New Mexico State LB Keyshaun Elliott commits to the Sun Devils
The need to boost the linebacker depth in Tempe was quite evident following the 2023 season, and today the Sun Devils staff added what seemingly is the last piece to that position group. Following the additions of San Diego State's Team MVP this past season, Zyrus Fiaseu, and Arkansas linebacker transfer Jordan Crook last week, 6-3 225 New Mexico State's Keyshaun Elliott, an All-Confrence USA selection who has two years of eligibility and in 2023 paced the 10-5 Aggies in tackles (111) and tackles for loss (10).
In 2022, as a freshman, Elliott saw action in all 12 games for New Mexico State, making one start at outside linebacker, and tallied 27 stops on the year, tied for tenth most on the squad while adding a fumble recovery and a trio of pass breakups.
The linebacker entered the portal on December 24, a day after the Aggies’ head coach, Jerry Kill, announced his resignation. Elliott knew that the recruiting process would proceed at a rapid speed, and he couldn’t be more pleased with the results, choosing ASU over its now Big 12 foes, Kansas and Houston.
“I felt like it was a good opportunity for me and my family and the best opportunity that I had,” Elliott said. “I was able to build tremendous relationships with the coaches just over these past 24 hours. It was a quick process, but I had a short timeframe, so I was excited. Once they contacted me, I was ready to get things rolling. I was looking at other opportunities, but none of them opened my eyes the biggest as ASU did. That ultimately made my decision. I spoke to my family, and we just thought this was a great fit for us.
“I was talking to Coach Dillingham, Coach Ward, the defensive coordinator, and Coach (AJ) Cooper, the linebackers’ coach. They were excited to find somebody that is in the portal and is coming from a defense that’s similar to theirs. He liked my skill set and the things I’ve done at a young age, said that the future’s bright for me in this defense, and he wants me to come win games. He wants me to bring my talent and help lead the defense from my MIKE position but also get better as a player. That’s what I did last year at New Mexico State, and I’m excited for this new journey. I think I’m the smartest player on the football field, and especially at this level, you need to think faster than others before the ball snaps. I’m a very athletic player, too, but I’m looking to get coached even more because my goal is to play at that next level. And at the end of the day, there’s always room for improvement.”
The linebacker stated that committing to a school sight unseen wasn’t hard, not only because of the impression the Sun Devils made in just the last couple of days but also because he had some familiarity with the area.
“I’m looking forward to visiting there the weekend of January 6 and starting school there the next week,” Elliott commented. “I’ve been in that area many times in the past couple of years, so I know what it has to offer. Committing to a coach and a school that you haven’t visited is always a scary thing. But those coaches knew that, and they knew they needed to build a relationship with me, which they did a tremendous job doing.
“I got friends and family that live down there. They weren’t ASU fans, but now they’re going to be.”
Along with Elliott, Fiaseu, and Crook, ASU returns sophomore Tate Romney, who is the only returning starter from last season. Senior Caleb McCullough, junior Krew Jackson, and redshirt freshman K’Vion Thunderbird round out the depth chart, along with Martell Hughes, who is an incoming freshman scheduled to arrive in the spring.
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