Kansas safety Lyrik Rawls talks ASU commitment
When losing two starting safeties, it was imperative for the Sun Devils to land a seasoned player at this role, and they did so by adding a player who spent his entire college career in the Big 12. 6-foot-1, 180-pound safety Lyrik Rawls spent three years at Oklahoma State before his lone season with the Jayhawks, committed to Arizona State today. He will arrive with one year of eligibility.
“I really liked the staff,” Rawls said. “They stayed on me, they are good people, and I just feel like they’ll help me get to the place where I’m trying to go to. They were great to talk to on the phone, and they were good when I was out there on my visit. They just stayed in the back of my mind, even when I went on other visits. I just feel like we had a lot of conversations to relate on, and it felt welcoming; it was just good vibes with them.
“I love the atmosphere and the scenery on my visit, the stadium…it was all nice to me. It was very different for a guy from the woods like me, from East Texas. I enjoyed playing at ASU (in 2023 as a member of the Cowboys), but it never crossed my mind when I went out there that I would play there. But on my visit, it just felt right that I could be there. Coach Kenny (Dillingham) is a good character, and was real himself. I mess with people who are real.”
The safety visited Tennessee following his trip to ASU and was planning to check out Clemson until he committed to Arizona State. He had a breakout season at Kansas last year, posting 72 total tackles, including 56 solo. He also broke up seven passes and logged one interception for the Jayhawks. According to Pro Football Focus, Rawls logged 632 snaps on defense for Kansas across 12 starts. He was targeted 31 times and gave up 20 receptions for 234 yards and did not allow a touchdown.
In his three-year career at Oklahoma State, he tallied at least 20 tackles in each of those seasons. To date in his college career, Rawls has registered 139 tackles (93 solo), 11 passes defended, a sack, one fumble recovery, and three interceptions. He is ranked as the No. 44 safety in the 2026 portal.
“The (ASU) coaches see me as someone who can bring leadership, be a captain on defense, bring communication, physicality, play the run, and have good range. I like this scheme because you’re in position to roam around and get to be a free hitter, and that’s something that I want to be able to do.
“I don’t feel any pressure at all. I feel like I just need to go out there, embrace who I am get to build relationships with my teammates. That’ll be my main focus this offseason, to be there for my brothers because I’m here for the same goal. Once I do that, then I can get rolling.”
