Camp Tontozona is meant to get away from the hustle and bustle of Tempe and create memories within the ASU program.
Last year’s Camp Tontozona week was memorable for Jake Smith for all of the wrong reasons. While up there, the NCAA rejected his eligibility waiver, meaning he was unable to play in the 2023 season.
Smith started his college career at Texas, where he was a freshman All-American. He transferred to USC in 2021 but was a medical non-counter due to an injury. He would not count toward the scholarship total and the Trojan doctors did not clear him. He was a student at USC in 2022 and transferred to Arizona State in January 2023.
Because he had not received a degree, he required a waiver to be eligible to play. There was a sense of confidence that could be accomplished because Smith had not played in the 2022 season. But the NCAA denied that waiver, and Smith could not play in 2023.
Shortly after the football season concluded, a judge deemed that two-time transfers should be eligible – which created an opportunity for ASU men’s basketball player Adam Miller to play this year.
Reports came out on August 10, 2023 that Smith would not be eligible that season.
On August 10, 2024, he took the field with his teammates in the Camp Tontozona scrimmage. He has received praise from head coach Kenny Dillingham and looks to be a big-time contributor to the Sun Devil offense this year.
Sports360AZ caught up with him after the scrimmage to reflect on his last year.
Jordan Hamm
