Arizona State wide receiver Jordyn Tyson’s lingering hamstring issues caused doubts around his longevity in the pros. The former Sun Devil even had to do a private workout last week to prove to NFL teams that they can take a punt on him. But not everything is going against him. He has received a surprising endorsement from Deion Sanders, the head coach whose roster he left to join Kenny Dillingham.

“Jordyn Tyson is Different,” wrote Deion Sanders on X this Monday.

As a true freshman in 2022, Tyson was a lone bright spot in a dismal 1-11 season for the Buffs, leading the team with 470 receiving yards and four TDs. His explosive potential was on full display against his future team, Arizona State, when he became the first Colorado player to log 100 receiving and 100 punt return yards in a game. However, his promising season was abruptly cut short by a devastating multi-ligament knee injury.

In 2023, Tyson entered the transfer portal shortly after Deion Sanders took over Colorado because Coach Prime famously arrived with a “bringing my luggage and it’s Louis” mentality, overhauling nearly the entire roster. At the time, Tyson said he was “not wanted” by the new staff. Even Sanders later noted that while Tyson had elite ability, he “didn’t have it together” at the time in terms of his work ethic and confidence.

In his first season with the Sun Devils, he appeared in only three games while still recovering from his severe knee injury and did not record any catches. But his second season with ASU was a breakout. In 2024, Jordyn accumulated 1,101 yards on 75 receptions, including 10 touchdowns. That earned him the Big 12 Offensive Newcomer of the Year honor.

The injury bug limited his production last season, but we still saw instances of how Tyson had matured as a player. Interestingly, it involved Coach Prime. When Arizona State came to Boulder on November 22 to take on Deion Sanders’ Colorado, Tyson got hold of his former head coach to offer a private apology about how he handled his exit from the Buffs.

Jordyn Tyson’s NFL fate

Tyson’s dominance was evident early in the 2025 season, where he showcased his big-play ability with three 100-yard games in his first seven appearances. He was instrumental in handing Texas Tech its first loss with 10 receptions for 105 yards and sealed a tight 27-24 victory over TCU with a 126-yard, two-touchdown performance.’

Now, while his talent is viewed as top-10 caliber, an extensive injury history makes him one of the draft’s most high-upside yet “polarizing” prospects. NFL legend Steve Smith raised concerns about the laundry list of injuries that are on Tyson’s resume.

“He got all the L’s, and then on top of it, you now have soft tissue. Collarbone, which I take out because that is a collarbone for a wide receiver; that’s just sometimes where you fall on it wrong. That isn’t necessarily your fault. That’s like a rolled ankle in basketball. You have no control over that. But when you put it all together, it’s a laundry list of injuries. And the laundry list of injuries is telling me that when you get it, if he’s having fender benders (in college), we know it’s full-on crashes in the NFL every single play,” Smith said.

Durability is the only issue that has caused his draft stock to slide over the past few weeks. Tyson missed 17 games over his collegiate career due to injury. However, Kenny Dillingham has spoken out against concerns about his former wide receiver’s toughness. The Arizona State head coach noted that Tyson suited up for games even with stitches on his hands.

With the draft just a few days away, we may see a situation develop in which several NFL teams regret not taking Tyson when he excels in the pros.

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