ASU’s ‘sloppy’ return to practice included several players already in transfer portal
Dec 16, 2024, 6:58 PM
TEMPE — As ASU made its return to the practice field on Monday ahead of its College Football Playoff quarterfinal, the group included several players who are already in the transfer portal.
Among them was tight end Markeston Douglas, who has already signed to return to Florida State after he finishes this season with the Sun Devils.
“Markeston’s practicing. … He’s gonna be huge for us here in the Peach Bowl,” coach Kenny Dillingham said after practice. “You have Kamari Wilson who’s out there practicing, who plays a lot of packages for us on defense, and he’s back out here. Then you have guys that just still want to be a part of it out here, too.
“We kind of got a mix of guys that are helping us on scout team versus guys that are gonna help us on game day. … My job is to help these guys. Just because they went into the portal doesn’t mean they shouldn’t have the opportunity to continue to be on the team, to finish out the year if that’s what they want to do.”
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While Dillingham’s approach has been one with peace of mind, other playoff teams, such as Penn State, have run into issues with the how the timing of the portal, which opened on Dec. 9, conflicts with CFP preparations.
Beau Pribula, the Nittany Lions’ backup quarterback, entered the portal on Monday and said the overlap forced him into “an impossible decision.”
Meanwhile, Ole Miss coach Lane Kiffin last week called it “a dumb system,” comparing it to if the NFL were to open free agency as the playoffs were just starting.
Sun Devil safety Xavion Alford, who arrived in Tempe after transfers from Texas and USC, called Dillingham’s approach a refreshing one.
“Me being a guy that’s transferred from different programs and stuff like that, my conversations weren’t as pretty as that,” Alford said after practice. “But it’s just lovely, you know, just for him just to not want to take the game away from kids and things like that even though, you know, you’re looking to go somewhere else for your future and stuff like that.
“Just allows you to just be here around the guys that you built this with — you know, finish this special season out with the guys that you built it with.”
None of the players who have entered the portal out of ASU so far were expected to be big contributors in 2025, which Dillingham said is indicative of players’ desires to be in Tempe.
“This is an unbelievable season. I think they’re treated well here. I think guys generally know people care about them here,” the coach said. “I mean it’s what, 68 degrees out today, and we’re playing for a championship in the end of December. Where else can you do that?”
ASU looked ‘sloppy’ in return to practice from break
Dillingham said that while the energy was there on the practice field Monday, so was some rust following a week off for players after earning a first-round bye in the CFP.
“Today was really sloppy, but you give guys a week off after 14, you know, since you’ve been going at the end of July, it’s going to be sloppy,” Dillingham said. “But the intent was there, the energy was there, all that was there, so I was happy with it. But obviously, we were going to be a little sloppy today.”
Alford said some kinks were worked out during the practice, and he feels the focus is there knowing what’s at stake.
“This team is all about going until we can’t anymore, going until that last game those last seconds come off the clock,” the safety said.
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