Key piece of Arizona State defense will return for senior season

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The Arizona State football team has had a lot of players declare for the NFL draft.

Defensive lineman C.J. Fite was among those who had big decisions to make. The junior has indeed decided to return for his senior season.

Fite, a 6-foot-2, 305-pounder, registered 28 tackles, 6.5 tackles for a loss, four quarterback hurries, one forced fumble and one sack. Numbers don’t tell the story here because Fite was usually the victim of an opponent’s double-team, which opened up some room for other ASU defenders.

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He saw some playing time as a true freshman in 2023, then broke into the starting lineup in 2024 and has 26 consecutive starts. Projections have him going in the fourth round of the 2026 NFL Draft.

There was some indication Fite was leaning toward a return. He began practicing during the week of Dec. 14th as the Sun Devils get ready for the Dec. 31 Sun Bowl date against Duke in the Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl.

Fite earned his degree in entrepreneurship in three years.

Fite is also one of the team’s veteran leaders, voted to the Pat Tillman Leadership Council the last two years by his peers.

Players from ASU who have decided to declare for the draft include defensive lineman Justin Wodtly, safety Xavion Alford, safety Myles “Ghost” Rowser, cornerback Keith Abney, linebacker Keyshaun Elliott, tight end Chamon Metayer, running back Raleek Brown, offensive tackle Max Iheanachor and wide receiver Jordyn Tyson.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: ASU football defensive tackle CJ Fite will return for senior season

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