Friday Feature #22: Jordyn Tyson
Arizona State were the talk of the Big 12 in 2024 with breakout offensive stars and a conference championship to boot. This year, however, the Sun Devils seemed to have been snakebit with key injuries reducing them to the role of spoiler to their Big 12 rivals. Big wins over TCU and Texas Tech were spearheaded by star WR Jordyn Tyson, one of the best WRs in the nation. Now that Tyson has declared for the draft, some are questioning his place at the very top of the WR class. Check out my detailed scouting report on Tyson below:
Background & Measurables
Name: Jordyn Tyson
Year: Redshirt Junior
Size: 6’1, 195 pounds
Position/Scheme Fit: Outside receiver in a West Coast offense
Former 3-star recruit out of Allen, Texas. Committed to Colorado and played in nine games as a true freshman in 2022, had 22 receptions for a team-leading 470 yards and five total touchdowns. His brother, Jaylon Tyson, was the No. 20 overall pick by the Cleveland Cavaliers in the 2024 NBA Draft. Transferred to Arizona State after the 2022 season. Redshirted the 2023 season as he had only 4 targets and 27 snaps with zero catches.
Tyson enjoyed a massive breakout year with the Sun Devils in 2024, tallying 1,098 yards as a redshirt sophomore and was named a third-team All-American by the Associated Press. In Arizona State’s final six games of the regular season, Tyson led the nation with 729 receiving yards while his 4.03 yards per route run were second among Power Four receivers. He unfortunately suffered a shoulder injury in the final regular-season game, which kept him out of the Big 12 title game and the College Football Playoff quarterfinal; the latter of which the Sun Devils lost in double overtime.
He returned for his redshirt junior campaign, where he recorded 628 yards and eight touchdowns on 57 catches over the first seven games before a nagging hamstring issue caused him to sit out three of the team’s five final contests.
Games watched: BYU (2024), Kansas (2024), Kansas State (2024), Arizona (2024), Mississippi State (2025), TCU (2025), Texas Tech (2025).
Detailed Scouting Report
Strengths
1. Willing blocker who flashes some technique as well. Good upper body strength and shifts his feet well to adjust to outside screens and spring the ball carrier. Won't be a liability as a blocker on the outside, which is all you really need given the rest of his skillset.
2. Good concentration on contested catches and over the middle in traffic. He was over 50% on contested targets the last 2 years despite only being 6'1, which ranks him among the best draft-eligible WRs.
3. Is an explosive play waiting to happen. Consistently among the best WRs in terms of yards per route run, despite being outside the top 150 in Average Depth of Target (ADOT). Threat to take it to the house every time he gets the ball in his hands. Also has a flair for making spectacular catches, making his QB look more accurate.
4. Crisp when running routes, particularly in-to-out, when operating from the slot. Little to no wasted movement, and doesn't chop his feet or curve on his routes. Tyson has the potential to run a more diverse route tree if asked to at the next level.
5. Versatile receiver who has tons of snaps in both the slot and outside. Teams may view him differently, and that will help his draft cause as a Swiss Army Knife across the offense. His overall skill set is quite mature and advanced as he enters the league.
Development Points
1. Had a shoulder injury to close the season and missed the CFP for the Sun Devils in 2024. Combine that with the time he missed in 2025, some teams will look at him as being injury-prone, and he could slide in the 1st round as a result.
2. Massively improved the consistency of his hands this year, but did have 7 drops in 2024. Has some focus drops and never had more than one in any game, but nonetheless, it’s one to watch. He is prone to jumping to make catches, which can cause issues with getting his feet down.
3. The nature of the Sun Devils offense makes him a bit of a projection. Low ADOT shows on film as he is mostly catching bubble and tunnel screens. Several games with no real 1-on-1 reps that went for big plays on the tape I watched.
4. Did have a fumble vs Kansas State and Kansas, so something to watch for. He's a big YAC guy, which is impressive, but he needs to make sure to hang onto the ball.
5. Quicker this year, but doesn't have elite deep speed on film with the ball in his hands. Will be interesting to see how he times in the 40-yard dash, as there are some routes where he fails to generate separation consistently. He can be chased down from behind as well, with examples on tape.
Conclusion
Tyson had a breakout yearin 2024, and returned to the Sun Devils as one of the best WRs in college football. While it was not a massive season for the former Colorado man or ASU in general, he is firmly entrenched as this draft's WR1. He is an explosive play waiting to happen with 18 TDs since the start of the 2024 season and is among the highest yards per route run receivers in college football. Ball security can be an issue for him, but his skillset is varied, his route running is elite, and his ability to win contested catches is well above average despite his relatively moderate size. Tyson is a Top-15 player on my board and, barring injury complications, should hear his name called there in April.
Grade: 7.4/9.0 (Top 15 grade)
Player Comp
Kayshon Boutte
Team Fits
Chiefs, 49ers, Falcons, Panthers, Browns, Dolphins