Original Publish Date: July 8, 2025
Article Link: https://www.star-telegram.com/sports/college/big-12/article310249005.html
Redshirt junior Jordyn Tyson recorded more than 1,100 passing yards and 10 touchdowns for the Arizona State Sun Devils in the 2024 season.
This year, however, the Allen, Texas, native says this is the best he’s felt entering a football season.
Tyson attended Big 12 Media Day on Tuesday at The Star and discussed his offseason preparations and the preseason expectations for Arizona State this upcoming season.
Tyson mentioned that he spent this offseason trying to improve his physical composition.
“I’ve just been going hard as possible,” Tyson said. “Right now it’s really grind time so I’ve been grinding. The 10 pounds I put on, it wasn’t a bad 10. It was all muscle. I still have 5.5 body fat percentage. I’m still pretty slim, so it was all good weight and good speed.”
Tyson says the extra muscle helped to improve his confidence heading into this season.
“Especially the first half of the season,” Tyson said. “I don’t think I played too well. Like, even watching it and going back and watching the film, I don’t think I played up to my standard at all. The back half, I kind of picked it up, but I think this year I’m going to be a way better player.”
Familiarity is meaningful Tyson also mentioned familiarity with his quarterback, Sam Leavitt, and the coaching staff as a positive.
“This is the first time in my life I’ve had the same coordinator back-to-back years,” Tyson said. “This is the first time I’ve had the same quarterback back-to-back years. This is the first time I’ve had. the same head coach back-to-back years. So just having that, I think, the sky’s the limit.”
Despite the surrounding hype around the Tyson-Leavitt duo that poised to be one of the best in college football this upcoming season, Tyson still believes that he and the rest of the offense has something to prove.
“I don’t think we reached our goals last year, did we,” Tyson asked as he turned to fellow teammate Xavion Alford. “We ain’t win the natty, so I think we definitely got something to prove.”
Leavitt talked about the potential for Tyson heading into this season.
“This season’s going to be special,” Leavitt says. “People see all the stuff he does from a physical standpoint. His body control, the way he catches the ball, but they don’t understand the way that he feels out space. He’s really good in the option game, so the way he goes about the process and the way that he views everything is pretty special. And you add that with his physical traits, it makes a pretty special player.”
Leavitt says the growth he’s seen from his fellow teammate has been more than just the tangibles.
“The way he’s went about his process from a standpoint of not only on the field but as a person,” Leavitt says. “That’s helped him as a player as well because he’s a professional. He’s showing up to meetings ready to go. His hair’s not looking all sloppy in the morning anymore. Didn’t just run out of bed. Sets a precedent, things along those lines that are just going to help you to become pro and you understand that now, and he’s continuously progressing.”
Tyson, who achieved success on the high school gridiron just over an hour northeast of Fort Worth at Allen High School. Tyson finished his senior season with the Eagles with 1,294 total receiving yards and 12 touchdowns, averaging over 92 yards per game.
Tyson credits his coach there for giving him a “head start” in terms of adapting to the game at the collegiate level.
“I had a good coach there,” Allen said. “His name was Chad Morris. He was a head coach in college. He was an OC in college, so he definitely prepared me for a lot of the stuff I’m seeing in college.”
Tyson and the defending Big 12 champion Sun Devils open the 2025 season against the University of Northern Arizona in Tempe on Saturday, Aug. 30.