TEMPE, Ariz. — Arizona State will be down a wide receiver for the rest of the season as they are planning to redshirt senior Malik McClain, head coach Kenny Dillingham announced Monday.
McClain transferred to ASU from Penn State in May and missed the start of ASU's fall camp. All of that played into the decision to have him sit out the rest of this season and come back next year.
"Obviously, he came in late in this process and he's a really good player, but he has a year left and he's still learning the system and he missed some in the summer for a variety of reasons, going back home and stuff like that," Dillingham said. "So, we didn't feel like we were doing him justice playing him eight snaps, 12 snaps a game as he was getting back into it for his final year."
Dillingham admitted losing McClain will be tough on ASU's depth. He added that they will mainly lean on wide receivers Jordyn Tyson, Xavier Guillory, Melquan Stovall, Jake Smith, Troy Omeire and Derek Eusebios for the rest of the season.
However, Dillingham thinks this move will be great for the future for both McClain and his program.
"Does that hurt us a little bit this year? 100 percent," Dillingham said. "I mean, he was a really, really good depth guy... But for him personally, I definitely think, and for us in the future, I definitely think it's a win-win for him and for us to get him back."
The 6'4", 200 lbs. McClain was a four-star recruit out of IMG Academy in Florida in 2021 and began his college career at Florida State where he played for two seasons. He played in 25 games for the Seminoles and caught 33 passes for 396 yards and five touchdowns.
After the 2022 season, McClain transferred to Penn State. He played in 13 games in 2023 for the Nittany Lions and appeared on offense and special teams. He caught six passes for 71 yards and a touchdown this season and was named Penn State's Special Teams Player of the Week twice.
He appeared in four games for ASU this year, which is the maximum a player can appear in before redshirting. McClain has not caught a pass for ASU this season.
ASU's next game is on Friday against Utah at Mountain America Stadium in Tempe. Kickoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m.
Arizona sports
The city of Phoenix is home to four major professional sports league teams; The NFL's Arizona Cardinals, NBA's Phoenix Suns, WNBA’s Phoenix Mercury and MLB's Arizona Diamondbacks.
The Cardinals have made State Farm Stadium in Glendale their home turf and the Footprint Center in downtown Phoenix is home to both the Suns and the Mercury. The Indoor Football League’s Arizona Rattlers play at Desert Diamond Arena in Glendale.
Phoenix also has a soccer team with the USL's Phoenix Rising FC, who play at Phoenix Rising FC Stadium in Phoenix.
The Valley hosts multiple major sporting events every year, including college football's Fiesta Bowl and Guaranteed Rate Bowl; the PGA Tour’s highest-attended event, the WM Phoenix Open; NASCAR events each spring and fall, including Championship Weekend in November; and Cactus League Spring Training for 15 Major League Baseball franchises.
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