Arizona State's Jalen Thompson ready to contribute on field and off

It is usually tough for freshmen to get playing time right away in the trenches, but Arizona State defensive line coach Diron Reynolds saw potential in Jalen Thompson from the start. That led to a serious discussion. "A few games into the season, I saw how good he could be, and I asked him, 'Do you want to burn your shirt (redshirt season)?

'" Reynolds said. "I told him, 'If I burn your shirt, I'm going to play you. ' And he played and started for me as a freshman.

" That discussion took place almost four years ago, when both were at Michigan State, Reynolds serving in the same capacity he does now under Kenny Dillingham. When Thompson opted to enter the transfer portal, with one year of eligibility left, Tempe was an obvious choice. Not only had Reynolds made the move to ASU, but so had tight end Khamari Anderson, a former high school teammate of Thompson at Cass Tech in Detroit.

Thompson sought honest intel from his former teammate, who easily vouched for the authenticity of Dillingham and the entire coaching staff. Despite overtures from heavy hitters like Notre Dame and Texas A&M, he chose ASU. "It helped because I got insight from someone I know and can trust, so it did help for sure," Thompson said.