ASU receivers standing out, 1-handed punt returns and other early spring camp impressions

TEMPE — Whether it’s Reed Harris posterizing defensive backs or Omarion Miller snagging punts with one hand above his head, Arizona State’s wide receivers have turned heads the most through the early parts of spring camp.

The two transfers out of Boston College and Colorado, respectively, committed while both were in the top five of the 2026 transfer portal, and it hasn’t taken long for their polished games to show up.

Harris, listed at 6-foot-5 and 217 pounds, has faced plenty of tough coverage from a new-look ASU secondary, but it often hasn’t mattered because of his feel for the timing of when the ball will arrive and how he can separate at exactly the right moment to make the catch.

He did so on Tuesday against cornerback Ashton Stamps, a 6-foot LSU transfer who was second among SEC defenders in pass breakups in 2024.

Reed Harris, Cutter Boley and Raiden Vines-Bright get after it during another day of ASU spring practice. pic.twitter.com/PLBUwdQhqP

— Arizona Sports (@AZSports) March 24, 2026

“I’m very glad that Reed Harris is on our team,” associate head coach and defensive pass game coordinator Bryan Carrington said. “To see him, to see the sheer size and physicality, I mean he’s a specimen.

“To have him give our (DBs) an opportunity to compete with a guy that’s going to play on Sundays is tremendous. … The thing that made Keith (Abney II) really good is he went against Jordyn Tyson everyday, and how many times did he see Jordyn Tyson on Saturday? Zero. So, it did a lot for his confidence.”

While the 6-foot-2, 210-pound Miller isn’t quite the specimen that Harris is, he comes over with more 2025 production (808 yards, eight touchdowns and Big 12-leading 18 yards per catch) than the bigger receiver had (673 yards and five touchdowns).

His fit appears to be in Tyson’s spot in the offense, where he can make defenses pay over the middle of the field. His hands are a big reason why he’s so effective, with a knack for one-handed snags that he also showed off during punt returns.

Super glue for hands @omarionmiller19 🧤 @CoachNudo @ASUFootball pic.twitter.com/K58VhSfJwv

— Nick McLarty (@nick_mclarty) March 22, 2026

“That’s pretty tough. The only time I’ve seen something like that was I think (Odell Beckham Jr.) did that on a kickoff over his head,” ASU special teams coordinator Jack Nudo said.

Raiden Vines-Bright, ASU’s third transfer addition at receiver, looks to be on a good trajectory after getting 25 touches at Washington as a true freshman in 2025, arriving to Tempe at a filled-out 6 feet and 200 pounds.

Head coach Kenny Dillingham called Vines-Bright “one of the not-talked-about standouts of camp so far,” adding the level of depth in the room is “very, very high.”

That depth now includes Clayton Smith, who played the last three seasons as a defensive end and is now practicing in an offensive jersey with the wideouts to potentially play both ways this fall.

Smith made a smooth contested catch on Tuesday, and his teammates poked fun that he was a “natural” at the position. He’s not totally new to it, having played both ways in high school.

Other early impressions from ASU spring camp

— Cutter Boley looks the part of a quarterback with two handfuls of SEC starts under his belt.

The Kentucky transfer has been sharp and you can see the fruits of his labor when it comes to getting on the same page with his receivers early. Timing has been better than expected for a first week’s worth of practices.

Dillingham on Tuesday lauded how quickly the ball gets out of his hands.

ASU head coach Kenny Dillingham dove into his thoughts on the quarterback play so far this spring camp. pic.twitter.com/JUuBUDTD8n

— Arizona Sports (@AZSports) March 24, 2026

Redshirt sophomore Cam Dyer has had the most impressive deep ball of the four quarterbacks thus far, but Boley looks like far and away the favorite to start against Morgan State on Sept. 5.

— The punt game could take a big step forward with the notably 6-foot-7, 255-pound Nick McLarty after the Sun Devils were among the worst in the country at the transitional phase in 2025.

The boot that Miller caught one-handed traveled 59 yards in the air, nearly 20 yards better than ASU’s 2025 average of 39.2 (bottom 10 nationally), and it wasn’t an outlier by any means.

Mike Scifres’ presence as a specialists coach after a 13-year NFL career as a punter should play well into his development. Both he and Nudo have raved about McLarty’s work ethic, to the point that Scifres has had to advise him that less can be more sometimes at that position.

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