Jordyn Tyson came out of shell as leader ahead of return from injury
Jordyn Tyson made a few big plays in his return while playing on a pitch count, but his impact started with a spur-of-the-moment choice pregame.
Watch: Exclusive 1-on-1 with Shaun Aguano | 3 mins
TEMPE — Jordyn Tyson made a few big plays in his return while playing on a pitch count, but his impact started with a spur-of-the-moment choice pregame.
The Arizona State wide receiver is not normally one to address the entire team. But that changed Saturday before facing his former team, Colorado, while returning from a hamstring injury.
“I was just telling them, ‘God says to love your neighbors like yourself. If you expect (your teammate) to give his all, you give your all your damn self,'” Tyson told Fox 10 when recalling the speech.
ASU coach Kenny Dillingham said there weren’t any conversations about how to go about it. The team has a pregame prayer before a player gives a speech, and Dillingham said it was after the prayer that Tyson said he wanted to address the team.
Ahead of the Texas Tech game in which his hamstring injury occurred, he said he doesn’t talk to the team as much as he would like.
Dillingham saw the change of heart as frustration with the outside noise about potentially shutting it down to prepare for the 2026 NFL Draft.
“He hears all that noise, and he’s like, ‘No, I want to play. Why do all these people think I don’t want to play? I’m doing everything I can to play for these guys,'” Dillingham said. “And I think that emotion just kind of got to him.
“He’s like, ‘I want to make sure these guys know this isn’t about me. … Like, this is a team and I want to do whatever I can to be on the field with you guys for as many games I have left.'”
Tyson made two catches for 61 yards in the win on Saturday, including a 42-yard pickup to set up ASU’s first score. He nearly had a passing touchdown too, but he overthrew tight end Chamon Metayer in the end zone.
Tyson was on a snap count of about 30, and he finished with 29. On the plays he wasn’t targeted, his gravity in how a defense accounts for him stood out, opening the Derek Eusebio touchdown in particular.
“There’s some guys that’s been dinged up all year and I expected them to get back on the field, so just ’cause I had some projections, why would I not do the same?” Tyson said.
Jordyn Tyson’s 2026 NFL Draft projections
— ESPN’s Jordan Reid (Nov. 21): No. 11
— Bleacher Report (Nov. 19): No. 8
— ESPN’s consensus board (Nov. 14): No. 6
— The Athletic’s Dane Brugler (Nov. 11): No. 8
— CBS Sports: No. 4
Tyson’s injury history is worth considering, as he dealt with knee issues prior to 2024 and missed the 2024 postseason with a collarbone injury.
He played through the hamstring injury to end the Texas Tech game, including a 33-yard gain on fourth down to keep the game-winning drive alive.
Related
What is Arizona State's path to Big 12 title game entering final week of regular season?
Bowl projections for ASU, Arizona entering Territorial Cup week
Arizona State, Arizona both left out of AP Top 25 poll
Raleek Brown breaks 88-yard touchdown on next play after fumble while hurdling
Will this be the season ASU goes RB-by-committee after years of featuring a bell cow?
ASU DE Clayton Smith moving to TE to create competition as room awaits Khamari Anderson’s return
Comments
3 Comments
In spite of the preseason talk regarding Jordyn Tyson and Sam Leavitt, Raleek Brown continues to be MVP of this ASU team. Both Tyson & Leavitt had nice plays the astonished everyone, but Raleek Brown is the main reason this team is 8-3 (6-2 conf). We have been able to count on him this season.
Watching him hobble around vs Texas Tech and the West Virginia, it's obvious to me that Jordyn Tyson is nowhere close to being healthy, and that most likely, he's going to need surgery to repair the hamstring that's kept him out of so many games. That may end up working to ASU's favor.
I'm starting to see a window where Jordyn Tyson has surgery this off-season to repair his hamstring, the recovery period is typically 4-6 months with it being 6-9 months before he would be cleared to play or workout. IMHO, such a scenario would most likely preclude him from meeting the deadline for declaring for the NFL Draft. Also, IMHO, I see Sam Leavitt in much similar circumstances. If Leavitt returns to ASU (and doesn't transfer which I don't think he will) I believe Dilly will ask him to help recruit both freshmen and transfers, as well as encourage players who are already on the roster to run it back. It makes sense that if he does return, Sam would approach Jordyn and tries to entice him, and possibly Xavion Alford to join him. I have no doubt that the ASU NIL people are willing to throw serious $$$ to entice them to return.
Lastly, this will acknowledge that I've been drinking Sun Devil Kool-Aid before and during the writing of this message.
High NFL projections. Wonder why Coach Prime didn't see the talent?