Montana Warren Remains Vital Piece of Arizona State's Program Culture

TEMPE -- It's been no secret that Arizona State football has a newfound pipeline in the state of Texas under head coach Kenny Dillingham and AHC Bryan Carrington.

Numerous program-changing players such as Jordyn Tyson, C.J. Fite, and Xavion Alford hail from Texas, but several players get lost in the fray of the fanfare.

mlm — Arizona State defensive back Montana Warren (7) celebrates a tackle on third down against NAU during a game at Mountain America Stadium in Tempe on Aug. 30, 2025. | Patrick Breen/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

One of those players is none other than Montana Warren, who is entering year four of his time in Tempe - with the talented secondary member being poised to make a positive impact and flash his versatility during the 2026 season,

Warren's Talent Shines in Numerous Spots

Carrington praised Warren's versatility when asked a question by Arizona State on SI regarding the talented secondary member.

l;mml — Nov 28, 2025; Tempe, Arizona, USA; Arizona State Sun Devils defensive back Montana Warren (7) against the Arizona Wildcats during the 99th Territorial Cup at Mountain America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

"Montana is a guy that's been in our system going on year four. He's versatile, being that he's played nickel, he's played free, he's played strong. So he definitely has an opportunity for us when we put this puzzle together to have multiple spots to fit Montana within our defense and what we're trying to achieve, Montana is tremendous. He's a guy that's likable in the locker room."

Warren largely played at nickelback last season after a gap was left in the position following the departure of Shamari Simmons following 2024 - with the Texas native largely succeeding in the process, although the belief tends to be that Adrian "Boogie" Wilson will primarily play nickel this season.

feee — Nov 9, 2024; Tempe, Arizona, USA; Arizona State Sun Devils defensive back Montana Warren (9) returns a blocked punt for a touchdown against the UCF Knights during the first half at Mountain America Stadium, Home of the ASU Sun Devils. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images | Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images

Still, the versatility that Warren brings to the table is something that must be noted, as he gives DC Brian Ward and Carrington more room to be flexible with the secondary in 2026. Beyond the on-field contributions, there's a clear respect that the coaches and rest of the roster have for Warren - with a spot on the Pat Tillman Leadership Council being a potential conclusion here.

... But Program Impact Goes Beyond the Field

That notion seeps into the recruiting sphere, as Carrington heavily credited Warren with playing a crucial role in securing the commitment from Kansas transfer Lyrik Rawls.

"We're joking kid about the buddy system through the transfer portal, but you know, Montana and Lyrik Rawls played high school football together, so when the portal opens up and Lyrik has that person on our roster that can kind of give them a living testament of our program... So Montana is a huge piece of what we're building here in Arizona State."

nlln — Nov 8, 2025; Tucson, Arizona, USA; Kansas Jayhawks safety Lyrik Rawls (2) against the Arizona Wildcats at Arizona Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Warren is one of those players that has the proverbial ability to give personal testament to those they have previously known - this has been a theme that has become more prevalant over the years, particularly with ASU's footprint in Texas in mind.

Now, the Sun Devils are seeking to continue building off of the incredible amount of positive value that the fourth-year DB has provided for the program.