The 2024 season for Arizona State was a historical campaign. The team won the Big 12 Championship in its inaugural season and competed in the College Football Playoff, losing out in a thrilling overtime quarterfinal matchup with No. 5 Texas. In that game, senior wide receiver Malik McClain scored a 42-yard touchdown after ASU executed a masterfully designed trick play, with former Sun Devil running back Cam Skattebo as the passer on a fourth-down attempt.
Fast-forward to spring 2025, and McClain remains the only Sun Devil receiver who recorded a stat in that Peach Bowl contest and is still on the roster heading into the new year. McClain, who redshirted last year, was able to take advantage of a new rule allowing players redshirting for a non-medical reason to participate in postseason games.
Despite ASU football’s success, the current state of the wide receiver room is vastly different from 2024. With seven new players entering the group, ASU wide receivers coach Hines Ward is focused on making all the puzzle pieces fit together.
“Right now, we're just trying to get the camaraderie down,” Ward said Tuesday. “I'm trying to mesh all the personalities together, but it's fun. I think Jordyn Tyson, Malik [McClain], and Derek [Eusebio] have kind of taken the helm of a leadership role in our room, getting them acclimated to Tempe and how the culture is here at ASU.
“I can't wait to get out there on the field with them and really help them in their development, the freshman they're just wet behind the ears they don't know right from left. They're gonna make some mistakes, and that's understandable. That's going to come with spring ball, getting enrolled early, and getting acclimated to college. It's a process; I'm excited for the opportunity and look forward to it. I can't wait to get on the football field and see what we got.”
The eager freshmen include 6-foot-4 Chance Ables, Cory Butler Jr., and local Gilbert native Uriah Neloms. For Ward, getting the freshmen up to speed has begun with baby steps, working little by little to ensure comfort and comprehension.
“You’ve got to spoon-feed them,” Ward chuckled. “You put five gigs into a one-gig kid, and the computer runs a little slower, right? We kind of got to give them what they can take so slowly build from there. So, they've all put in the time. Now it's just a little more on the football field and putting it all together. Because getting lined up is half the battle. You get lined up and nowhere you're going to go, then you're able to run the route and be successful.”
The early stages of development have not been easy for ASU’s young wideouts. From the playbook to offseason workouts, the transition from high school to the elite levels of college football can be as difficult as advertised. However, Ward notes the players have not only embraced the struggles but relished the adversity.
“We lift weights totally different than high school. It was kind of funny but not funny,” Ward said. “Day one, we got guys throwing up in the trash cans, I remember those days. I had never worked out the way I did when I first went to college as I did in high school.
“I can tell you one thing, the class that we just brought in is good kids that love football, they want more, they crave, 'Coach, what can I do? Can you help me with this?' I love that. I always wanna recruit a kid who wants more. So, I'm excited about all their futures as far as wanting to learn more about their growth in their development, so we drive to a pretty good class, man. Some good people, some good kids that love football.”
Fortunately for the Sun Devils and Ward, the standout wide receiver of the 2024 season is returning to Tempe. Redshirt junior Jordyn Tyson dominated the Big 12, ranking third in receiving yards per game (91.8). He caught a team-high 10 receiving touchdowns and became the clear top target for redshirt sophomore quarterback Sam Leavitt.
“I'm gonna be harder on the veteran guys even though Jordyn Tyson had a lot of success,” Ward said. “I'm on his ass every day about doing the little things right and becoming a pro. But he loves that; he wants that. He wants to be coached hard. He wants to get better, and he will get better. He'll be a better leader, a better room, and a better football player overall.
“You're not as good as you think you are, but you're not as bad as they say you are. I try to keep everybody kind of even-keeled, I make sure Jordyn Tyson, doesn't get a big head. I'm always on him about doing the little things about being a constant pro.”
Tyson suffered a devastating injury, breaking his collarbone against Arizona in the last game of the regular season during a 49-7 victory. He subsequently missed the Big 12 Championship and the New Year’s Day Peach Bowl matchup. Without Tyson, multiple seniors made the most of their opportunities under the bright lights, but for ASU’s star wide receiver, not being available for the moment has continued to haunt him.
“I think that's key for Jordyn is to be able to stay healthy,” Ward said. “I can tell you one thing, not playing in that Big 12 championship, not playing in that Texas game, ate him up so bad. He was devastated that he couldn't be out on the football field. So, this year, I think that added fuel to the fire to just making sure that we stay healthy throughout the whole year. So right now, he's full of flares as far as taking care of his body. He's always up here. He's in the cold tub. He's stretching. He's in the hot tub. He's doing all the things that you look for and the player to do. He's just taking it to a better level.”
With a full year under his belt as a member of the ASU coaching staff, the offseason has provided Ward the chance to reflect on his coaching prowess. He has noted aspirations to become a head coach one day, but for now, Ward is all in on the Sun Devils, not tempted to coach at the next level as he continues to learn and grow alongside the players he coaches.
“I loved [Year one] I didn’t know anybody on this coaching staff which can be good and can be bad, I kind of liked it because I wanted to prove myself and to all these guys that I could coach,” Ward admitted. “Don’t just take the football player in the years that I played. I wanted to earn my stripes and put my hand in the pile, [That I was] gonna contribute to the Big 12 title.
“I'm not leaving a good thing when I got it here, it was fun and [ASU head coach Kenny Dillingham] is amazing to work for. Kenny is teaching me the ropes of why he does things; he doesn’t get offended if I ask him [Questions] … The way he works with people and how he responds to the kids, he’s playing video games, and his Madden skills are on par. When your Madden skills are on par with the players, you earn their respect.”
For Ward and the majority of the ASU coaching staff, moving on from the glories of 2024 to refocus ahead of the upcoming campaign has become a crucial priority. However, cherishing the great moments when they come is also significant. For a former Super Bowl MVP like Ward, the accomplishments of Sun Devil football in 2024 go right alongside his other accolades.
“I got a picture in my office of us all being Big 12 champions. Because I never would have imagined it,” Ward admitted. “I got here, we were the last-ranking team in the Big 12 (media preseason poll), there was no expectation. I love proving all the naysayers of people wrong. My whole life has been built on people telling me I can't do it.
“‘There's no way you can play in the league.’ Well, I went to the Pro Bowl. ‘There's no way you can be a Pro Bowler.’ I've been to the Pro Bowl. ‘There's no way you can win a Super Bowl.’ I've done all that, so for me, I fit right in with the wide receiver group and this whole team from last year, going from no one giving us an opportunity to now winning the Big 12. Now, my job is to teach them about the experience of how do you keep another year?”
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