Arizona State received another blow courtesy of the transfer portal, with defensive back Ed Woods listed as a candidate.
Wood's decision to leave ASU comes on the heels of a tumultuous week for the Sun Devils, which saw quarterback Jayden Rashada and wide receiver Elijah Badger enter the portal. ASU head coach Kenny Dillingham was caught off guard and described Woods' movement as a “curving ball.”
“Obviously Ed is a good player,” Dillingham said Monday. “I really want Ed to be successful in life. I hope it's here, and I think I can help him get to where he wants to go. But , if it's not here, it's a loss for us. It's a position where we have to go get a guy. To be honest, it wasn't what I expected.”
The junior defensive back was expected to be the Sun Devils' starting cornerback this fall after receiving first-team varsity all spring. Woods played in 32 games at ASU, including 13 starts, four of which came last season. In 2023, he recorded 33 tackles, including three for loss, an interception against No. 6 Oregon State, two forced fumbles and four pass breakups.
Dillingham and his staff will now be tasked with filling Wood's role within the team. The top internal candidates to take over the position are Keith Abney II, Xavion Alford, Cole Martin, Javan Robinson or Montana Warren.
The Sun Devils will likely bring in a defensive back through the portal regardless of whether the starting role is filled in-house. According to 247Sports, two of the top five players currently in the transfer portal are cornerbacks, No. 2 overall pick Komani McClain of Colorado and No. 5 overall pick Tacario Davis of Arizona.
On Monday, Coach Dillingham talked about the type of player he wants to bring to Tempe.
“We're going to sign to the people here that this is their plan,” Dillingham said. “That's what we're going to be filled with. People who are 100 percent committed to working with this program to make this city happen and get this place to where I think it can get to.” This is the list of
