With fall camp less than a week away, the questions surrounding the starting lineup naturally dominate the preseason narrative. After another robust wave of player additions following the 2023 campaign, ASU head coach Kenny Dillingham stated that a greater talent pool than last year would make the decision process more challenging than it was during his first year at the helm of the Sun Devils.
“It’s very unhealthy when people are comfortable,” Dillingham said. “You gotta be uncomfortable and competing no matter what you do. You have to have healthy competition in life. It’s going to be a harder fall camp, but we trained for that. The standards have been raised, and I’m excited to push these guys to their breaking point.”
Dillingham remarked that he felt that the battle for first-team duties is so intense that he saw a mere three players who he felt comfortable considering as starters at this juncture.
“Other than Leif (Fautanu) and Ben Coleman, who’s gonna start up front (at offensive line)?” Dillingham commented. “Who’s going to be the other D-tackle next to CJ Fite? We have so much more depth that we get to have these conversations, and they know they have to push themselves. They know we’re going to play the best players. I think that’s what’s fun. These guys feel it, they know it, and they’re embracing it. I think that’s what’s going to be exciting about fall.”
The running back room is one of the deepest positions on the team, and there could be many faces making an appearance in the backfield this year. Senior Cameron Skattebo was the clear-cut starter last season but will have to battle that much more to maintain that role. A productive offseason that resulted in a formidable spring practice, as well as improving the physical and mental components of his game.
“The growth he’s shown mentally and physically is unbelievable,” Dillingham noted. “The guys underneath him have also taken big strides this offseason. Top to bottom, we’ve got versatility and different types of players, which is fun, and we’ve got to find a way to put them on the field.”
The leadership council team was also rebranded to the Pat Tillman Leadership Council after reaching out to the Tillman family for permission to do so. Players on the leadership council will receive a patch to wear on their jerseys for game days.
“When you create something like that, every TV crew is going to ask about it,” Dillingham emphasized. “They’re going to put Pat Tillman up on the screen, and that’s going to be a way to honor him in every game we play.”
Each year, players are voted by their peers to the team’s Leadership Council. The number of players on that body varies each year depending on how close the voting is, and in 2024, it will number 12 players. It was rebranded this year to the Pat Tillman Leadership Council, and this select group of players will wear a patch on their jersey as Dillingham felt it was important to incorporate the Sun Devil legend’s name, one that is an extremely vital piece of the Arizona State culture, to bring more awareness about his story as well as highlight his legacy.
“We want to honor him (Tillman) in every way possible,” Dillingham affirmed. “We’re getting into an era where the kids aren’t as educated on what he did. We’re going to develop a patch to put on our players’ jerseys that says they’re on the Leadership Council, something around Pat Tillman. And the purpose for that is, when you create something like that, every single start of a game, or sometimes within a game, that TV crew is going to say, what’s the patch, and they’re going to put a Pat Tillman on the screen.
“I think this is a way that gives people the opportunity to spend 20 seconds reminding the fans and maybe teaching younger kids watching who Pat Tillman was. We talk about leadership so much, and who is a better person to be the name of your leadership team than Pat Tillman?”
Sophomore defensive lineman C.J. Fite is one of the younger members on the council and one of only four underclassmen in this group (redshirt freshman safety Montana Warren and quarterback Sam Leavitt, and sophomore offensive lineman Sean Na’a being the other three). Dillingham said that not only did Fite impress the coaches with his play during spring practice, but he also earned his teammates’ respect and thus was recognized as one of its leaders.
“He’s so strong, and he’s getting stronger,” Dillingham described. “The biggest thing for him is he has taken his strength and taken his experience from last year into this year. When you’re a 300-pound strong guy in high school, you take the guy in front of you, and you just move him backward, and you sack the quarterback, or you tackle the running back. In college, you have to have moves; you have to have technique. The biggest thing for him is that he has taken his strength and what he’s learned through last season and said, ‘Okay, Coach Reynolds (defensive line coach Diron Reynolds) is in here. I have to be better. I can’t just bull-rush a guy every single snap. People are good in college. I have to have a pass rush plan.’
“And then from a mental leadership standpoint, he’s not the loudest guy, but he’s starting to pick and choose his moments where people will listen to him. He’s going to be the guy that in his moment, he will set a standard. I think that’s part of being young, but that’s part of being on the council, which is learning when that moment is right. It’s having that plan for how can I lead at the stage of my career, and then I can grow as that leader.”
The oldest leader on the council is redshirt senior quarterback Trenton Bourget, now in his sixth year with the team. Bourget started most of ASU’s games last year and was part of an injury-riddled position group. He has said many times in the past that he wants to win no matter what his ultimate depth chart niche on the team will be. That attitude is what led him to become a clear choice to serve on this council.
“It’s unbelievable,” Dillingham described. “I ask him questions all the time. The guys trust him, he’s a leader, and he’s super intelligent. He even coaches the guys. He knows what it’s like for people to look at him, so he has a little bit of insight into the other side than other players. He doesn’t speak often, but when he does, he’s usually right. He’s not scared to listen to people, and he’s not scared to give his opinion.”
“Everyone learns differently. The ability to speak in a way that people can articulate you and be able to say the same thing to different people is huge. Great coaches can adapt their language based on the player, and I think Trenton is smart enough to do that.”
Being able to forget about the hardships of 2023 while simultaneously taking those experiences as necessary lessons to better yourself could spell the difference between being caught in another losing season and showcasing marked improvement. This is when a shift in mentality is vital to take that next step.
“Responding to adversity is going to be key,” Dillingham admitted. “When bad things happen, are there going to be guys just complaining? Having a few guys who have that personality to lock in and respond to adversity where everyone is in the same place is going to give us a chance to succeed. When people have failures, everyone goes to a different place. Getting everyone unified is the challenge this fall camp.
“Our philosophy hasn’t changed. The plan hasn’t changed from a player perspective of what it takes. Do we have to change the things around it as a staff? Yes. But the culture of what we’re trying to instill in these guys hasn’t changed at all. Until you hit the bar, you can’t raise it.”
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