Arizona State Trending For Top In-State 2027 Lineman

Kenny Dillingham and the Sun Devils are firmly in the running for a talented in-state defensive lineman.

Oct 7, 2023; Tempe, Arizona, USA; Arizona State Sun Devils defensive lineman Prince Dorbah (32) against the Colorado Buffaloes at Mountain America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Throughout the 2027 college football recruiting cycle, Arizona State head coach Kenny Dillingham and his staff have made a concerted effort to pursue the top prospects in Arizona. 

Heading into the spring, that effort appears to be paying off as the Sun Devils are in contention for several of their in-state targets. One of those targets is a three-star defensive lineman, and a recruiting analyst recently named Arizona State as the team to beat in his recruitment. 

Sun Devils Competing For 3-Star 2027 In-State Defensive Lineman

For the past several months, Arizona State has been targeting Yahzeen Zion, a three-star defensive lineman from Desert Edge High School in Goodyear, Arizona. The Sun Devils first offered him in October 2025 and have been actively pursuing him since. 

Oct 11, 2025; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; A general view of the helmet worn by the Arizona State Sun Devils during the game against the Utah Utes at Rice-Eccles Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Rob Gray-Imagn Images | Rob Gray-Imagn Images

Zion is a talented defensive lineman coming off an impressive junior season at Desert Edge, where he recorded 57 tackles, 15.5 tackles for loss, and four sacks. He would be an excellent addition to the Sun Devils’ 2027 class, with Rivals’ industry rankings listing him as the No. 603 overall player in the country, the No. 67 defensive lineman, and the No. 12 prospect in Arizona. 

While several programs are actively targeting Zion, Rivals’ Greg Biggins recently reported that Arizona State is among the teams to beat in the young defensive lineman’s recruitment. 

Arizona State head coach Kenny Dillingham holds a news conference on Oct. 27, 2025, in Tempe. | Rob Schumacher/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

• “Zion has been to ASU multiple times including Junior Day last month,” Biggins wrote. “The talented edge rusher attended a few Sun Devil games over the last year as well including the big win over Texas Tech and ASU could be tough to beat in this race.”

As of now, Zion hasn’t set a commitment date, and his recruitment could change significantly in the coming months. Still, based on Biggins’ report, it appears that Arizona State has emerged as the top contender for the three-star defensive lineman.

Nov 23, 2024; Tempe, Arizona, USA; Detailed view of an Arizona State Sun Devils helmet at Mountain America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Zion hasn’t scheduled any official visits yet, but Arizona State should look to bring him back to campus in Tempe at some point this spring, as Dillingham and company continue their push for him.

While the Sun Devils are currently in the driver’s seat in Zion’s recruitment, they will still face competition from several Power Four schools for the Desert Edge star, including Arizona, UCLA, Oklahoma, Texas A&M, and others. 

Still, if Arizona State can continue making progress with him throughout the spring, the Sun Devils should have a strong chance of landing one of the top in-state prospects in the 2027 class.

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