From Zero star recruit to high level mid-major running back; David Avit next chapter is with the Sun Devils

(Photo: Courtesy of Sun Devil Athletics)

Before hitting the field for his winter workouts at Villanova, David Avit had to shovel snow off the field ahead of his wind sprints and agility drills. Those days are done; now, the sophomore running back is ditching the Pennsylvanian parkas for t-shirts, transferring to sun-soaked Arizona State.

“It’s time for me to put on some sandals and walk around in shorts,” Avit said.

Avit took his official visit to Tempe in the first days of the new year. ASU running backs coach Shaun Aguano hosted Avit and showed him around the facilities. Aguano was a key reason why Avit became a Sun Devil.

“(Aguano) as a person is what sold me,” Avit said. “You can see the father figure in him. You can tell that he really cares for his players.”

Avit displayed his talent level at the mid-major level, making him an exciting prospect for power conference programs since the moment he walked on Villanova’s campus as a freshman. 

In two seasons at Villanova, Avit rushed for 1,610 yards and 17 touchdowns.  

He started to catch the attention of marquee programs in his first season when he rushed for 183 yards and 4 touchdowns against Stony Brook. His performance placed him second on the Villanova leader board for single-game rushing touchdowns behind two-time NFL Pro Bowler Brian Westbrook. 

After a freshman season that saw Avit rush for over 900 yards and nine touchdowns, he entered the transfer portal. He ultimately revoked his name, returning to Villanova, feeling he had “unfinished business.” 

Avit felt that he was partly to blame for Villanova’s first-round FCS playoff loss to Incarnate Word. In that game, Avit missed a block on a blitzing linebacker that ended up sacking his quarterback near the end of the game. He didn’t feel it was right for him to leave the team after that blunder.

He came back and picked up right where he left off.

After another standout season with the Wildcats, rushing for 687 yards and eight touchdowns, Avit entered the portal for the second year in a row. This time, he found a new home in Tempe.

Avit is transferring into a dense running back room. The Sun Devils are returning four backs and have also added Delaware State transfer Marquis Gillis from the transfer portal. 

Avit said coming to Tempe aligns with his larger career goal of reaching the NFL, feeling that ASU is becoming a hotspot for great college running backs. 

“Coach Aguano,” He said. “Is consistently having 1,000-yard backs, is consistently sending guys to the league.”

Aguano joined the Sun Devils’ coaching staff in 2019 and has produced three NFL running backs in that span.

Avit’s rise to the Power 4 level was not a given. In high school, despite rushing for over 2,500 yards and 30 TDs his senior year, he was rated as a zero-star recruit.

“It put a chip on my shoulder,” he said. “I was playing my a** off, and nobody was watching.”

Villanova head football coach Mark Ferrante was one of the few college coaches who offered Avit a full scholarship. The faith Coach Ferrante showed him paid dividends nearly instantly. Avit took over as the lead back early in his freshman season and never looked back. 

In 2025, the Wildcats reached the semifinals of the FCS playoffs for the first time since 2010. Avit said he loved his time at Villanova, but he was ready for a bigger stage.

He got a taste of what that stage would look like as soon as he walked through the facility doors on his official visit on Jan 3. He marveled at the impressive facilities ASU had compared to his previous school. 

During his time at Villanova, he got the feeling that Villanova’s football program took a backseat to the basketball team. 

“We had to bring our own energy a lot of the time,” he said. 

The Wildcats’ football stadium only seats 12,500. Mountain America Stadium in Tempe seats over four times that.

He recently sold his PlayStation 5 and has become a big walker and hiker, and enjoys the outdoors. He plans on walking the streets of Tempe. He rarely listens to music when he walks, but when he does, he opts for songs that do not have “too many words.” He walks to clear his mind and deepen his relationship with God, he said, choosing sometimes to listen to Bible verses. 

“I always pray before every game,” he said. “I like to bring a Bible with me with pictures of my family in it. And I like to talk to (my family).”

Avit is all in on being at Arizona State. The only thing that gave him pause was his new mascot. The son of two pastors and a devout man of faith himself, Avit went to his parents, asking if it was okay for him to become a ‘Sun Devil’. 

“It kind of rubbed me the wrong way,” he said. “But my dad told me that Jesus Christ is stronger than anything.”

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