Red, White and Blue week is officially here as Arizona State visits College Station to take on Texas A&M .
With only one week in the books for both programs, the Sun Devils are riding into Week 2 with high hopes and expectations to pull off an upset. They have a solid weekend with a victory over Morgan State and will face their first tough test on the schedule.
For head coach Kenny Dillingham to walk out of Kyle Field with a victory, the key will be creating turnovers and punishing head coach Mike Elko 's defense, which opens the window for the offense to be more in sync. These three star players must show up, though, or it could turn out to be a runaway by the Aggies.
Sep 5, 2026; Tempe, Arizona, USA; Arizona State Sun Devils wide receiver Omarion Miller (4) in action against the Morgan State Bears during the first half at Mountain America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Arguably Arizona State's best wide receiver on the roster is Omarion Miller, who appears to be the most NFL-ready. In his three seasons, he has appeared in 27 games and wrapped up his time with Colorado by piling up 66 receptions for 1,258 yards and 120 touchdowns.
There is going to be plenty of production when he steps on the field and is going to test A&M's best stars in the secondary, like Marcus Ratcliffe and Dalton Brooks. Don't blink because he has lightning speed and explosiveness that can change a game in the blink of an eye.
He is a good vertical route-runner and has a notable catch radius that will challenge defensive coordinator Lyle Hemphill's defense. Yards after catch will be something to circle in on as he makes programs pay after the ball gets in his hands, so watch out for No. 4.
The 6-foot-2 senior out of Tatum, Texas, could have a breakout season. CJ Fite is possibly the best defensive player that Dillingham has out on the field. His presence fuels the defense and fires everyone around him up. He is one of the anchors of the group and is pretty disruptive to offenses.
One of the things Arizona State would like to see from him is help shutting down A&M's run game, since one of his strengths is stopping the run with his leverage. With four out of the five offensive linemen new for A&M, someone is going to need to step up and locate where he is, and might even have to work to double-team him because he is a tackling machine that is predicted to be one of the top 100 picks.
All three of his years playing football have been in Tempe, Arizona, where he has developed and elevated his game. He's logged 74 total tackles, 40 solo tackles, 34 assists, along with three sacks and passes defended. He impacts the game and will attempt to apply pressure on quarterback Marcel Reed.
Arizona State Sun Devils quarterback Cutter Boley (8) drops back to pass against the Morgan State Bears during the second half at Mountain America Stadium. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
After spending a few years with Kentucky, Cutter Boley elected to transfer to Arizona State. In two years in Lexington, Boley recorded 224 completions on 354 attempts for 2,498 yards. He finished up there with a 63.3 completion percentage and an average of 7.1 yards.
The junior hopes to leap after his year with the Wildcats, improving the Sun Devils' offense and getting them back to the College Football Playoff. One of his strengths is his arm strength, as he loves to throw the deep ball and connect with his wide receivers, even in tight windows.
One thing to watch is how he operates in this new system. He is known to operate in a good amount of play action, so the Aggies are going to need to be prepared for that. Although he is not the most dual-threat quarterback out there, he will use his legs and tuck and run the football, which is sneaky about his game, so monitor that throughout this matchup.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com/college/tamu as 3 Arizona State Players To Watch For Against Texas A&M .
