PAYSON — No one can accuse Adrian "Boogie" Wilson of not being tough.
Last season, it seemed like at least once a game, the senior safety would remain down after a play, eventually heading to the sideline clutching his shoulder. Moments later, once the shoulder had been popped back into place, he would be back in the game. Anything to not have to sit on the sideline permanently.
The 6-foot, 215-pound senior emerged as one of the stars of the defense in 2025, finishing fourth on the team with 57 tackles in 12 games despite having to play through pain. He had surgery on his right shoulder on Dec. 4, which prevented him from playing in the Sun Bowl against ACC champion Duke. While he would have liked to have played in that one too, he wanted to have his right shoulder repaired
as soon as possible so he could start preparing for the 2026 campaign.
He missed spring drills while recovering from surgery.
"It hurt a lot," Wilson said. "I can't lie, it was pretty painful at times, but I wanted to be able to play. Once they popped it back in, it felt better, and I was ready to go. I just never knew when it was going to happen. I just love the game, and I wanted to play."
David Gibbs, who coaches ASU safeties this season after working on offense the previous two seasons, singles out Wilson as one of the more physical players in the unit. Being a physical player means he sometimes takes as much punishment as he dishes out.
Gibbs says Wilson is also one of the spirited leaders of his group.
"He's played a lot of football," Gibbs said. "He's definitely one of those guys the others look up to. You can tell how much he wants to be out there because of the way he kept hanging in there when he was hurt. That's a difficult thing to play through."
That Dec. 4 procedure was actually Wilson's second similar procedure. He underwent surgery for a torn labrum in the left shoulder after the 2024 campaign, his second season at Washington State. The procedure meant he had to miss spring drills after transferring to ASU.
Wilson, who hails from Dallas, looked like he would be a serviceable backup to veteran starter Xavion Alford, but Alford played only two games before being sidelined with a back injury. At the time, ASU hoped to get Alford back at some point in the season. That never happened, so Wilson held down the spot the rest of the season, starting the last nine of the regular season.
In addition to his 57 tackles in 2025, he had an interception, six pass breakups, a quarterback hurry, one forced fumble, and one fumble recovery. His season-high of eight tackles came in the 27-24 win at Baylor in the Big 12 opener. His fumble recovery also came in that game on Baylor's opening possession.
Wilson, now 21, said that while he might have been penciled in as a backup going into the season, he was physically and mentally preparing himself for a leading role, something head coach Kenny Dillingham has always preached.
"They always say prepare like you're the starter before you become the starter, so for me coming in here it was always knowing that I could be the guy, and it was just a matter of time for me. I was always prepared," he said.
Wilson is part of a new-look ASU secondary. The only other veteran is senior Montana Warren, who is one of the few players on the entire team in their fourth year in the program. Warren can play multiple spots in the back end of the defense. Kansas transfer Lyrik Rawls appears to be the favorite to start at the safety spot opposite Wilson.
ASU will have new starters at the corner positions, with Keith Abney off to the NFL and Javan Robinson transferring. Newcomer Ashton Stamps, a transfer from LSU, and Rodney Bimage, who saw time in a reserve capacity, look to be the favorites for those spots.
Wilson says this week's festivities at Camp Tontozona will provide much-needed get-to-know-you time for the group. The team held its first practice at the historic wooded venue outside of Payson on Aug. 12.
"A lot of people have never been camping; it depends where you're from," Wilson said. "It's an amazing chance to bond outside of being together when we're practicing at home. This will help us deepen our connection. We all contribute. We all play a part in buying in, working hard, the piece we play in the puzzle. It's a matter of putting it together."
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Shoulder surgeries have Arizona State's Adrian Wilson healthy for 2026
