ASU’s Jordyn Tyson out for Big 12 title game due to injury

TEMPE — Arizona State star receiver Jordyn Tyson will not play in the Big 12 title game due to an unspecified injury suffered during the second half of Saturday’s 49-7 win over Arizona, coach Kenny Dillingham announced at his Monday press conference.

“I don’t know the depth of that, I just know he’s out indefinitely,” Dillingham said when asked if Tyson could be available for potential College Football Playoff games.

Including ASU’s 35-31 win over Kansas on Oct. 5, Tyson leads the nation in receiving (889 yards) over the last nine weeks. Arizona’s Tetairoa McMillan (813) and Iowa State’s Jayden Higgins (783) are the only other Power 4 receivers with more than 720 yards over that span.

With the 143 yards and one touchdown he had on eight catches on Saturday, Tyson became the first Sun Devil with at least 1,000 yards (1,101) on the season since Brandon Aiyuk in 2019 (1,192).

Tyson is also PFF’s third-highest rated Big 12 wide receiver this season (87.0), behind Higgins (89.9) and Colorado’s Travis Hunter (88.3).

“What definitely makes it more difficult is obviously he demands two people to cover him,” Dillingham said after praising the receiver for his run-blocking abilities. “So if people don’t have to (allocate) two people, then they can load the box. So you got to find more creative ways to win those one-on-one matchups.

The injury comes as a major setback to the receiver’s development, as the Sun Devil broke through this season after dealing with a leg injury last year.

In 2023, Dillingham’s first season at the helm, Tyson was on the field for just 17 plays and did not record a catch across four targets. This season, he has 75 receptions across 113 targets and 741 snaps, per PFF.

Which players could step up for Arizona State without Tyson?

The two players tied for second on the team in targets aren’t wide receivers at all: running back Cam Skattebo (35 receptions for 468 yards) and tight end Chamon Metayer (28 receptions for 285 yards) both have 41 targets. 

The next-closest wide receiver in targets is Xavier Guillory (31), who is in a rhythm with a touchdown catch in each of the last two games after tweaking his hamstring earlier in the season. Tillman Leadership Council member Melquan Stovall (24 targets) is coming off a season-high 35 yards in the win over Arizona.

Jake Smith (12 targets), meanwhile, missed the Kansas State and BYU games with an injury but was on the field for a punt return against Arizona.

Redshirt freshman walk-on Derek Eusebio, who took a screen pass from Trenton Bourguet 64 yards for a touchdown on his first career catch on Saturday, could be in line for more targets as well. The consistent standout in practice has been targeted twice this season across 24 snaps.

However, it’s worth noting the matchup with Iowa State may encourage ASU to lean more heavily on its run game (fourth in the Big 12) anyway, as the Cyclones boast the best pass defense in the Big 12 (third in the nation) but a run defense that’s 14th in the conference.

The Big 12 Championship Game is on Saturday at 10 a.m. MST in Arlington, Texas. Listen to play-by-play coverage on 98.7 FM, the Arizona Sports app or online, or watch it on ABC.