During the offseason, in spring and fall camp, the buzz was that Arizona State's 2026 freshman class was shaping up to be a good one. Coaches repeatedly offered praise for the group, which includes quarterback Jake Fette, running back Cardae Mack, defensive end Julian Hugo and cornerback Daquwan Dunn.
Even before this group lined up for a single snap, coach Kenny Dillingham said it was likely to see playing time.
“There’s young guys who are going to play,” Dillingham said on July 29. “Like, they’re going to play. They’re competing to be starters, in the two-deep. Definitely going to play special teams, especially with the new redshirt rule.
“There’s a bunch of young guys who have a real chance to play for us this year more than we had in the past.
This will be our most plug-and-play freshman (class) we’ve ever had.”
So far, halfway through the season, that buzz has become warranted, and, beginning with a big road test against No. 10 Texas Tech on Saturday, Oct. 17, ASU will need that spark.
The coaches were so eager to get Fette on the field that he even saw some action in the season-opening 70-7 win over Morgan State. Fette hasn’t played since, but remains an integral piece for ASU’s future.
Dunn might be the team’s best cornerback when it comes to zone coverage, having played in four out of the five games for a total of 64 snaps. And Mack and Hugo are coming off their best games yet as Sun Devils.
Mack ran the ball 13 times for 154 yards and two touchdowns in the 30-12 win over Hawaii on Oct. 10, including a long 67-yard score that provided a much-needed jolt to a running game. It is the best rushing game from an ASU player this season.
“It is awesome to see a guy like him have the game he had, and he challenged himself,” offensive coordinator Marcus Arroyo said. “That's a spark that you lean on. I can feel it as a play caller."
Quarterback Cutter Boley said he’s looking forward to playing with Mack more. Dillingham mentioned after the Hawai'i game that Mack would see more touches moving forward.
With Mack already operating as the team’s second running back, more carries puts him into starter territory. Mack has played 64 snaps so far this season.
“I threw him a little floating rail route on the right side, and he dropped it and came back right over to me like, 'I promise I'm gonna get you back.' Next play, he runs like three dudes over and gets like 16 yards,” Boley said. “I love that more than anything. He’s a dog. He’s got a great mentality.”
Mack has also seen time as a Wild Cat quarterback, given his time stemming from playing quarterback in high school in Texas. That has helped speed up his development and comfort with the offense, which Mack says is already a 10 out of 10.
“I feel like my expectations for myself (were) just to do my job, do what the coaches wanted me to do, and I feel right now, yes, I am doing that, but I can do more,” said Mack.
Hugo had two sacks, the first two of his career, against Hawaii.
His first sack, on third and 21 to force a long Hawaii field goal — that was missed — swung the game for ASU.
“I feel really amazing,” Hugo said. “My whole family came out, my family from Cali and my first family from Texas, they came out. It was a really big moment for me to do that in front of them.”
Hugo, who has played 74 snaps this season, will likely see even more playing time.
After the first sack, Hugo exploded with emotion. It was a boisterous moment, something that has not been seen much from this year’s ASU team.
Introduce yourself to Tempe, Julian Hugo!
— Jakob Brooks (@Jakobrooks) October 11, 2026
One of ASU’s most highly regarded true freshman defenders in recent memory records his first career sack to push Hawaii out of the red zone and force a missed FG. Hugo was HYPE afterwards 💥@SunDevilSource pic.twitter.com/3EhwFv7Wiy
In his weekly Monday press conference with local media, Dillingham made sure to single out how Hugo and Mack gave the team a spark. Both of them appreciated Dillingham’s comments.
“Just grateful,” Mack said. “I mean, honestly, it's just wanting to be here. Everybody got to want to be here and everybody gotta show that. And we're young. Just for us to bring that shows a lot.”
Hugo added: “Me showing passion, me and Cardae showing it early, I feel like it's just great.”
The two of them could be the “juice” that ASU needs this season.
In years past, the Sun Devils have leaned on several players for an emotional spark such as Cam Skattebo, Jordan Crook, Justin Wodtly, Jacob Kongaika and Xavion Alford. There is no way to quantify “juice” in the box score, but there’s no denying that playing with emotion and energy has an impact on games.
“Energy feeds off itself,” defensive coordinator Brian Ward said. “When you have that kind of energy, it’s contagious.”
Logan Stanley is a sports reporter with The Arizona Republic who primarily focuses on high school, college and Olympic sports. To suggest ideas for human-interest stories and other news, reach out to Stanley at logan.stanley@usatodayco.com or 707-293-7650. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter: @RLSscribe.
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: How ASU football's hyped freshmen are delivering as Texas Tech looms
