Wings, competition and heat: Dynamic Arizona State football transfers embrace it all

PHOENIX – Defensive backs Kyndrich Breedlove and Nyland Green were fresh off a 1-11 season as members of the Purdue football team. The pair entered the NCAA transfer portal with no intention of going to the same school.

Plans change.

“We actually found out because we were in the same hotel on our visit,” Breedlove said. “I called him and said, ‘I’m down here in (Arizona)’ and he said, ‘Yo, I’m out here too.’”

Breedlove and Green were staying in the same hotel on the same floor in the same hallway. The duo ended up joining the Arizona State Sun Devils together despite never communicating about their interest.

“That’s my brother,” Green said. “It’s just amazing to have him and see him playing. It’s just good to spend my senior year with my brother.”

Not all of the over 2,000 college football players who enter the transfer portal have a chance to unite with a conference champion. Players like Breedlove and Green, who joined Arizona State fresh off the Sun Devils’ Big 12 Championship and 2025 College Football Playoff appearance, have embraced the rare opportunity.

“I don’t want to be the guy that just makes it my fault,” Breedlove said. “I want to come in and I don’t want there to be any pauses … I just want to plug in fast and keep the train moving.”

Competition for a roster spot was a large draw for Breedlove and Green, as well as an opportunity to be a part of a rising program.

“You want something? You have to come in here and work your butt off to get it,” Green said. “You’re not just going to be given anything.”

The duo of former Boilermakers, along with former Washington State safety Adrian “Boogie” Wilson, face the task of building on a strong and somewhat surprising year for defensive coordinator Brian Ward’s defense.

Working to sustain good offense

Offensively, coach Kenny Dillingham faced the nearly impossible task of replacing the now legendary running back Cam Skattebo and his 2,316 total yards and 21 rushing touchdowns last season.

With quarterback Sam Leavitt returning after a promising first season as a Sun Devil, building the offense around him is tantamount to the program if it hopes to avoid being the latest proverbial flash in the college football pan.

One weapon Dillingham knew he had but didn’t have an ample opportunity to use relative to the transfer portal last season was wide receivers coach Hines Ward. The Steeler legend and two-time Super Bowl champion helped develop standout receiver Jordyn Tyson, who returned as well, into one of the nation’s elite pass catchers. Ward’s appeal was utilized this winter in acquiring three new receivers for Leavitt to find downfield.

One of the new targets, Clemson transfer Noble Johnson, admitted to the allure of Ward during the process of transferring.

“I looked up to Hines Ward when I was younger. He was the first NFL jersey I ever bought,” Johnson said. “You can’t say no to him … My biggest thing was I just wanted to be coached really hard. He was the person I wanted.”

Based on the responses from Johnson and one of his fellow receiver transfers, Jaren Hamilton from Alabama, Ward’s pedigree went a long way in drawing new receivers to Tempe.

“He’s just teaching me to be a man, teaching me to be about my business,” Hamilton said. “It’s more than just running routes. It’s more than just catching the ball. It’s how you do anything, how you do everything.”

Hamilton and Johnson have shown flashes in spring camp as Dillingham tinkers the offense around Leavitt and Tyson.

Culturally, the transition to ASU for some of the transfers seems to be seamless. For running back Kanye Udoh, who transferred from Army West Point, the shift in culture couldn’t be more radical.

Navigating different transitions

“(Army head coach Jeff Monken and Dillingham) are two entirely different personalities but being around coach Dillingham has been a lot of fun,” Udoh said.

However, environmentally the transition hasn’t been so seamless for some of the players.

“South Carolina got nothing against this weather. This is the hottest I’ve ever been in my life,” Johnson said after a recent practice where the temperatures flirted with triple digits. “I knew I was hot because it felt like my skin was about to peel off my body … one thing I didn’t know was that you might be dying of sweat but you’re not wet, it just evaporates.”

While the humidity of South Carolina against Tempe’s dry heat is still an adjustment, the weather in West Lafayette, Indiana, can’t compare to what Breedlove and Green are adjusting to in the desert.

“It’s probably like 40 degrees in Indiana right now,” Breedlove said. “I got sick like a dog when I first got out here but really that’s it.”

Green had a different assessment of the weather in Indiana compared to Tempe.

“I went from negative six to 100 degrees,” Green said. “It’s football weather … look around, there’s not a cloud in the sky. It’s sunny every day. It’s amazing. It’s a blessing to be here.”

The pair found a new place to make sure they’re getting enough calories after practice as well.

“Zipps, it’s a little bar. I always go in there and get the wings… fire,” Breedlove said.

Green admitted he has joined his friend for the Zipps trips to indulge in the golden wings the sports bar and grill offers. Both said food is one of the best ways to bond with new teammates, and they’ve taken advantage of the Valley’s many options in that department.

Spring is a time for teammates to bond on and off the field. Dillingham has spoken at length about making sure the program remains competitive and not a one-hit wonder. For that to happen, the group of exciting transfers will need to become part of the familial culture Dillingham has built in Tempe.

So far, it seems to be working.

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