Arizona State defense gets stronger via the portal
The Arizona State Sun Devils have picked up four defensive players via the transfer portal in sophomore defensive back Laterrance Welch from LSU, junior defensive end Justin Wodtly from Cincinnati, freshman defensive lineman J.P. Deeter from Purdue, and sophomore linebacker Jordan Crook from Arkansas.
Starting with Welch, he committed to LSU as a 4-star cornerback out of Acadiana High School in Lafayette, LA as part of their 2022 class. He had a 5.9 Rivals rating. During the past two seasons, he played in 22 games, totaling 13 tackles (8 solo), 0.5 tackles for loss, and one pass deflection. He just didn’t become the player LSU was hoping he’d be and rather than play even less next year, he’s hoping a fresh start at Arizona State will do him some good. He’s got a lot of talent to work with.
As for Wodtly, he committed to Cincinnati as a 3-star strongside defensive end out of Cleveland Heights High School in Cleveland, Ohio as part of their 2020 class. He had a 5.7 Rivals rating. In four seasons at Cincinnati he played in 26 games, totaling 46 tackles (20 solo), 7.0 tackles for loss, 4.0 sacks, and two pass deflections. His most productive season was 2022 in which he played in 13 games, going for 31 total tackles (14 solo), 4.5 tackles for loss, 3.0 sacks, and one pass deflection. He’s been a productive player and should bring a solid presence to the Sun Devils’ defense.
Moving on to Deeter, he committed to Purdue as a 3-star strongside defensive end out of Manvel, TX as part of their 2022 class. He had a 5.5 Rivals rating. Deeter did not record any stats in either of his two seasons at Purdue, redshirting his freshman season. He’s a guy who clearly needs a new start somewhere and maybe Arizona State will be the right spot for him.
Ending with Crook, he committed to Arkansas as a 3-star inside linebacker from Duncanville, TX as part of their 2022 class. He had a 5.7 Rivals rating. In two seasons with the Razorbacks, he played in 25 games, totaling 40 tackles (16 solo), 1.5 tackles for loss, and 1.0 sack. This past season he had 28 total tackles (8 solo), 1.0 tackles for loss, and 1.0 sack. He definitely took a step forward his sophomore year and should have an even better junior season in a Sun Devils uniform.
For Arizona State, all four of these additions are solid. Welch came in with the highest ranking out of high school while Wodtly has been the most productive. For a school that was looking to address some defensive needs in the portal, I think the Sun Devils have done a nice job of doing so. It’ll be interesting to see how all four of these guys do next season as the Sun Devils begin their Big XII era.
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