The vast majority of Arizona State’s cornerback core is returning from an impressive 2024 campaign, with LT Welch being the lone departure from the two-deep in this group. Therefore, cornerbacks coach Bryan Carrington wasn’t required to recruit a large class of freshmen and transfers to Tempe.
The deliberate fixation on specific roles allowed Carrington to add just two new corners to the group ahead of spring practice: Georgia native and Purdue transfer senior cornerback Nyland Green and Houston native freshman Joseph Smith.
“It’s a lot smoother transition than when we first got here,” Carrington said Thursday. “Because we can kind of pinpoint the caliber of student-athletes, the type of humans that we want in that room. So I feel like with Nyland Green, and with Joseph Smith, who actually was committed to us for almost two years, there’s a lot of familiarity in that room. Those guys aren’t unfamiliar with our process.”
Green, a former Georgia and Purdue player, brings years of experience and a diverse skill set, having competed in both the SEC and Big Ten conferences. Despite playing for a struggling Boilermakers program, he notched 23 total tackles in 2024 and five pass breakups. The 6-foot-1 corner is expected to take a commanding role in the defensive unit and make an impact.
“For Nyland, it’s his third Division I Power Four program,” Carrington said. “So this is a guy that’s experienced. We lost one guy last year, so to bring in someone with that type of experience kind of elevates the room because, ideally, we should have a senior in this program.”
The primary benefit of adding just two players is that there isn’t a steep learning curve ahead of the new season. The additional expectations placed on the College Football Playoff attendees will be met by a cohesive group that has already faced high-level competition.
“Having that continuity is a great feeling as a coach going into spring ball,” Carrington noted. “Some of these guys, it’s their third time in this system, their third spring in this system. From a cornerback standpoint, we just have a lot of continuity in the room. We have one or two new guys in the fold now, so it’s just about getting those guys’ trains on the track.”
Two standout players in the cornerback room from 2024 to 2025 are junior Keith Abney II and senior Javan Robinson. Abney had a phenomenal year as a true sophomore, often matching up against the best wideouts in the Big 12. He produced 52 total tackles and three interceptions, including one in the Big 12 Championship against Iowa State. The next step for the third-year player is continuing to bolster his stat sheet.
“The next step for Keith Abney is just from a production standpoint,” Carrington said. “This is a guy that knows our system in and out. He just has to put it all out on the field. He aspires to be an All-Conference player, and that’s kind of been the message. If that is your goal, it’s going to come down to whether or not you’re winning your targets, and that happens on Saturdays.
“He’s an unbelievable kid. He holds himself to a high standard, and he’s a big critic of himself. We’ve had a lot of time to dive into some self-scouting from last year—some things we did well and some things we need to improve on. With Keith going back and reviewing film, he’s become more technical. He was very sound toward the latter end of the season.”
Between Abney and Robinson, the room has continued refining the minor details. Both played a majority of the snaps in 2024, and staying consistent through fatigue and soreness is another challenge Carrington has pushed the pair to overcome.
“With Javan and Keith, they had to handle a lot of snaps last season,” Carrington said. “So just having those guys self-critique, Keith is really big on just being detailed for the amount of snaps he’s out there. Whether it’s 80 snaps vs. 50 snaps, he doesn’t want to give things up from a technical standpoint.”
The Sun Devils have assembled a group of like-minded defensive backs from various regions, with an emphasis on recruiting talent from the Southeast. That strategy has paid dividends.
“Playing in the Big 12 definitely created a lot of visibility for us in one of the country’s most talent-rich regions, the Southeast—especially with us making the playoffs. We got an opportunity to cast our net a little wider.
“It takes one kid to become 13 kids. All it takes is two kids from Georgia, and in four years, you have eight kids on your roster from Georgia. The connection from Texas to Tempe is not only real from a marketing standpoint, but starting in 2026, every coach will have a player from Texas in his room. What bigger selling point is there than that?”
When Carrington and the ASU staff evaluate recruits, they prioritize players who fit the defensive backroom culture. With multiple extroverted personalities, such as Pat Tillman Leadership Council member and redshirt senior sfaety Xavion Alford, Carrington seeks players with a certain edge to fill any voids. Thanks to the foundation built in 2024, ASU has already addressed many of its needs for 2025.
“For me, you gotta be tough, you gotta be competitive. It’s a non-negotiable,” Carrington said. “I can’t put that in you. You gotta come to Arizona State already tough and competitive. From a technical standpoint, we can polish guys up, but we want to be a tough, competitive group that’s smart and scrappy—one that’s technical every Saturday at every opportunity we get.
“It has to jump off the film. I should be able to tell if you’re tough and competitive. When they give us these flights and rental cars to go see these kids, I feel like when you meet them in person, you can gauge whether a kid is tough and competitive based on the questions I ask.”
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