Logan StanleyArizona Republic
The era of the transfer portal, coupled with the onset of Name, Image and Likeness deals, has dramatically shifted the college football landscape to create a quasi-version of free agency for some of the nation’s top players. The stigma that once came with transferring has subsided, meaning athletes come and go more frequently than in the past.
A total of 2,691 players entered the transfer portal in 2023, per the database on On3 sports. That number jumped to 3,316 in 2024. According to ESPN, using data from SportSource Analytics, transfers on FBS rosters grew from 6.4% in 2019 to 20.5% in 2023. It’s a different ball game.
That’s what makes Arizona State senior linebacker Caleb McCullough stand out. Even after a pandemic, a coaching regime makeover and a NCAA investigation, McCullough decided to stay put in Tempe.
McCullough practiced patience. He wanted to give new head coach Kenny Dillingham at least a chance.
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“I felt like getting a new coaching staff is pretty much like transferring,” McCullough said. “You’re going to go to a new school to get a new staff. I felt like staying here. I was going to stay for a spring, and if I liked the staff, then stay. If I didn’t, then leave. I came, stayed for a spring and I enjoyed the staff.”
“If you’re a good football player, it don’t matter where you’re at,” he said. “It’s still a big-time program. It’s (Big 12). You may not have the best coaches at the time, but it’s (Big 12) football. You’re going to be able to play big-time football. If you make plays, you’re going to be noticed. I wasn’t tripping too much on leaving or going somewhere else. We played the team that was in the national championship last year, so you got a bunch of places you can show that you can play on that stage.”
The new staff was a breath of fresh air for McCullough, who was recruited when Herm Edwards was still at the helm. Edwards left during the player's redshirt sophom*ore season.
“I had played here three years prior to them getting there, and when they got here, I learned a lot more about the game," McCullough said. "I felt like it was the best thing for me.”
McCullough specifically mentioned how he appreciates Dillingham’s attentiveness to the small details, which has become one of the second-year head coaches’ mottos.
A.J. Cooper, ASU’s linebacker coach, was part of Dillingham’s staff when he was hired in December 2022. Cooper is a Valley native who lived in Phoenix and attended and played at Glendale Community College.
At GCC, Cooper led all junior college tight ends in three different categories as a sophom*ore: receptions (44), receiving yards (578) and touchdown receptions (8).
Cooper cited McCullough’s family background for his loyalty to the team as he has watched the redshirt senior improve.
“You go back to his high school, he's really close to the coaches that coached him in high school and they provided a very solid foundation," Cooper said. "His parents provided a great sound foundation. I think Caleb has always wanted to be a Sun Devil, always believed he belonged here.”
"Every single session he's had, he has gotten better in the weight room, ever since I've been here. I see a guy that, when I see and hear him on the field he is much more confident. He's a lot louder, more confident in himself on the field. His ability to play both spots, and now that he understands what he's doing, you see it in his fundamentals. The things you don't necessarily want them thinking about, it's more instinctual."
It’s been a step-by-step process for McCullough at ASU. A former three-star prospect from Oxnard, California, he has earned more playing time since stepping on campus as a freshman in 2020.
He appeared in two games as a freshman, recording an interception and tackle in the win over Arizona. The following two seasons were spent primarily on special teams, where he was a significant contributor. In 2023, McCullough saw his most action on the field, appearing in every game and making three starts while playing over 400 snaps on defense. McCullough was fourth on the team with 52 tackles, adding 4.5 for loss and one sack.
“It’s been a long journey,” McCullough said. “I noticed I learned a lot. I understood coming into this, this is not going to be easy. If it was easy, then everybody would be doing it. I knew it was going to be a long, hard journey. I didn’t know how long or how hard it was going to be, but I was up for whatever God had to test me for. Honestly, I think it made me a lot stronger today. In my future life, it’s going to pay good dividends.”
Logan Stanley is a sports reporter with The Arizona Republic who primarily focuses on high school, ASU and Olympic sports. To suggest ideas for human-interest stories and other news, reach out to Stanley at logan.stanley@gannett.com or 707-293-7650. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter:@LSscribe.
