Arizona State lands former 5-star recruit in transfer portal

Kenny Dillingham got a big-time player to shore up the Sun Devils' secondary
Purdue Boilermakers defensive back Nyland Green (2) is transferring to Arizona State.
Purdue Boilermakers defensive back Nyland Green (2) is transferring to Arizona State. / Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images

Arizona State head coach Kenny Dillingham had some tough spots to fill after taking the biggest hit to his secondary during the winter transfer portal window.

ASU lost four defensive backs to the portal in the last month — two cornerbacks and two safeties.

The Sun Devils took crushing gut punches at safety, losing redshirt sophomore Kamari Wilson to Memphis and multifaceted sophomore defensive back Cole Martin to UCLA. At corner, the Sun Devils had to wave goodbye to junior cornerback Laterrance "LT" Welch — who dissapointedly was removed from the team due to violating team rules after being snatched from LSU in the portal in 2023 — and new Buffalo signee Keontez Bradley.

Dillingham and the Sun Devils filled the safety void with experienced redshirt freshman Adrian "Boogie" Wilson out of Washington State in December. Dillingham is hoping ASU's latest commitment takes care of the cornerback absences.

Former Purdue redshirt junior cornerbacks Kyndrich Breedlove and Nyland Green committed to Arizona State on Monday.

Breedlove and Green are two of 12 transfer commitments during the winter transfer portal window, locking in with the Sun Devils the same day as former Alabama redshirt freshman wide receiver Jaren Hamilton.

Neither corner is a stranger to the portal. Green is working on his second transfer, signing to Georgia as one of the most coveted high school prospects of this decade as the No. 2 overall CB in the country in the class of 2020, according to 247sports composite rankings. Arizona State is school No. 4 for Breedlove, signing to Ole Miss as a three-star prospect in 2021 before bouncing to Colorado and Purdue.

Breedlove was named the Boilermakers starting corner in the beginning of the season. He was one of the few memorable components of Purdue's 1-11 season.

The more productive of the two former Purdue defensive backs, Breedlove had a career year, snatching down three interceptions to go along with 40 tackles and four pass deflections. He transferred to Purdue from Colorado after recording 12 tackles and a forced fumble in his single-season as a Buffalo. He played 10 games at Ole Miss from 2021-2022 prior to his stint in Boulder, appearing in 10 games, nine of which were in his freshman season. He made one tackle as a Rebel.

Green initially signed with Georgia after high school before transferring to Purdue in Decemeber 2023. The redshirt junior had his most productive season to date, posting 23 tackles, five pass deflections, two sacks and a forced fumble this year before entering the portal for a second time. His first trip in the portal was preceded by 13 tackles and two pass deflections during his four years as a Bulldog.

The redshirt juniors mark the sixth and seventh Power 4 signings for the Sun Devils this winter alongside Hamilton, sophomore tight end Khamari Anderson (Kentucky) and redshirt freshmen defensive lineman My'Keil Garner (Oregon), offensive lineman Xander Ruggerroli (Nebraska) and wide receiver Noble Johnson (Clemson). Boogie Wilson's pledge out of Washington State could even be considered amongst the group, signing to the Cougars before they were one of the last two standing members of the debunked PAC-12.

With or without counting their safety signing, the Sun Devils have clearly retired the notion that the Big 12 can't compete with the other Power 4 schools and has turned ASU into a hotspot for some of those other conferences' forgotten soldiers and shining stars who are looking for bigger and better opportunity.

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Jordyn Bennett
JORDYN BENNETT

Jordyn Bennett is a staff reporter for Arizona State On SI.