The Devils In the Details
ASU schedules visits with top targets
The Devil's Due Mailbag — Week Two Recruiting Update
By Diego Alfaro
Published: September 13th, 2026
It's early in the 2026 season, but the recruiting cycle is in full swing as Kenny Dillingham, Josh Omura, and Co. attempt to assemble the next group of Sun Devils stars. Emmett Palczewski remains #1 on the Devils board, but suddenly Coach Prime and the Colorado Buffaloes have come stampeding into the picture.
"You can't turn down an offer to visit Coach Prime," laughed Mr. Palczewski when reached for comment, confirming that the Buffaloes are the second team to offer his son a scholarship. You don't have to read between the lines to know that with that scholarship came both school's initial NIL offer, which many are projecting to be in the $85-100K range currently.
The silver lining for the Sun Devils, at least at the moment, is they have first dibs on Palcewski with their visit in Week Five—when the Baylor Bears travel to Tempe—while Colorado is waiting until late in the season, Week Eleven to be exact, to make their recruiting pitch.
"With any luck, it'll be too little too late for Prime," smirked Omura.
Emmett Palczewski is still the highest rated player on the board, but Arizona State has been aggressive in pursuing defensive talent as well.
Leading the defensive charge at recruiting is Fredrick McNutt, a twitchy athlete who ultimately projects as an edge rusher in the Sun Devils' 4-2-5 scheme.
"He's got good bend, uses his hands to keep the blocker off him," noted Zek Williams when asked about the Windsor, Connecticut native. "Ideally, he'll bulk up once he gets in a collegiate weight training program, but we think he's got the talent to make some noise with the right coaching."
Zek Williams may be excited about McNutt, but he is reportedly salivating over Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College transfer prospect Josh Swoope.
"The only thing I don't like about Swoope is that we'll only get two years of him, at best," laughed Zek Williams when broached about the sophomore JUCO transfer.
"He's got size, instincts, speed—he checks all the boxes."
Joining Swoope and Palczewski on their Week 5 trip to Tempe is cornerback Darrius Witherspoon, the 391st overall prospect out of the Bronx.
"It was one thing that Brian[Ward, DC] requested when scouting corners," explained scouting director Deontrae Cooper when speaking about Witherspoon, "He wants guys with attitude. Guys that are fighters."
"Darrius is Bronx to the bone. It's hard to find more attitude than that."
If Bronx is embedded in Darrius' bones, he certainly plays like it. Darrius cut his teeth as a physical man-corner for Bronxdale, often volunteering for the toughest assignments even as a freshman according to his coaches.
"He doesn't just want a challenge. He's like the school yard bully. He finds the biggest and the baddest and chops them down, then looks for the next fight," lauded coach Dale Rhodes.
"He's got the traits you love to see in a man-corner. Enough speed to stick to someone's hip, the mobility to change direction quickly, the strength to press and not lose leverage," said one On3 scout when reached for comment.
The one drawback, that three separate scouts highlighted?
"Hands of stone."
"If he could catch even half the balls he gets near?" Dale ended his question with a slow whistle to draw his point home.
It's still early, but with visits scheduled and their wish lists being trimmed down, the Sun Devils are in prime position to add at least one, if not all, of their top pre-season recruiting targets.
2026 Recruiting Class of 2030
Can Arizona State rein in their turnover problems?
