11 ASU football players crack Phil Steele’s All-Big 12 teams

In a reminder that the 2025 Big 12 football season is just 64 days away, Steele has released his famous annual preseason All-Big 12 teams. He has placed 11 Arizona State Sun Devils across his four teams.

Both ASU wide receiver Jordyn Tyson and safety Xavion Alford finished last season as First Team All-Big 12 selections. Previewing this season, Steele has them on his preseason All-Big 12 First Team.

Tyson grabbed 75 passes last season for 1,101 receiving yards and 10 touchdowns. That touchdown number placed him tied for second in the conference.

As for Alford, he was a four-star recruit and the No. 15 safety recruit in the nation coming out of the 2020 class, and showcased that talent by being named to his first All-conference team of his career in 2024. He enters his sixth year of college football with experience and momentum.

ASU defensive tackle CJ Fite finished last season Second Team All-Big 12, and Steele has him on his preseason All-Big 12 Second Team. Fite will play his third year in ASU defensive coordinator Brian Ward’s system, as Fite has been with the team ever since he came out of high school in 2023.

Steele believes in Sun Devil cornerback Keith Abney II taking a leap, as he, too, was placed on Steele’s All-Big 12 Second Team. Abney’s nine passes defended last season were tied for fourth in the Big 12.

Four ASU players take spots on Steele’s preseason All-Big 12 Third Team. One is starting quarterback Sam Leavitt. Leavitt finished 2024 as the All-Big 12 Second Team quarterback selection, but slots in as Steele’s third choice for his 2025 preview.

Leavitt scored 29 total touchdowns (five rushing) last season with six interceptions, and averaged 8.2 yards per pass attempt. His 8.8 adjusted yards per pass attempt placed third in the conference. 2024 was his first season in Tempe.

ASU center Ben Coleman was also named to Steele’s preseason All-Big 12 Third Team, after not allowing a sack last season. Playing guard last year, he posted an 89.6 pass-blocking grade, which ranked sixth among all players in the FBS who had 250 pass blocks or more.

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Linebacker Keyshaun Elliott was on Steele’s All-Big 12 Third Team after he finished a bit better in 2024, finishing the season with a spot on the All-Big 12 Second Team. Elliott spent his first year with the Sun Devils last season after totaling 111 tackles at New Mexico State in 2023 with 10 tackles for loss.

On Steele’s All-Big 12 Fourth Team, transfer running back Kanye Udoh finds a spot as he joins ASU for his first season in Tempe. Udoh spent his first three seasons with Army, and ran for 1,117 yards via a 6.2 yards per carry clip last season. He scored 10 touchdowns.

ASU defensive end Clayton Smith finds himself on Steele’s All-Big 12 Fourth Team, as he looks to reach the ceiling he showed at Texas High as a four-star Oklahoma signee and the No. 50 overall recruit nationally in the 2021 class.

New ASU transfer kicker Jesus Gomez was a special teams selection for Steele’s All-Big 12 Fourth Team, as the Eastern Michigan transfer made a career-high 20 field goals last season.

These preseason selections are not the official conference media preseason selections to be named next month, but give a glimpse into many players who will be under consideration.

All recruiting rankings and ratings are from 247Sports.