Justin Wodtly Goes In-Depth on Transfer to ASU

The Arizona State Football team has put work in this weekend as multiple transfer targets were on-campus and many of them gave their pledge to the Sun Devils. 

One of them was defensive lineman Justin Wodtly, who most recently played for Cincinnati.

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— Justin Wodtly (@JustinWodtly) December 11, 2023

“It felt like home,” Wodtly said. “It didn’t feel foreign to me. Nothing was forced, everything meshed real naturally. So it was it was a no-brainer and it made the decision really easy.”

The defensive lineman stands at 6-foot-3, 275 pounds and tallied 44 tackles, four sacks and six tackles for loss over the last two seasons. 

Safety Xavian Alford and defensive end Prince Dorbah, who were both transfers to Arizona State last year, were Wodtly’s hosts. He took note of their love of Tempe.

He mentioned how Alford had played at USC and Texas – two of the best college environments in the country – and that Tempe still stood out.

“The way he talked about Tempe man, it was just unmatched,” Wodtly said. “Being able to experience the city, the opportunities that are that are had out there. It felt like the right place to be.”

Wodtly made an instant connection with head coach Kenny Dillingham, defensive coordinator Brian Ward and new defensive line coach Diron Reynolds. He was very aware of Reynolds’ credentials and they were on the same page quickly.

“He’s coached at Stanford. He’s coached at Michigan State,” Wodtly said. “So being able to play for a guy like that, who sees the potential that I can be a very good football player. He works a lot with NFL Pass Rush Summit. He surrounds himself with guys like Aaron Donald, Von Miller, Maxx Crosby, real big names in the NFL. Being able to surround myself with people who could put me in position to succeed, you know, that was big to me.”

Wodtly’s list of priorities for his school of choice included a stable coaching staff, finding a defense that fit his skill set and an opportunity to play a significant role in the defense. 

“They checked all the boxes for me,” Wodtly said. “It wasn’t really a tough decision, especially when a coaching staff expresses how much they want you. A coaching staff shows that much love. A city shows that much love. There’s not really too many things you have to see after that.”

Wodtly said he can bring versatility to the defensive line and has no problem bouncing to the outside on the edge or being the man in the middle as well. That will be needed as the Sun Devils have a talented group returning but will need to replace Dashaun Mallory and BJ Green. 

“It’s the best of both worlds being able to get yourself in there and get get your hands dirty a little bit, pop back out and rush the passer…I have very high motor. If you put on the tape, I’m not a guy that takes plays off. I I know what I signed up for, and I came here to play high level football and that’s what I do.”

And he’s done it for a long time with Cincinnati. 

He joined the team in 2020, which does not count towards his eligibility. He redshirted in 2021, and then was in the defensive line as a rotation player, giving him two years remaining of eligibility. 

He experienced the highest of highs and lowest of lows with the Bearcats, highlighted by the College Football Playoff participation in 2021. He’s learned the difference between a bad, a good and a great season is in the details.

“That experience taught me how to win,” Wodtly said. “It taught me how to have discipline. It taught me how important those little situations are. You can lose a game from jumping offsides on fourth down. You could lose the game for a personal foul and things like that. So really just trying to be more disciplined and trying to be the best teammates you can for your guys.”

Wodtley is a part of a massive influx of portal additions this weekend. The current public transfers include cornerbacks Laterrance Welch (LSU) and Javan Robinson (Washington State), tight ends Cameron Harpole (San Diego State) and Markeston Douglas (Florida State), linebacker Jordan Crook (Arkansas) and defensive tackle J.P Deeter (Purdue).

Sounds like there is more to come, too.