Maximizing his opportunities made Malik McClain prepared for an increased role

On New Year’s Day, Arizona State matched up against Texas in the Peach Bowl of the College Football Playoff quarterfinals in Atlanta. The blockbuster game ended in a heartbreaking double overtime 39-31 defeat for the Sun Devils; however, they wouldn’t have been able to tie up the game in regulation without the help of major playmakers. 

ASU trailed 24-8 with just under seven minutes to play, and no touchdowns on the board. The team looked like a side outclassed by its SEC counterparts and didn’t have any chance to move on. From the Longhorns’ 42 line, the Sun Devils faced 4th-and-2. All-American running back Cam Skattebo was lined up to receive what is normally a routine handoff to keep the drive alive. 

Offensive Coordinator Marcus Arroyo instead called an unforgettable play. 

Skattebo caught the pitch from Leavitt and lofted a pass to redshirt senior wide receiver Malik McClain, who was darting downfield instead of blocking. McClain cut inside on the post route and caught the touchdown pass that ignited a fourth-quarter comeback from ASU with just 6:31 to play. Skattebo’s throwing the TD was a surprise to the millions of viewers who caught the action live; however, McClain being the recipient of just his second completion of the year with the Sun Devils is perhaps even more outstanding. 

Skattebo caught the pitch from Leavitt and lofted a pass to redshirt senior wide receiver Malik McClain, who was darting downfield instead of blocking. McClain cut inside on the post route and caught the touchdown pass that ignited a fourth-quarter comeback from ASU with just 6:31 to play. Skattebo’s throwing the TD was a surprise to the millions of viewers who caught the action live; however, McClain being the recipient of just his second completion of the year is perhaps even more outstanding. 

McClain caught just two passes in all of 2024, both of which came in postseason games. He registered a 43-yard completion against Iowa State in the Big 12 Championship game, giving him 85 yards on the season. 

McClain spent the majority of the season on the sidelines, playing in just six games and four regular-season contests to maintain his redshirt status after transferring to the Sun Devils post-spring, which meant he had some catching up to do, it was decided between McClain and the coaching staff that he would aim to retain eligibility for the upcoming 2025 season. 

“I think I learned a lot just sitting back and looking at everything last year,” McClain noted. “I wasn’t in there physically, but I was in there mentally. So I think that helped me with my mental side of the game. Just preparing for this season of knowing what I gotta do on my mental side of the field.” 

The decision to redshirt McClain wasn’t a difficult one, considering the long-term aspirations for himself and the rest of the team. 

“I had some stuff going on myself, so it was just really giving myself a chance,” McClain noted on how redshirting helped him. 

For many beyond their freshman season, redshirting can appear as a frustrating or disappointing blip in a collegiate athlete’s career, often driven by injuries or the lack of necessity for their services from the coaching staff. For McClain, those age-old adversaries didn’t stop him from impacting the game when he was needed. 

He was called upon in the postseason after junior wide receiver Jordyn Tyson went down with a collarbone injury against Arizona on the final gameday of the regular season, opening up space for McClain to slide in and make an impact. 

For McClain, his role heading into 2025 is much more defined. Over the course of fall camp, he almost exclusively practiced with the first team, making it clear his role with the Sun Devils will see him spending more time on the gridiron.

McClain’s been able to work with wide receivers coach Hines Ward over the last 12 months to continue sharpening his skills as a receiver. Mastering the basics has been the niche for McClain’s growth, starting with his ability to track the football when making grabs.

“Getting confidence, tracking the ball, and stuff like that,” McClain said. “I think that I have gotten better, the tennis ball machine I’ve been on it, just going ball-to-hand, ball-to-hand.

Tremendous. I think being here for this year, being with Hines, I’ve worked on things I haven’t worked on with any other coach. I’ve done catching drills with him, he’s taught me coverages, like I’m starting to just get the feel for just football one-on-one, the basics, and that’s my foundation.”

Building on his personal foundation, McClain has also taken on a more significant leadership role within the Sun Devil cast. He’s now the longest tenured wide receiver in the locker room, with previous stops at Florida State and Penn State. With his experience, McClain can lead by example for younger teammates. 

“I kind of focus on me,” McClain said. “If I’m doing my part and I’m putting it in, I’m studying, you know, I’m watching extra film, I’m getting extra treatment. That’s my role, being an example, just for myself, but if somebody else wants to follow the lead. 

“Everybody has their own personality … it’s just getting used to it, you know, connected with guys on a different level, it’s all different, so you know you got to approach it differently.”

McClain’s college career, barring 2024, has been steady for a multitude of reasons. He averaged the exact amount of yards per game during his two years with the Seminoles at 15.8. Posting 190 yards and 206 yards in his true freshman and sophomore years. For all three years of his career before coming to ASU, he posted roughly 12 yards per catch, bouncing between 11.8-12.1. 

In his preparation for the season and into the year, McClain aims to be consistent in his improvement and development as well. 

“From spring. I think we’ve been just getting better and better and better at every camp,” McClain noted. “So our niche is really getting better throughout the season as well. So that’s literally 12 months of just getting better every month. So by the time we get to our last game, we’ve actually been getting better during the season.” 

McClain’s journey has seen him suit up for some of the most notable programs in college football. In all three destinations, he’s found ways to make an impact on the game and his team. The difference for McClain now, however, can be attributed to his teammates and the culture he’s embraced at ASU. Since he’s arrived, McClain has had no problem fitting into the locker room in Tempe, and with his improved role as a leader, the bond with his teammates will only strengthen his performance this year. 

“It’s the guys, they’re a real family,” McClain added. “From day one, literally day one, it’s always been here. The First two people I met were Jeff (Sims) or Chamon (Metayer). We connected just like that, like, off the bat. So, you know, they’re my guys, and it’s just, I met the whole team, and it was just our family.”