Kenny Dillingham Gives Injury Status Updates for Sun Devil Contributors

The Sun Devils will be without these players for most - if not all - of spring practice.

Nov 30, 2024; Tucson, Arizona, USA; Arizona State Sun Devils defensive lineman Zac Swanson (92) against the Arizona Wildcats during the Territorial Cup at Arizona Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

TEMPE -- Arizona State's 2026 football season is inching towards a beginning - with the onset of spring practices being the first sign that a new dawn is approaching.

Head coach Kenny Dillingham spoke with media in a press conference setting ahead of Thursday's spring opener - where injury updates proved to be a resounding topic of conversation.

Arizona State on SI discusses the injury issues that Dillingham and staff must navigate in the weeks ahead below.

Pair of Arizona State DL Potentially Out for Spring

Arizona State defensive linemen My'Keil Gardner and Zac Swanson missed nearly the the entirety of the 2025 season, with the latter appearing in very limited action prior to being shut down.

"I mean, right now they're still both going to be out for spring, so, yeah, we'll see how that progresses, and trying to get them, get them back, hopefully sometime in the middle of spring, end of spring, but, but hopefully back, you know, sometime In the process. You know, Zac's an awesome kid. You know, he was very, very productive for us in his year one. He played a lot of snaps in there... And Gardner just, unfortunately, hasn't been able to play since he's been here... But, hopefully by summer to get in shape."

Arizona State defensive line coach Diron Reynolds works with lineman Zac Swanson (92) during a practice inside the Verde Dickey Dome in Tempe on Aug. 12, 2025. | Patrick Breen/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Swanson suffered a broken foot last April and has yet to fully recover, while Gardner suffered an achilles tear last fall in the ramp-up to the season. Swanson is an Arizona native that played a massive role on the 2024 Big-12 title winning squad, while Gardner is also a native that was seeking to make a mark on last season's team after transferring in from Oregon.

Status of Other Standouts Revealed

Dillingham further discussed the status of several other key players heading into spring in conjunction with the aforementioned players.

Safety Adrian "Boogie" Wilson was already in a known position of needing to return from shoulder surgery - it seems as if the returning starter will miss a sizable portion of the spring. Wide receiver Harry Hassmann is another player that will miss spring after suffering an ACL tear in the lead-up to the Sun Bowl.

Sep 6, 2025; Starkville, Mississippi, USA; Arizona State Sun Devils defensive back Xavion Alford (2) reacts with defensive back Adrian Wilson (6) during the first quarter against the Mississippi State Bulldogs at Davis Wade Stadium at Scott Field. Mandatory Credit: Petre Thomas-Imagn Images | Petre Thomas-Imagn Images

All-Big 12 WR Derek Eusebio, DL Ramar Williams, and senior DT C.J. Fite will all miss varying amounts of time as well, with the hope being that Fite only misses roughly half of the sessions that will take place.

To round everything up, senior RB Marquis Gillis (Delaware State transfer) has potential to miss the first practice or two, but his issue is absolutely a short-term concern and it isn't expected to hinder him moving forward.