Arizona State Football Lands Top Dual-Threat QB Jake Fette, Headlining Elite 2026 Recruiting Class
In a major recruiting victory for Arizona State, four-star quarterback Jake Fette has reaffirmed his commitment to the Sun Devils, serving as the cornerstone of what ESPN now ranks as a top-10 recruiting class nationally for 2026 . Fette, a dual-threat playmaker from El Paso, Texas, committed to head coach Kenny Dillingham in September 2024 and has since become the highest-rated recruit in ASU’s class .
**Why Fette Chose Arizona State**
Fette, who threw for 2,488 yards and 31 touchdowns with just one interception as a junior, while adding 589 rushing yards and 11 scores, had offers from Ole Miss, Mississippi State, LSU, and Auburn before shutting down his recruitment . His decision came down to trust in Dillingham’s system and the program’s culture.
“Coach Dilly and the guys up there did a tremendous job this year and it just leads me to be more and more excited to be a Sun Devil,” Fette told On3 . He elaborated on what set Arizona State apart: “Really mainly the culture they base their program around. They don’t care how many stars you have or how many followers you have. They’re just looking for (someone) who loves the game and want to ball” .
Fette ranks as the No. 5 quarterback nationally according to On3 and is considered the future of the program once current starter Sam Leavitt departs .
**A Top-10 Class Taking Shape**
ESPN currently slots Arizona State at No. 9 nationally in its 2026 recruiting rankings, ahead of LSU and trailing only Kansas among Big 12 programs . The Sun Devils’ class features two ESPN 300 recruits—Fette and wide receiver Nalin Scott—alongside 14 total commits as of mid-October 2025 .
Kenny Dillingham “deftly pulled all the roster-building levers available to him as he rebuilt the Sun Devils back to national relevancy,” ESPN national recruiting analyst Craig Haubert noted .
**Key Commits Beyond Fette**
The Sun Devils’ offensive class includes four-star quarterback Jake Fette, along with three-star running back Cardae Mack from Humble, Texas, and a pair of three-star tight ends in Hayden Vercher (Thousand Oaks, California) and Landen Miree (Cincinnati, Ohio) .
Miree, who committed in July 2025, chose Arizona State over Florida State, Baylor, and Washington, citing “a path to playing time, the realness from the coaches and his family’s love of Tempe” as key factors .
On the defensive side, the Sun Devils have secured commitments from ESPN 300 defensive end Julian Hugo from Texas, along with a deep collection of defensive backs and linebackers .
**Texas Pipeline and Portal Success**
A notable trend in ASU’s recruiting is the program’s growing success in Texas—half of the 14 committed high school prospects hail from the Lone Star State . This Texas pipeline, combined with an aggressive transfer portal approach that has yielded over 20 additions for 2026, has positioned Arizona State as a consistent recruiting threat in the new-look Big 12 .
**Looking Ahead**
With the class already ranked among the nation’s best and several months remaining until National Signing Day, Dillingham and his staff have quickly capitalized on the momentum from the program’s 2024 Big 12 championship and College Football Playoff appearance . For Fette and the other commits, the message is clear: Arizona State is building for sustained success.
