ASU FOOTBALL

ASU running back Daniyel Ngata to enter transfer portal, per report

Dec 3, 2022, 12:25 PM | Updated: 12:26 pm

Running back Daniyel Ngata #4 of the Arizona State Sun Devils runs the ball against a Stanford Card...

Running back Daniyel Ngata #4 of the Arizona State Sun Devils runs the ball against a Stanford Cardinal player in the second quarter of the game at Stanford Stadium on October 22, 2022 in Stanford, California. (Photo by Lachlan Cunningham/Getty Images)

(Photo by Lachlan Cunningham/Getty Images)

Arizona State running back Daniyel Ngata will enter the transfer portal, per a tweet by college football analyst Carl Reed, which was verified by DevilsDigest.com.

In 26 games with ASU over three seasons, Ngata rushed 136 times for 689 yards and six touchdowns.

Ngata, a Reno native, played this season behind 1,000-yard rusher Xazavian Valladay on the depth chart. He rushed for 272 yards on 54 carries as a redshirt sophomore, but he did not dress for the season finale vs. Arizona on Nov. 25.

He also caught nine passes for 54 yards and returned 18 kicks for 411 yards, including a season-high 58-yard return vs. Utah.

The Sun Devils went 3-9 in 2022, setting a record for most losses in a single season in school history.

ASU hired Kenny Dillingham as head coach two days after the season finale. As offensive coordinator for Oregon in 2022, Dillingham guided the Ducks’ rushing attack to 216.2 yards per game and 32 rushing touchdowns.

“I am a firm believer in the transfer portal,” Dillingham said Sunday. “I am the number one advocate for it because what happens in recruiting is you have a whole bunch of people tell kids what they want to hear for two-three years. And in the past, those kids would get told what they wanted to hear and they’d get stuck and trapped.

“Now, you better be the person you say you are. You better come through with those promises.”

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