Why 'Golden Ticket' Strategy Could Pay Off for Arizona State
Arizona State is looking to move into the future at full force on all fronts - including the recruiting one.
The Sun Devils are looking to build off of an 11 win season in year two of the Kenny Dillingham era and currently hold the best recruiting class in the Big 12 in 2026 at the moment.
A large driving force behind the success is both an emphasis of recruiting in Texas and in-state.
Part of Dillingham's innovative strategies include offering local Arizona recruits 'golden tickets' - or official offers that symbolize that the program is prioritizing the individuals. This is something that truly has never been seen before and could impact other programs moving forward as well.
More on what Dillingham said via Damon Allred of Arizona Sports:
“We’re going to recruit the state a little different. People may not like it, they may like it. It doesn’t matter ‘cause what we’re doing isn’t working to attract the highest-level player. I think we’re trending in that direction, but we’re going to be a little bit different in how we recruit the state to try to keep the best players in the state home.”
The players that were offered by Arizona State:
QB Kael Snyder
RB Noah Roberts
WR Zerek Sidney
WR Jai Jones
OL Jake Hildebrand
OL Ben Lowther
It's a breath of fresh air that Dillingham - an Arizona native - recognizes the importance of keeping in-state recruits after many years of blunders from previous staffs.
While Arizona prodigies such as N'Keal Harry and D.J. Foster played multiple years in Tempe, others such as current San Fransisco 49ers QB Brock Purdy weren't even handed an official offer by the Sun Devils.
The most vital player to secure of the six is Roberts - who is a rising junior out of Basha high school in Chandler.
The running back reportedly runs a sub 4.4 40-yard dash, is currently among the top 60 recruits in the country according to many reliable recruiting services, and has offers from programs such as Ohio State on the table.
Dillingham's vision is certainly pure and calculated - it isn't difficult to see this strategy working out in the long term.
Read more on the case behind Arizona State being the potential future recruiting power in the Big 12 conference here, and 2028 recruit Brandon Nash discussing the Sun Devils with our own Caleb Sisk here.
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Kevin Hicks is an Arizona State alumni and now serves as the Arizona State Beat Writer On SI.