Arizona State DL My’Keil Gardner has torn Achilles, 2 freshmen suffer injuries late in camp

TEMPE — Arizona State defensive lineman My’Keil Gardner suffered a torn Achilles and will miss the 2025 season, coach Kenny Dillingham said on Monday.

“My’Keil Gardner unfortunately tore his Achilles tendon, actually doing rehab for another injury,” Dillingham said. “Like I told him, everything happens for a reason. … Maybe this was a way for your body to heal and get ready and prepare it for next season.

“We’ve had two other guys go through a similar injury … and they both are starting for us. That was the challenge to him was like … ‘go to work and build relationships with your teammates and rock and roll.'”

The Oregon transfer was in his first offseason back in the Valley. He was previously a Peoria Liberty High School standout ranked as a top-10 prospect from Arizona in the 2023 class.

Injuries derailed Gardner’s career at Oregon, where he appeared in three games as a true freshman before spending his entire second season on the mend.

He potentially could’ve cracked the defensive line rotation this season, which now projects to feature eight returning players in its two-deep.

2 Arizona State freshmen also suffer injuries

Two of ASU’s most impressive freshmen in preseason camps — tight end A.J. Ia and running back Demarius Robinson — suffered injuries in the final days of camp, Dillingham added.

“When it comes to the depth, A.J. Ia got dinged up the other day. … Other than that, (Robinson) got dinged up here on the last day, but he should be back pretty quickly, (potentially) even by Tuesday,” Dillingham said.

Ia popped in camp as a 2025 signee with immediate-impact potential due to his 6-foot-6, 260-pound frame and fluid athleticism. He put it on display for fans by scoring the first touchdown of the Camp T scrimmage.

Robinson, meanwhile, has earned early praise from Dillingham and offensive coordinator Marcus Arroyo as a player who’s dynamic with the ball in his hands. He’s also picked up the system quickly, earning occasional second-team reps within a stacked position group led by Kyson Brown and Kanye Udoh.

Arizona State prepping for season opener

ASU kicks off its season against Northern Arizona at 7 p.m. MST on Saturday from Mountain America Stadium.

Catch the Sun Devils take on the Lumberjacks on the Arizona Sports app, ESPN 620 AM and 98.7 FM HD-2. The game will be streamed on ESPN+.

Related

ASU football names starting center, plus a 2-deep projectionSam Leavitt's growth expected to be 'exponential' after battling ASU's veteran defense in campASU's Sam Leavitt ranks in elite tier of early 2026 mock draftLSU cancels home-and-home series with ASUCam Skattebo can’t quite stick landing on backflip during Fanatics FestASU-Arizona Territorial Cup among top 5 rivalries in nation, study says