Many elite athletes are easily identified and remembered for the number worn on their jersey. In this edition of Sun Devil Science, I make my selections for the absolute best player in Sun Devil football history to wear each and every jersey number from 1 to 99, starting with 1 through 25.

1 – WR N’Keal Harry (2016-18)

First worn in 1979, the incredible three-year tenure by Harry gives him a clear edge. Harry is the only two-time first-team all-conference selection, as well as the only first-round NFL Draft, pick to have worn the number. In the spring of 2019, the former five-star prospect from nearby Chandler High School ultimately became the first wide receiver from ASU to be selected in the first round of the NFL Draft since Aaron Cox in 1988.

2 – WR Brandon Aiyuk (2018-19)

Like the previous number, this was first issued in 1979 and Aiyuk is the only player to have worn the number at Arizona State to earn either first or second-team all-conference honors as he was a First-Team All-Pac-12 pick as a senior in 2019.

3 – Twitter Poll: RB Eno Benjamin (2017-19)

Benjamin claimed the Twitter poll by garnering a commanding 73% of the total votes over fellow finalist Keith Poole.

An early entry to the 2020 NFL Draft after completing his third collegiate season last fall, Benjamin stamped his name into the Sun Devil record books in 2018 as a sophomore when he broke ASU’s single-season rushing record that had stood since 1972. After setting school single-season records of 300 carries for 1,642 yards as well as a single-game rushing record of 312 yards versus Oregon State, Benjamin earned Second-Team All-America and First-Team All-Pac-12 honors. He followed that with another 1,000-yard season as a junior in 2019 and a second straight listing on the Pac-12’s first-team. With his statistics and accolades, Benjamin became the first Sun Devil since Freddie Williams in 1974-75 to earn consecutive first-team all-conference honors as a running back and to surpass 1,000 rushing yards in back-to-back seasons.

4 – Twitter Poll RB: Demario Richard (2014-17)

Richard gained the edge in the Twitter poll with a 59% to 41% victory over Alden Darby and while there’s a valid argument for both players, Richard is a deserving winner. A two-time Honorable Mention All-Pac-12 pick, Richard became the first Sun Devil since Freddie Williams in 1974-75 to record multiple 1,000-yard seasons by doing so in 2015 and 2017. Richard ranks fourth all-time at ASU in career rushing yards with 3,202.

5 – K Zane Gonzalez (2013-16)

The NCAA career leader in several kicking categories at the time he finished his four years in Tempe, it is hard to argue that Gonzalez is the best player to ever wear his jersey number for the Sun Devils.

6 – LB Darren Woodson (1989-91)

A three-time Honorable Mention All-Pac-10 pick and ASU’s leading tackler in 1989 (122), the Phoenix native went on to tremendous success in the NFL after he was picked in the second round (37th overall) by the Dallas Cowboys in 1992. He played all 13 years of his pro career in Dallas and was a five-time Pro Bowler, a four-time First-Team All-Pro, a three-time Super Bowl champion and ultimately was added to the Dallas Cowboys Ring of Honor as well as ASU’s Hall of Fame.

7 – DB David Fulcher (1983-85)

Likely the most physically imposing defensive back in ASU football history, Fulcher earned back-to-back Consensus All-America honors his final two seasons (1984-85) and the ASU Hall of Fame member went on to become a three-time Pro Bowler in the NFL.

8 – Twitter Poll: RB/WR D.J. Foster (2012-15)

Foster prevailed with ease in a Twitter poll with kicker Luis Zendejas, with the Scottsdale native taking 77% of the total votes and I’m inclined to agree wholeheartedly with that vote.

The hometown hero from Saguaro High School and one of the absolute best all-purpose athletes in school history – and realistically in college football history – Foster finished his career as one of only five Division I players in NCAA history to rush and receive for more than 2,000 yards. At the end of his tenure in Tempe, he ranked second in school history in career receptions (222) and sixth in receiving yards (2,458) while setting a conference record with at least one reception in all 53 games he played – all while primarily playing running back his first three seasons. Foster also ended his Sun Devil career ranked 12th all-time in ASU history in rushing yards (2,355), making him the only player in Arizona State history to at that time be ranked in the program’s all-time top-12 in both receiving yards and rushing yards.

All this said, Zendejas is one of the very best kickers in college football history and is more than deserving of consideration for this spot, but Foster is the worthy top pick.

9 – DB Robert Nelson (2012-13)

The only player in ASU history to earn first-team all-conference accolades while wearing the number, Nelson was a First-Team All-Pac-12 pick for ASU’s division champion squad in 2013. Though he only wore the number as a senior, six interceptions caught by the former Louisiana-Monroe transfer that year remain tied for the most by a Sun Devil since 1987. Nelson went on to spend the 2014-18 seasons in the NFL.

10 – QB Jeff Van Raaphorst (1983-86)

Fellow quarterbacks Mike Pagel and Taylor Kelly deserve mention, but Van Raaphorst carries a title with him that no other offensive player in program history can boast – Rose Bowl Most Valuable Player. A member of ASU’s Sports Hall of Fame, Van Raaphorst finished his career second on ASU’s all-time list in passing touchdowns and fourth in passing yards while setting what at the time were career records in passing attempts and completions.

11 – QB Danny White (1971-73)

One of only five players to have his number retired at Arizona State and also a College Football Hall of Famer, this selection is automatic in favor of White. No Sun Devil has worn the number since Steve Campbell in 1996.

12 – QB Rudy Carpenter (2005-08)

One of the most experienced starting quarterbacks in program history, Carpenter started 43 career games – all consecutive – from the late portion of his redshirt freshman season of 2005 through the remainder of his college career. He finished his Sun Devil career as the program’s all-time leader in pass completions (799) and at the time was the school’s all-time leader in career completion percentage (.610) and ranks second all-time at ASU in both passing yards (10,491) and passing touchdowns (81). A gritty competitor, he helped lead ASU to three bowl games, three victories over Arizona and a share of the 2007 Pac-10 Conference title.

13 – WR Chris McGaha (2006-09)

A Second-Team All-Pac-10 selection in 2009 and an honorable mention pick in 2007, the Phoenix native finished his career ranked third all-time at ASU in receptions (168) behind only Derek Hagan and John Jefferson. He also ranked seventh on ASU’s career receiving yards list (2,242) at the time his career ended.

14 – DB Troy Nolan (2007-08)

A Second-Team All-Pac-10 pick both seasons he played at ASU; the former junior college transfer was a turnover forcing machine for the Sun Devils. He tied the school’s single-season record for pick-sixes and did it both years by having two in both 2007 and 2008, making him the ASU all-time leader in the category with four. He also ran a fumble recovery back for a touchdown, giving him five career defensive scores. In 25 career games, Nolan totaled 128 tackles including 4.5 for loss with 10 interceptions one forced fumble and one fumble recovery. He went on to play in the NFL from 2009-2013.

15 – QB Dave Graybill (1955-56)

You have to go quite a bit back to find this pick, but Graybill was one of the premier Arizona State athletes during the school’s time in the Border Conference. Graybill played from 1953-55 but wore number 15 his final two years, including a junior season that saw him earn First-Team All-Border Conference accolades. The only player ever to earn first-team all-conference honors for Sun Devil football while wearing the number 15, Graybill was also named the Border Conference Most Valuable Player in 1955. He also played basketball – Graybill was ASU’s leading scorer as a junior and the second-leading scorer as a sophomore and as a senior – and baseball at ASU and was inducted into ASU’s Sports Hall of Fame in 1977.

16 – QB Jake Plummer (1993-96)

A number worn by several other star quarterbacks at ASU including Andrew Walter, Mark Malone, and Dennis Sproul, few should disagree with the selection of Plummer, a legendary, Mount Rushmore type of figure in Sun Devil football history and now a member of both ASU’s Sports Hall of Fame and the College Football Hall of Fame.

17 – QB Brock Osweiler (2009-11)

Despite starting just 15 career games at ASU, he made a memorable impact as he broke the school’s single-season passing yardage mark as a junior in 2011 with 4,036 – still the only Sun Devil to surpass 4,000 passing yards in a single season. He then entered the 2012 NFL Draft and was a second-round pick of the Denver Broncos. Did you know: Osweiler also had a scholarship offer to play basketball at Gonzaga before choosing to play football at ASU.

18 – DB/WR Ben Hawkins (1963-65)

An athletic marvel in the late days of the one-platoon system in college football, Hawkins starred in the secondary and as a receiver. Hawkins was ASU’s leading receiver in both 1964 and 1965, setting what at the time was the school’s single-season receiving yards record (718) while tying what at the time was ASU’s single-season receptions mark (42) in 1964. He also owns the distinction of being the first First-Team All-American in program history as he earned the honor as a defensive back in 1965. Hawkins was inducted into the ASU Sports Hall of Fame in 1979.

19 – DB Josh Barrett (2004-07)

The only player to have worn the number at ASU and to have ultimately played in the NFL, Barrett was an Honorable Mention All-Pac-10 pick and the team’s leader in tackles and interceptions as a junior in 2006. Barrett was in the NFL from 2008-12 and spent time with the Denver Broncos and New England Patriots.

20 – WR J.D. Hill (1967-68; 1970)

One of the most talented offensive weapons in program history – and especially of ASU’s days in the Western Athletic Conference – Hill etched his name in Sun Devil lore in 1970 when he became the first 1,000-yard receiver in Arizona State history. A First-Team All-American in 1970, he remains the second-highest drafted player in program history as he was chosen fourth overall in 1971. Hill was inducted into the ASU Sports Hall of Fame in 1976.

21 – Twitter Poll: Tie – RB J.R. Redmond (1996-99) and WR Jaelen Strong (2013-14)

Strong edged Redmond in the Twitter Poll with a 54% share of the vote, but in terms of athletic talent this one is too close to call to the point that both deserve the honor.

Redmond, a member of ASU’s Sports Hall of Fame, was a Second-Team All-American as a junior and earned three First-Team All-Pac-10 selections either as a tailback or a specialist. He finished his Sun Devil career ranked second all-time at ASU in career all-purpose yards and third in carries, rushing yards, and rushing touchdowns. In addition to being one of the top running backs in college football during the late-1990s, Redmond also was one of the premier collegiate kick and punt returners.

Admittedly, Redmond has a distinct advantage in that he played all four years at ASU to Strong’s two, but the former JUCO transfer wide receiver made an unforgettable impact in Tempe that has earned him the right to be included here.

Quite possibly the most talented offensive junior college player in program history, Strong made an immediate and consistent impact in the Sun Devil pass game for two years before bypassing his senior season to enter the NFL Draft. Strong was a First-Team All-American and a First-Team All-Pac-12 selection in 2014 after earning Second-Team All-Pac-12 honors in 2013. In the entire history of ASU football, only Derek Hagan combined for more receptions over a two-year span than the 157 caught by Strong in 2013-14. Despite playing just the two seasons, when his college tenure came to an end, he ranked fifth all-time at ASU in career receptions and seventh in career receiving yards.

22 – RB Woody Green (1971-73)

ASU’s all-time leading rusher by a longshot, Green has more than a 750-yard advantage of the program’s second-leading rusher with the 4,188 yards he accumulated on the ground in just three seasons. Green also is ASU’s all-time leader in career rushing touchdowns (43) and held the school’s single-season rushing yardage record from 1972 until 2018. Green was a two-time Consensus All-American and three-time First-Team All-Western Athletic Conference selection. Despite being just two years removed from his college career, Green was a charter member of the ASU Sports Hall of Fame in 1975.

23 – DB Courtney Jackson (1996-99)

Jackson earned First-Team All-Pac-10 honors as a senior in 1999 and honorable mention all-league accolades both as a sophomore in 1997 and as a junior in 1998. ASU would not have first-team all-conference honors recipient at cornerback again until Robert Nelson in 2013. Jackson is the only player in school history to earn first-team all-conference accolades while wearing number 23.

24 – RB Mario Bates (1991-93)

A First-Team All-Pac-10 selection in 1993, Bates rushed for 1,111 yards that year – a total which at the time was the most by a Sun Devil runner since 1975. Despite missing a great deal of the 1992 season due to injury and skipping his senior season to enter the NFL Draft, Bates still ended his Sun Devil career 12th on the program’s career rushing list with 2,025 yards.

25 – Twitter Poll: Tie – DB Mike Richardson (1979-82) and DB Eric Allen (1984-87)

Allen claimed a resounding Twitter poll victory by receiving 64% of the votes among a set of four options, with Richardson placing third with 14%.

That said, Richardson’s collegiate achievements warrant inclusion on this list – though Allen certainly earned his spot as well.

One of the premier players in school history when considering both college and pro performances, Allen was an Honorable Mention All-American in 1987 when he caught eight interceptions – a total that has not since been surpassed by a Sun Devil defender. A six-time Pro Bowler in the NFL, Allen recently has been on the ballot for the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

The only two-time defensive Consensus All-American in school history, Richardson remains ASU’s all-time leader in career interceptions (18) and finished his career ranked third all-time in school history in total tackles as a leading force for the early-80s defense that many consider to be the best in Arizona State history.

Both Allen and Richardson are members of ASU’s Sports Hall of Fame.

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