Hayden Hartigan is an ASU Cronkite School of Journalism student assigned to cover Desert Edge for AZPreps365.com.

After the 2026 AIA State Championship, Dayvon Standard will be exchanging his Desert Edge track shoes for Oklahoma State Cowboy boots as the 6-foot-4-inch wide receiver heads to the Big 12 next season.

Standard–a star in both football and track and field at Desert Edge–registered 23 catches for 464 yards and 10 touchdowns in just six games this past season before breaking the program’s triple jump record at the Chandler Rotary this spring (47 feet, 11 inches) and claiming the Division II championship last Thursday. 

Dayvon Standard stands on the podium with his Oklahoma State backpack after winning the Division II triple jump championship on Thursday. (Hayden Hartigan photo/AZPreps365)

Standard won the triple jump (47 feet, 8 inches), finished third in the long jump (22 feet, 8 ½ inches) and qualified for the AIA state championship at Mesa Community College set for Friday and Saturday. 

When Standard transferred to Desert Edge this past fall from Buckeye Union, where he recorded 717 receiving yards and seven touchdowns in 10 games as a junior, high expectations were placed on him to perform.

“I worked hard enough throughout the offseason to uphold the pressure put on me, so I am just trusting my abilities and God,” Standard said. “Going straight off the football workouts kept me in good shape, really, just the momentum shifting from speed training and weight lifting shifted perfectly into track.”

Basketball also gives Standard a unique skill set.

On the court as a junior, he averaged 8.9 points and 4.1 rebounds per game before focusing on his football and track future. After leading the Scorpion receiver room down the stretch of this past fall, Standard’s development as an overall athlete increased during the spring as he is coached by a group of Arizona’s top high school track coaches. 

Head coach Sharod Selph, a former Oklahoma State All-American sprinter and member of the school-record 4x100-meter relay team that has stood since 2015, was happy to see Standard sign to Stillwater. 

“It’s pretty awesome. I’m actually going out there in October when they play Colorado,” Selph said. “It’s going to be nice to go to my old stomping grounds and see a familiar face.”

Desert Edge jumps coach Jon Tate, who carries a history of playing, coaching and training at the Division I level, talked about what makes Standard special as an athlete. 

“He’s always a team player,” Tate said. “He’s an athletic kid. Him being able to be multi-faceted, being a triple jumper and long jumper, he’s great. Always ‘yes ma’am, yes sir.’ He's great to have in the program.”

Standard elevated his jumping ability during his time in the Desert Edge jump program, led by Tate.

“Every day at practice we go at it,” Standard said. “Everybody is competing and getting better and going at it full intensity.”

At 6-foot-4 and 175 pounds, Standard’s ability to win contested catches down the field is what stands out on the field, drawing similarities to lengthy wide receivers such as Christian Watson because of his leaping ability and vertical-threat potential. 

Although his idol Odell Beckham Jr. only stands at 5-foot-10, Standard said he grew up watching his highlights and gained inspiration from him to pursue track and field. Standard looked up to other wide receivers such as Jarvis Landry, Antonio Brown and Julio Jones.

At Desert Edge, Standard caught passes from four-star 2027 quarterback Blake Roskopf, who announced his commitment to Washington University in April, joining 4-star wide receiver teammate Zerek Sidney, who is also committed to the Huskies. 

On a daily basis, Standard was challenged by multiple future Division I defensive backs, including Camren Hamiel (Texas A&M), Antonio Para (Southern Utah), Mikyal Davis (‘27 Oklahoma commit), and four-stars Nekhi Lambeth and Jaelyn Easterling-Flores – who collectively hold more than 70 Division I offers. 

“Going head to head against those guys every day definitely builds good habits, and destroys old ones,” Standard said. “You keep getting better. Going into the next level, it's looking at the same thing again.”

Standard used his jumping ability to separate himself from other wide receivers in the class of 2026, landing him his spot at Oklahoma State. 

The Cowboys are in the midst of head coach Eric Morris’ complete rebuild of the program, spearheaded by a group of 62 incoming transfers, ranked No. 7 in the class rankings according to 247Sports. Many players come from Morris’ North Texas squad that nearly made the College Football Playoff with a 12-2 record as the American Athletic Conference runner-ups. 

Standard said that Oklahoma State won his commitment because of the complete program – involving the community, coaches and players there. 

“When I went out there for my official visit, I didn’t want to leave,” Standard said. “The coaches are great people. Coach Morris, I love that man already and I haven’t even touched down yet. I can’t wait to go back. The future is very bright.” 

Quarterback Drew Mestemaker, who was the No. 1 transfer in the nation according to On3 Sports, will look to bring life to the Cowboys offense that ranked 134 out of 136 FBS teams with only 14.2 points per game. Mestemaker threw for 4,379 passing yards and 34 touchdowns with just 9 interceptions in his breakout redshirt freshman season for North Texas in 2025. 

“The way he can throw the ball stands out,” Standard said. “I’ve watched his tape from North Texas last year many times, and the way he can sit in the pocket and deliver a ball like that. I see Blake (Roskopf) in him a lot, so it’s really just going back to old times.”

Standard hopes to make an impact in a talented wide receiver room featuring a pair of North Texas transfers in Wyatt Young (1,264 receiving yards and 10 touchdown receptions in 2025) and Miles Coleman, who recorded 47 catches for 550 yards and 3 touchdowns.

Tate pointed to Standard’s recent dual sport success as a reason why he could see early success at Oklahoma State. 

“Being able to have that camaraderie as a football player, then coming out to the track, where you’ve gotta focus by yourself," Tate said. “Being able to do both of those will help him in the long-run at college.”

Standard continues to be a name to watch for Saturday’s triple jump AIA state championship as he ranks No. 4 in Arizona.

“I just want to do what I can for this program, It’s done a lot for me and I am just trying to repay it all back,” Standard said.