Going into the 2025 season, Arizona State’s transfer class was not expected to be anywhere close to the 25-plus additions that joined the ranks the past two years. And on Sunday, 24 hours before spring classes were to begin at ASU, this group grew by 30 percent as the Sun Devils fortified the trenches through three portal additions: 6-2 295-pound Oregon defensive tackle transfer My'Keil Gardner, Nebraska offensive lineman transfer Xander Ruggeroli and Texas State offensive lineman transfer Jimeto Obigbo.
The 6-2 295-pound Gardner prepped locally at Peoria Liberty and is returning home with three years of eligibility. Gardner saw very little time with Oregon in his two years. As a redshirt freshman, Gardner missed all of the 2024 campaign due to a preseason injury. In 2023, played in three games, had 19 total snaps recorded one tackle. He was ranked No. 11 among all the state of Arizona prospects in the 2023 class and the No. 40 defensive tackle in that group.
The 6-6, 285-pound Ruggeroli redshirted his lone year with the Huskers and has four years of eligibility. The offensive lineman prepped at Las Vegas's powerhouse program, Bishop Gorman, and his addition can continue and establish a pipeline to a school that will undoubtedly produce formidable recruits in years to come.
The 6-4 339-pound Obigbo committed played mostly right tackle for the Bobcats in 2023, and was forced to redshirt the 2024 season due to injury, and didn’t play in the road contest ASU had against his now old team back in September. His close friendship with current Arizona State defensive lineman Josh Atkins played a role in this recruitment. Obigbo is one of the numerous players on the Sun Devil roster who hail from the state of Texas, and he arrives in Tempe with one year of eligibility.
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