The Arizona State Sun Devils head into 2026 needing to rebuild on the fly as Kenny Dillingham looks to push for a return trip to the College Football Playoff. While Kenny Dillingham returns, most of his star players did not comeback for another season. Between the Transfer Portal and losses to the NFL Draft, Arizona State has more holes to fill than any team would like.
Stars like quarterback Sam Leavitt, running back Raleek Brown, and offensive tackle Josh Atkins all left for SEC programs while plenty of other contributors used the Transfer Portal. The NFL Draft takes away two elite players in wide receiver Jordyn Tyson and offensive tackle Max Iheanachor.
Kenny Dillingham and Arizona State don't shop at the top of the market for players, they often find the next stars as diamonds in the rough.
Former 5-star Clayton Smith could become the perfect Jordyn Tyson replacement
Replacing a wide receiver as talented as Jordyn Tyson is nearly impossible, but Arizona State will try to fill the void. Omarion Miller transfers in from Colorado, but the best path forward will be with a talented trio rather than a top heavy group. Among the players looking to earn a role in the wide receiver rotation is former 5-star recruit Clayton Smith.
Clayton Smith is a 5-star recruit, but he's not a former 5-star wide receiver recruit which is important to note. Coming out of High School, Clayton Smith was the 26th ranked player in the Country, the 3rd ranked edge rusher in the class, and the 6th ranked player out of Texas.
Smith signed with Oklahoma coming out of High School, spending two seasons with the Sooners, but he never truly caught on after suffering an ankle injury in his second season. When Kenny Dillingham took the Arizona State job, Smith joined the Sun Devils in the Transfer Portal racking up 13 sacks over the pas three seasons.
Because of the ankle injury Smith suffered in 2022, he was granted an additional season of eligibility allowing him to play in 2026. While Smith is a proven pass rusher, he's making the surprising move to play wide receiver next season.
Thus far at practice, Smith hasn't made the decision to switch positions look crazy as he certainly looks the part.
Perhaps the most fascinating experiment going on right now in college football:
— Logan Stanley (@LSscribe) March 29, 2026
ASU DE Clayton Smith making the switch to WR.
The former 5 ⭐️ recruit was on @BruceFeldmanCFB’s annual “Freaks List” last season, which ranks the most athletic players.
He’s looked good so far. pic.twitter.com/Vb0dyn0IKY
It's still up in the air whether Smith will move to wide receiver full time or if he'll return to his role as a wide receiver. Given that Arizona State brought in Omarion Miller and Reed Harris, it would seem that there's a bigger need on the defensive line, but it's certainly worth exploring all options. The role that could make the most sense is playing Smith on both sides of the ball as he could be a monster run blocker on the outside, but the Sun Devils have better pass catchers.