TEMPE, Ariz. — Arizona State head football coach Kenny Dillingham said Saturday morning that it was going to be a great day on X (formerly known as Twitter).
A few hours later, Dillingham was proven correct when one of the top running backs in the transfer portal, Raleek Brown, announced that he was transferring from USC to ASU.
Brown was a four-star prospect out of Mater Dei High School in Santa Ana, California. He was the No. 3 running back in the class of 2022 and No. 69 overall prospect, according to 247Sports.
He spent two years with the Trojans, splitting time between running back and wide receiver. He was mainly a running back as a freshman in 2022, an ran the ball 42 times for 227 yards and three touchdowns. He also had 16 catches for 175 yards and three touchdowns.
Brown only played in two games this past season, which also saw a switch to become a wide receiver. He had three catches for 18 yards and ran the ball three times for 16 yards. Brown's father, Roscoe, told The Orange County Register/Southern California News Group in September that Raleek would redshirt this past season due to a hamstring injury.
That means Brown will have three years of eligibility remaining with the Sun Devils.
"I'm very excited about my decision," Brown told 247Sports' Greg Biggins. "There's a lot of reasons why I chose ASU both football wise and academically."
"I believe they're going to use me the way I need to be used to showcase my ability," Brown added. "I want to show the world what I can really do and ASU is going to give me that opportunity."
The 5'8", 185 lb. Brown is a four-star transfer, the No. 27 overall player and the No. 2 running back in the transfer portal this season, according to 247Sports.
ASU quarterback Jaden Rashada was excited by the move, posting on X, "Reunited. That's one."
Brown is the 10th player to transfer to ASU this year. ASU has the No. 4 transfer portal class in the nation, behind Colorado, Ole Miss and South Carolina, according to 247Sports.
Arizona sports
The city of Phoenix is home to five major professional sports league teams; The NFL's Arizona Cardinals, NBA's Phoenix Suns, WNBA’s Phoenix Mercury, MLB's Arizona Diamondbacks and NHL's Arizona Coyotes.
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. The Coyotes play at Mullett Arena on ASU's Tempe campus.
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 on a yearly basis, 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.
12Sports on YouTube
Watch more of the latest sports videos on the 12News YouTube channel. Don’t forget to subscribe!