Two Sun Devils Earn Big 12 Player of the Week Honors After Big Impact in Kansas Win

Not one, but two Sun Devils earned extraordinary marks in Week 3.

Announced by the Big 12 on Monday, LB Owen Long and KR Jaren Hamilton earned Player of the Week honors for their play against Kansas.

Long Time Coming

On a Saturday that was headlined by the ASU defense, Owen Long was the biggest contributor.

Long finished with 12 total tackles, a forced fumble, a fumble recovery and an interception.

The California native comes over to ASU after two seasons with Colorado State, including a 2025 season where he finished with 151 total tackles, the most in the country.

"I mean, he led the country in tackles last year, so I'm probably going to go see him and be 'Yep, that's just another day,',” Dillingham said about Long’s performance after the Kansas victory. “That's what you did last year. That's what you're doing this year. Like he led the country in tackles. You don't just do that. People get so wrapped up in size and speed, and all that stuff is really important. You need it. But at the end of the day, when you get it on the football field, some people have the instincts to make plays. He's one of those guys who have the instinct to make plays. And he's one of those guys who prepares at such a high level that you know he's a step ahead of everybody. And I think that's showing up."

Long is now up to 25 total tackles on the season, earning his first Defensive Player of the Week acknowledgment in maroon and gold.

Runnin’ Jaren

While Long showed out on defense, ASU receiver Jaren Hamilton earned Special Teams Player of the Week honors for his fireworks on kick return.

To open the second half, Hamilton ran back the opening kickoff 100 yards for a touchdown, making the score 17-7 in a pivotal swing for the Devils.

"That was huge, a 14-point swing there,” Dillingham said on ASU’s end-of-half/start-of-half sequence. “That was critical in the game.”

Hamilton, who transferred in from Alabama in 2025, garnered a lot of hype when joining the Sun Devils. His junior season left a lot to be desired, but the glimpses were there, including three catches for 101 yards in an upset over #7 Texas Tech.

Now as a senior, he already has a signature moment, just three games into the year.

“Right before the play, I just had a feeling, like deep in my soul,” Hamilton said postgame “I just knew something was gonna happen. And any time I get the ball, I just have a feeling that I can do great things with it.”

Whether or not it’s on offense or special teams, ASU will hope for “Turbo” to continue to do great things.

Starred Sun Devils

Through three weeks, the Sun Devils have already had three players make Big 12 Player of the Week lists: Long and Hamilton join Cutter Boley, who was an Offensive Player of the Week in Week 1.

This also gives ASU a Player of the Week representative in all three phases of the game. The Big 12 list features six categories: offense, defense, special teams, freshman, offensive line and defensive line.

Here are the Big 12 Players of the Week, by the numbers:

BYU (5)
Arizona State (3), Colorado (3), Oklahoma State (3)
West Virginia (2) Texas Tech (2)
Arizona (1) UCF (1) Iowa State (1)

(Offensive Line/Defensive Line Not Included)

Can ASU add to their season total? The Sun Devils will return home on Saturday, Oct. 3, to host Baylor for their second Big 12 game of the season. Kickoff time is set for 7:30 p.m. AZ time on ESPN.

Add us as a preferred source on Google