Friday Recruiting Recap: Yes, ASU's Transfer Portal was Busy
National Signing Day (Feb. 2) is right around the corner, but don't tell the Arizona State Sun Devils that.
ASU has been hyperactive in the transfer portal lately, adding four players in the last week, including two offensive linemen.
With the Sun Devils' 2022 recruiting class remains significantly behind not only most of the Pac-12 but also much of the country, the transfer portal was indeed looked to as an opportunity for ASU to again add talent with veterans from various conferences looking for a fresh opportunity.
For those worried about how the transfer portal will inevitably ruin the good sport of college football as we know it: Arizona State also handed out a few offers to high- school recruits.
Recruiting Recap (Jan. 14-20)
Before we get to the madness that saw the Sun Devils adding and dropping nearly every day of the week through the transfer portal, let's take a look at who Arizona State offered throughout the week.
JUCO/Division II
Safety D'Angelo Bellamy (6-foot-2, 210 pounds) out of Modesto Junior College received an offer from ASU on Thursday. Also has an offer from UTEP from early December.
The Sun Devils also received a commitment from Northern State tackle Emmit Bohle (6-foot-7, 300 pounds), a very rare Division II commitment for Arizona State. He will have two years of eligibility remaining.
Class of 2022
Defensive end Blazen Lono-Wong (Kailua High School, Hawaii) committed to the Sun Devils late Thursday night. Lono-Wong is a 6-foot-4, 240-pound defensive end who also plays baseball.
Tackle Kaden Hicks (6-foot-4, 270 pounds from Mountain Ridge High School, Glendale, Ariz.) picked up an offer from ASU on Tuesday. Hicks also holds offers from local schools Northern Arizona and Arizona.
Also on Tuesday, wide receiver Jack Fairchild (6-foot-3, 185 pounds) received a preferred walk-on offer from the Sun Devils. Fairchild, a three-sport athlete, also received an offer from Sacramento State this week.
Class of 2023
Defensive tackle Jason Hammond II was offered by Arizona State. The 6-foot-3, 285- pounder also has nearly 10 other offers from programs such as Maryland, Ole Miss, Pitt, Syracuse and West Virginia.
Transfer Portal Additions
The Sun Devils added plenty of talent to their roster through the transfer portal this week:
- Alabama QB Paul Tyson: Tyson, the great-grandson of Alabama legend Paul "Bear" Bryant, instantly made ASU's quarterback room even more interesting heading into 2022. With ideal size and fairly good arm strength, Tyson is a name to watch heading into spring practice.
(For more on Tyson's arrival to ASU, click here)
- San Diego State OL Chris Martinez: Martinez was the first of two big offensive line grabs in ASU's efforts to improve the trenches, especially after losing three starters from 2021. Martinez has experience at nearly every position.
(For more on Martinez's arrival, click here)
- Penn State OL Des Holmes: The other experienced offensive lineman added was Holmes, who played five years at Penn State while appearing in 10 games last season. Holmes, who initially played tackle, can also play guard. The Sun Devils have made an effort to grab versatile offensive linemen.
(For more on Holmes' arrival, click here)
- Miami DL Nesta Jade Silvera: On defense, Arizona snatched the talented Silvera to potentially help replace the loss of nose tackle D.J. Davidson moving forward. Silvera has started 18 games over the last two seasons for Miami.
(For more on Silvera's arrival, click here)
Other Transfer Portal News
- Wide receiver Geordon Porter, who entered the transfer portal on Nov. 8, initially committed to Buffalo on Jan. 12. However, on Jan. 19, Porter announced he has decommitted from Buffalo.
- While the Sun Devils added some talent in the portal, they also saw one of their own announce their exit: quarterback Ethan Long. Long announced his was entering the transfer portal as a quarterback despite playing multiple positions in his 24 games played since 2019.
- On Dec. 7, the Sun Devils secured the commitment of Illinois safety Derrick Smith to help fill gaps left by a veteran secondary. However, on Jan. 17, Smith posted the following tweet announcing his decommitment from Arizona State.
"Some reasons" was interpreted many different ways by ASU fans, but a source close to the situation was able to clarify by telling All Sun Devils that Smith's decommitment was due to complications with his academic transition to Tempe.
It's unclear whether Smith's credits didn't translate towards his selected program or if he simply wasn't eligible, but the source repeated "there was more to it," when asked about Smith's overall situation.
Now, Smith will try to find a new school for his final year of eligibility.