The 2021 Arizona State Sun Devils football team represented Arizona State University in the 2021 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Sun Devils played their home games at Sun Devil Stadium in Tempe, Arizona, and competed in the South Division of the Pac-12 Conference. They were led by fourth-year head coach Herm Edwards.

On April 19, 2024, Arizona State vacated all 8 of their wins from the 2021 season due to NCAA violations stemming from Arizona State offering recruiting inducements, impermissible tryouts and tampering. Arizona State ended the season with an 0–5 record.

Offseason

2021 NFL draft

ASU players drafted into the NFL #6 187 Frank Darby WR Atlanta Falcons

Undrafted NFL free agents Mitchell Fraboni LS Houston Texans Aashari Crosswell S Seattle Seahawks

Recruiting class The Sun Devils signed a total of 17 student–athletes on National Signing Day.

Recruits

Position key BackBCenterCCornerbackCBDefensive backDBDefensive endDEDefensive linemanDLDefensive tackleDTEndEFullbackFBGuardGHalfbackHBKickerKKickoff returnerKROffensive tackleOTOffensive linemanOLLinebackerLBLong snapperLSPunterPPunt returnerPRQuarterbackQBRunning backRBSafetySTight endTEWide receiverWR

Transfers

Outgoing

The Sun Devils lost fifteen players via transfer portal for the 2021 season.

Name No. Pos. Height Weight Year Hometown New school Demetrious Flowers #9 RB Freshman Bellflower, CA TBD Nolan Matthews #88 TE Sophomore Frisco, TX Southern Methodist Jordan Kerley #8 WR Sophomore Austin, TX Southern Methodist Brandon Pierce #85 WR Senior Mission Hills, CA TBD Keith Davis #26 WR Sophomore Northridge, CA TBD Joshua Hart #89 WR Freshman Tucson, AZ Arkansas–Pine Bluff Tannor Park #83 WR Junior Elgin, IL TBD Elijah Juarez #30 LB Sophomore Long Beach, CA TBD KJ Jarrell #10 S Junior Scottsdale, AZ TBD Kevin Macias #44 P Senior Mesa, AZ Montana Josh Plaster #46 P Sophomore Flower Mound, TX TBD Cristian Zendejas #45 K Junior N/A

Incoming

The Sun Devils add six players via transfer portal from the 2021 season.

Name No. Pos. Height Weight Year Hometown Prev. school Bryan Thompson – WR Junior Moreno Valley, CA Utah Jalin Conyers – TE Sophomore Gruver, TX Oklahoma Triston Miller – OT Junior Charlotte, NC North Carolina Travez Moore – DE Graduate Transfer Bastrop, LA Louisiana State Xavier Steele – LB Senior Hemet, CA Massachusetts Chandler Fincher – LB Sophomore Newport Beach, CA Texas Christian

Preseason

Pac-12 Media Day The Pac-12 Media Day was held on July 27, 2021 in Hollywood, California. Arizona State head coach Herm Edwards, quarterback Jayden Daniels, and defensive back Chase Lucas were in attendance to field questions from the media.

Media poll (South Division) 1 USC 223(27) 2 Utah 183(6) 3 Arizona State 170(6) 4 UCLA 135(1) 5 Colorado 88 6 Arizona 41

Preseason All-Pac-12 teams

First team Position Player Class Team First Team Offense OL Dohnovan West So. Arizona State First Team Defense DL Jermayne Lole Jr. Arizona State DB Chase Lucas Sr. Arizona State First Team Special teams P Michael Turk Jr. Arizona State

Second team Position Player Class Team Second Team Offense QB Jayden Daniels So. Arizona State RB Rachaad White Jr. Arizona State OL Kellen Diesch GT. Arizona State Second Team Defense DL Tyler Johnson Jr. Arizona State DB Evan Fields Sr. Arizona State Second Team Special teams RS D.J. Taylor Fr. Arizona State

Personnel

Roster

Arizona State roster as of week 1. (as of September 3, 2021)

2021 Arizona State Sun Devils roster Quarterbacks Jayden Daniels, Junior (6'3, 185) Ethan Long, Sophomore (6'2, 215) Finn Collins, Freshman (6'3, 180) Nathan Manning, Freshman (6'3, 185) Daylin McLemore, Freshman (6'3, 205) Trenton Bourguet, Sophomore (5'11, 180)

Running backs DeaMonte Trayanum, Sophomore (5'11, 230) Rachaad White, Senior (6'2, 195) Daniyel Ngata, Freshman (5'9, 185) Deonce Elliott, Freshman (5'10, 190) Jackson He, Senior (5'9, 220) George Hart III, Freshman (5'10, 205) Case Hatch, Junior (6'1, 230)

Wide receivers Geordon Porter, Junior (6'2, 190) LV Bunkley-Shelton, Freshman (5'11, 180) Lonyatta Alexander, Freshman (6'2, 185) Johnny Wilson, Freshman (6'7, 220) Chad Johnson Jr., Freshman (6'2, 180) Ricky Pearsall, Junior (6'1, 190) Giovanni Sanders, Junior (5'11, 175) Elijhah Badger, Freshman (6'1, 190) Bryan Thompson, Graduate Student (6'2, 205) Cade Cadam, Freshman (6'0, 175) Mekhi Metcalf, Junior (6'4, 190) Andre Johnson, Freshman (6'3, 190)  Tight ends Jalin Conyers, Freshman (6'4, 249) Jake Ray, Freshman (6'4, 240) Ryan Morgan, Freshman (6'3, 245) Curtis Hodges, Graduate Student (6'8, 237) John Stivers, Graduate Student (6'3, 255)

Offensive lineman Jarrett Bell, Junior (6'3, 280) Triston Miller, Freshman (6'5, 290) Ezra Dotson—Oyetade, Freshman (6'3, 285) Eddie Medina, Sophomore (6'3, 285) Armon Bethea, Freshman (6'5, 309) Marco Salas, Sophomore (6'4, 291) Kyle Breed, Junior (6'7, 288) Dohnovan West, Junior (6'3, 277) Ben Bray, Freshman (6'5, 270) Kolbe Stuckwisch, Freshman (6'4, 310) Ben Scott, Sophomore (6'5, 291) Henry Hattis, Graduate Student (6'5, 297) Austin Barry, Freshman (6'5, 270) Sione Veikoso, Freshman (6'7, 290) Isaia Glass, Freshman (6'5, 250) Kellen Diesch, Graduate Student (6'6, 300) Spencer Lovell, Junior (6'6, 309) LaDarius Henderson, Sophomore (6'4, 285) Roman DeWys, Freshman (6'5, 299) Ralph Frias, Sophomore (6'6, 320) Corey Stephens, Graduate Student (6'3, 285)  Defensive line Amiri Johnson, Sophomore (6'6, 225) Stanley Lambert, Junior(6'4, 225) B.J. Green II, Freshman (6'0, 260) Tyler Johnson, Graduate Student (6'4, 265) T.J. Pesefea, Junior (6'2, 259) Travez Moore, Graduate Student (6'4, 250) Omarr Norman-Lott, Freshman (6'3, 296) Joe Moore, Freshman (6'3, 240) Jermayne Lole, Senior (6'2, 284) Matthew Pola Mao, Sophomore (6'2, 315) Anthonie Cooper, Sophomore (6'2, 280) Shannon Forman, Graduate Student (6'2, 293) DJ Davidson, Graduate Student (6'4, 313) Gharin Stansbury, Freshman (6'5, 220)

Linebackers Jaydon Williams, Freshman (6'1, 185) Merlin Robertson, Senior (6'3, 251) Eric Gentry, Freshman (6'6, 220) Connor Soelle, Freshman (6'1, 220) Darien Butler, Senior (5'11, 242) Caleb McCullough, Freshman (6'2, 210) Jordan Banks, Freshman (6'2, 230) Will Shaffer, Freshman (6'0, 230) Xavier Steele, Graduate Student (5'11, 200) Kyle Soelle, Graduate Student (6'3, 225) Dylan DeVito, Freshman (6'1, 220) Jacob Jornadal, Freshman (5'11, 190) Fritzny Niclasse, Sophomore (5'11, 213) Defensive backs Jack Jones, Graduate Student (5'11, 170) Jordan Clark, Sophomore (5'10, 170) DeAndre Pierce, Graduate Student (5'11, 185) Isaiah Johnson, Freshman (6'1, 180) Evan Fields, Senior (6'0, 193) Tommi Hill, Freshman (6'0, 190) Timarcus Davis, Graduate Student (6'0, 177) D.J. Taylor, Freshman (5'10, 200) Kejuan Markham, Junior (6'1, 189) Keon Markham, Sophomore (6'1, 203) Cam Philips, Sophomore (6'1, 175) Willie Harts, Sophomore (6'0, 162) R.J. Regan, Freshman (6'0, 170) Chase Lucas, Senior (6'0, 176) Macen Williams, Freshman (5'10, 170) T Lee, Freshman (5'10, 170) Jean Boyd III, Freshman (6'0, 190) Edward Woods, Freshman (6'0, 175) Alijah Gammage, Sophomore (5'11, 179) Connor Lewis, Freshman (6'2, 180) Vincenzo Granatelli, Sophomore (6'4, 184)

Kickers Cristian Zendejas, Junior (5'11, 185) Logan Tyler, Graduate Transfer (5'11, 205) Jace Feely, Freshman (6'1, 190)

Punters Eddie Czaplicki, Freshman (6'1, 194) Adam Babb, Freshman (6'3, 178)

Long snappers John Ferlmann, Freshman (6'3, 225) Gage King, Sophomore (6'3, 225) Erik Dickerson, Graduate Student (6'1, 225)

Coaching staff Herm Edwards Head coach San Diego State University 4th Marvin Lewis Special assistant to the head coach Idaho State University 1st Antonio Pierce Associate head coach/defensive Coordinator/recruiting coordinator University of Arizona 4th Shawn Slocum Assistant coach/special teams Coordinator Texas A&M University 4th Zak Hill Offensive coordinator/quarterbacks Coach Central Washington University 2nd Shaun Aguano Running backs coach Linfield University 3rd Robert Rodriguez Defensive line coach University of Texas at El Paso 2nd Prentice Gill Co-wide receivers coach and assistant recruiting coordinator University of Southern California 2nd Chris Hawkins Defensive backs coach University of Southern California 2nd Adam Breneman Tight ends coach University of Massachusetts 1st Mike Cavanaugh Offensive line coach Southern Connecticut State University 1st Chris Claiborne Linebackers coach University of Southern California 1st

Graduate assistants Tyson McDaniel Offensive graduate assistant Arizona State University 2nd Bobby Wade Offensive graduate assistant University of Arizona 1st Steven Beard Defensive graduate assistant Arizona State University 3rd Shaun Prater Defensive graduate assistant Arizona State University 1st

Analysts Trey Anderson Offensive analyst Arizona State University 1st Juston Wood Offensive analyst Portland State University 1st Anthony Garnett Defensive analyst Ohio University 3rd Michael Fletcher Defensive analyst University of Oregon 1st Marcus Lewis Defensive analyst Indiana State University 1st

Schedule

Game summaries

Vs. Southern Utah

Vs. UNLV

At No. 23 BYU

Vs. Colorado

At No. 20 UCLA

Vs. Stanford

At Utah

Vs. Washington State

Vs. USC

At Washington

At Oregon State

Vs. Arizona

Vs. Wisconsin (Las Vegas Bowl)

Rankings

References