & CEO Steve Hatchell stated in a press release. “And it expands our efforts to highlight the integral role that college football has played in the education of millions of student-athletes over the years. It is often said that college is not about the four years on campus but the next 40 years of your career. 

"Clearly those on this list have made the most of their college experiences, and we are extremely pleased to shine a light on their accomplishments.”

Fellow in-state school Northern Arizona University also ranked highly on the FCS list of schools with 15 graduates on their roster this season. 

Donnie Druin is a Deputy Editor with AllSunDevils. Follow Donnie on Twitter @DonnieDruin, and AllSunDevils @AllSunDevils. Like and follow AllSunDevils on Facebook, and for more ASU news visit https://www.si.com/college/arizonastate/