Week two of fall camp is in the books for the Arizona State football team. The past week was spent at Camp Tontozona, with festivities wrapping up with a morning scrimmage.
No formal crowd count is kept, but all close to the program say the turnout far exceeded any in recent memory. Spectators were let in at 6 a.m., three hours before the scrimmage started. Cars were already parked along the road at 6:15 a.m.
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The team will resume workouts on campus Aug. 11.
Here are a few things we learned from the week spent outside of Payson:
Clayton Smith is poised for a breakout season
The senior end has been the most impressive performer on defense, and that is saying a lot. Smith has added 10 or so pounds to a 6-foot-5 frame and has gotten faster as well.
Smith played in all 14 games, starting 12 last season. He recorded 33 tackles, six tackles for a loss, 4.5 sacks, four pass breakups, 12 quarterback hurries, recovered a fumble and forced another.
Arizona State defensive linemen Clayton Smith (10) and Albert Smith III (3) run a drill during the first day of fall practice in Tempe, Ariz. on July 30, 2025.
Perhaps the biggest area in need of improvement for ASU is the pass rush, and this is right up Smith’s alley. He knows that getting to the quarterback is a priority and has said that last year the Sun Devils got to the quarterback but did not do a good job of bringing them down.
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Wide receiver position is loaded
Everyone knows about junior Jordyn Tyson, who could be the first wide receiver in the next draft, according to some projections, but not much was known about the others competing for playing time. This was the position group that had the most turnover and questions heading into the spring.
Now two weeks into fall camp, it looks like there is more talent at this position than there was a year ago. Two transfers are part of the rebuild, Jaren Hamilton (Alabama) and Jalen Moss (Fresno State). Hamilton has game-breaking speed, thus his nickname, “Turbo.” He caught a 27-yard touchdown pass from Sam Leavitt to wrap up the scrimmage Aug. 9 at Camp Tontozona.
ASU receiver Jaren Hamilton (16) catches a pass as defensive back Rodney Bimage Jr. (0) defends during the team’s first day of practice at Camp Tontozona on Aug. 6, 2025.
The other player that easily factors in here is 6-4 Malik McClain, who redshirted last season but turned in a big catch in each of the last two games of the season when Tyson was sidelined with a broken collarbone.
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Defense is game-ready
The defense has 11 starters back, in addition to most of those who filled out the two-deep, so much is expected. The defense dominated the Camp Tontozona scrimmage. It wasn’t until late that the offense found the end zone.
The biggest standouts on the line have been Smith, C.J. Fite, and Justin Wodtly, with Jordan Crook and Keyshaun Elliott leading the linebackers and Xavion Alford the secondary.
ASU defensive lineman Justin Wodtly (95) returns a fumble for a touchdown against Wyoming during a game at Sun Devil Stadium in Tempe on Aug. 31, 2024.
The one position battle on defense is at nickel, where Purdue transfer Kyndrich Breedlove and returning reserve Montana Warren are fighting for the slot vacated by Shamari Simmons.
Jeff Sims is a solid backup option
This time last year, Jeff Sims was fighting for the starter job and he was already at a disadvantage because he didn’t arrive until the late summer, so he didn’t have the benefit of working through the offense during spring drills.
Arizona State quarterback Jeff Sims (2) fakes a hand-off during the first day of fall practice in Tempe, Ariz. on July 30, 2025.
It was Leavitt winning the job, but Sims served all season as the backup and was indeed pressed into service when Leavitt had to miss the Cincinnati game with fractured ribs.
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Sims opted to play his final season of eligibility here, even knowing Leavitt was going to be the starter, which is important because it would have been hard for Dillingham to go in and get another quarterback when the starting spot had already been decided.
Sims has had some stellar moments already in fall camp and looked more comfortable. He and Leavitt are close, and those around Leavitt have credited Sims for being a model teammate and helping others in the room.
Injury situation
Injuries can happen when you’re playing a full-tackle scrimmage, and the Sun Devils have had players injured in past seasons when they were conducting one. So far, ASU has been fortunate to escape anything serious.
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Tyson, McClain and tight end Chamon Metayer were held out of the scrimmage, but Dillingham said all their ailments were “minor” and they’re just proceeding with caution.
Redshirt freshman Plas Johnson is lost for the season, having suffered a torn ACL in the spring, but he has been the lone casualty. He likely would not have seen time in the secondary because of the veterans ahead of him, but he probably would have been a big contributor on special teams.
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: What we learned from ASU football team’s trip to Camp Tontozona
