In Tyson's absence ASU wideouts keep producing breakout performances

Through the first three weeks of the season, ASU had a good problem, the kind most programs would love to have, but still a problem. The offense had become completely dependent on junior star wide receiver Jordyn Tyson.

Tyson commanded a massive 43% target share, including 17 passes thrown his way in week 1. After Cam Skattebo’s departure, it was obvious who the offense would run through. Yet even after bringing in three receivers from the portal and expecting redshirt senior Malik McClain to take a step forward, none of them factored into the offense in any meaningful way.

When asked if ASU needed to spread the ball around, head coach Kenny Dillingham and offensive coordinator Marcus Arroyo laughed off the idea. Why force the issue when Tyson was catching everything?

“I think the wide receiver room is in a really good place,” Dillingham said after Tyson’s week 1 performance. “At the same time, when you have Jordyn Tyson, if a team is not going to take him away, would you not be a fool to avoid throwing him the ball?”

“What did you expect?” Arroyo said with a smile.

The lighthearted tone faded once the injuries hit. ASU has now been without both Tyson and sophomore quarterback Sam Leavitt for multiple weeks, stripping away an offense that once revolved around the idea that either one could take over on any given night.

The absence forced evolution, and that evolution has taken hold. Tyson’s injury may have become a hidden blessing for a receiving room that has grown steadily, with a new playmaker emerging nearly every week. On Saturday, it was redshirt sophomore Derek Eusebio who stepped forward, finishing with six catches for 74 yards and a touchdown. His breakout continued the upward rise of ASU’s pass catchers and helped secure a gritty 25 to 23 win over West Virginia.

“To see Eusebio play like that is pretty fun,” Dillingham remarked. “Six receptions, 74 yards, and a touchdown. It’s cool to see everybody getting involved right now, in some way, shape, or form.”

It has taken time, but the transformation of the wide receiver room has been dramatic. Early in the season, life without Tyson seemed like a recipe for offensive collapse. On Saturday, the ball flowed freely across the field, and the passing game barely flinched without the future NFL talent.

The growth has been unmistakable. Whether it was sophomore wide receiver Jaren Hamilton’s early-season “almosts” before his 101-yard breakout at Texas Tech, McClain’s early drops, penalties, and frustration before his seven-catch, 159-yard explosion against Houston, or redshirt junior wide receiver Jalen Moss missing time before posting back-to-back games of more than 40 yards, the group has matured into a deep, dependable unit.

And their chemistry with redshirt junior quarterback Jeff Sims has been years in the making. Sims spent the early portion of this season practicing with Hamilton, Moss, and Eusebio on the second team, and last year sharing second-team reps with McClain. The relationships built in those quieter moments have carried onto the field.

“I feel like after practice, I spent a lot of time with multiple guys,” Sims pointed out. “Just going through the reads, going through the progressions, and the plays Coach Marcus Arroyo is calling. You’ve got to get the ball to your playmakers and let them do what they do.”

On Saturday, that trust showed most with Eusebio. His early-season highlight—a two-catch, 78-yard showing at Baylor fueled by a 61-yard strike from Leavitt—had yet to translate into consistency. From the opening drives against West Virginia, however, Sims looked his way with confidence.

ASU scored 22 of its 25 points in the second quarter, and Eusebio was woven into nearly every meaningful sequence. After Sims led an early touchdown drive, a short punt gifted ASU prime field position. On consecutive plays, Sims hit Eusebio for a 12-yard completion, then found him again on the left side for a screen. The former walk-on slipped a tackle, cut past two defenders, and sprinted in for a 19-yard score, the second touchdown of his career.

“It was amazing seeing Derek go out there and score,” Sims exclaimed. “He and I came here last year during camp. This year, during camp, we were with the twos, and it was just me and him, so coming out here and throwing him the touchdown, it was amazing to see that.”

His six catches and 74 yards were both team highs and marked the best day of his ASU career. Remarkably, his breakout continued a streak of four straight weeks in which an ASU pass catcher posted a new career high. Hamilton did it against Texas Tech. McClain followed against Houston. Chamon Metayer matched the trend with 68 yards against Iowa State last week. Eusebio kept the streak alive.

McClain and Moss also played meaningful roles, combining for 78 receiving yards on five catches. Moss led the pair with three grabs for 41 yards. On ASU’s first scoring drive, Sims hit McClain for 24 yards on third-and-eight. Moments later, Sims converted another third-and-eight, this time finding Moss for 25 yards before Metayer capped the series with his own touchdown.

Early in the fall, if Leavitt wasn’t firing three balls to Tyson every drive, the offense struggled to function. Now Sims spreads the ball to anyone who gets open, and every week another receiver steps into the light.

ASU threw just seven times in the second half, scoring only three points, but the first half told the bigger story: this passing game no longer depends on one superstar. It has evolved into something far more balanced, unpredictable, and sustainable.

Each receiver in this core has a story, and none were handed anything. Eusebio’s journey from walk-on to breakout star, McClain’s five-year path to consistent starter—it’s all part of a group that has grown and blossomed just when ASU needed it most.

“A lot of those guys have been counted out,” Dillingham claimed. “Told they’re not good enough, that they can’t play quarterback, laughed at, told they can’t play Division I wideout. Whatever it is, a lot of guys on our team have been told no. They haven’t been praised. That’s why we win close games—they like each other. They’re a brotherhood. Those guys want to win so badly. There’s a will to win, a will to compete, and they find a way.”