Arizona State shocked the nation with last year’s 11-3 record, and therefore, their expectations coming into the 2025 season are to repeat that same level of success, defend the Big 12 crown, and advance further in the college football playoffs. With a large portion of the roster returning to the Valley with high aspirations, the winning formula is within reach. Yet, even with a high level of talent by the returners, key veteran pieces of the locker room have exhausted their eligibility, leaving leadership holes for players to fill.
“Different guys have to step up,” said head coach Kenny Dillingham. “Cam (Skattebo) left, so naturally, we’re going to have other people step up, but it can’t just be a couple of people. Last year, we had a really special mix of everybody that was just invested. We’ve got to be able to find with this team how to get emotionally invested.”
Along with Skattebo, center Lefi Fautanu and defensive back, Shamari Simmons were key pieces in ASU’s run last year that have NFL aspirations but, unlike Skattebo, did not receive an invitation to the NFL Combine in Indianapolis, Indiana. While Dillingham feels they were more than deserving of an invitation, he also realized that ASU as a program doesn’t have as big of a name as other schools that will get the benefit of the doubt more often than not.
“I think both of those guys are NFL-caliber players that have really good chances to make a team,” Dillingham commented. “That just shows success doesn’t happen overnight. There’s a reason some teams get more people consistently because they’ve won for longer. If we go and have a good year again, you will never have somebody from Arizona State get snubbed from the combine.”
ASU retained most of its roster, including the coaching staff. Offensive and defensive coordinators Marcus Arroyo and Brian Ward were both extended to multi-year deals right before the Peach Bowl back in January, and the rest of the staff is ready to run it back. While most of the coaches have been newer within the last few years, running back coach Shaun Aguano is heading into his sixth season with the Sun Devils and is entering new territory in terms of returning coaches.
“It’s awesome to not have to restart,” Dillingham voiced. “Coach Aguano joked this is the first time in his career that he has a returning offensive coordinator, and that’s wild to think. It just shows that people who leave here want to come back and be a part of the culture we’re building. It also shows we’re a program people want to be at.”
Dillingham preached throughout last year’s success that he didn’t want to be another “flash in the pan” and instead build a premier football program that bleeds success. In every era of college football in recent memory, there’s been a team that has established themselves as a household name, and Dillingham wants his team to join that list.
“Every 8-10 years, a new team arises, and it’s all for different reasons,” Dillingham mentioned. “Everybody has these moments where they put themselves on the map in these eras, and right now, nobody’s really stamped themself as this era’s team. That’s the challenge, can we be that team that in seven years, everybody remembers this past season?”
Out of all the roster retention, one of the most important players coming back is redshirt sophomore quarterback Sam Leavitt. His stellar 2024-25 season has him on Heisman watchlists for the upcoming year, and he’s expected to be one of the leaders on this team. With his running mate in the backfield, Cam Skattebo, entering the NFL draft, the lessons he learned from Skattebo last year have helped him prepare to step up when his team needs him most.
“Sam won’t ever be satisfied,” Dillingham recalled. “He’s not wired like that, but he’s very passionate. I think the passion you saw from Cam at times, Sam had it, but it was just leaning onto Cam. So now, I definitely think Sam is going to step up in that department, and he already has.”
Leavitt won’t be the only player expected to be a voice in the locker room, as Dillingham’s approach to leadership is hands-off. Senior safety Xavion Alford gave the pregame speech for every game last year, and Dillingham allows his players to lead themselves and offer a helping hand when they need it. For this year, it’s more of the same.
“The more I try to lead our team, the more I’m taking away for a returner to lead the team,” Dillingham professed. “It’s a very challenging thing for me to try and balance right now how much I need to lead versus how much I need to give these guys the opportunity to lead because of how many players returned from last year.”
Sticking with the quarterback room, Trenton Bourguet graduated last year and was hired onto Dillingham’s staff as an assistant running backs coach after expressing interest in the coaching profession throughout last season. With Bourguet seeing firsthand what the mood of the team was last year, Dillingham can better grasp what his team needs with the help of Bourguet.
“Everybody can coach now,” Dillingham noted. “Back in the day, people used to be graduate assistants, but now, this new setup adds to our ability to get young people into the profession. It’s awesome that we can hire younger guys and former players who already know our culture and systems. I can lean on Trenton because he has a better dynamic of what goes on in the locker room and what guys are truly like.”
It was announced recently that Dillingham will lead the 21st “Pat’s Run,” a 4.2-mile mini marathon dedicated to ASU alum Pat Tillman. Tillman was killed in action in Afghanistan while fighting for the United States Army. The Pat Tillman Foundation was created to continue his legacy as long as possible, and ASU football, along with Dillingham, has put immense effort into growing the foundation and Tillman’s legacy.
“It’s exciting, and I couldn’t be more honored to do it,” Dillingham pronounced. “We’re trying to grow the relationship between the Pat Tillman Foundation and ASU football with the Leadership Council. It’s just an unbelievable honor for me, but we’re always trying to see how we can coordinate with the foundation to keep his legacy alive in this generation.”
While the football team created substantial buzz around ASU as a whole, it spread to different sports. This past weekend, ASU baseball set a record for Opening Weekend attendance with 10,570 fans showing up over the three-day series against Ohio State. For Dillingham, he feels this is just the beginning of fans showing love for every sport at Arizona State.
“It all works together, and all matters,” Dillingham expressed. “The excitement from football and volleyball feeds over to baseball, basketball, and hockey. The fact we’re continuing to feed off the energy within the program is really cool, and the reason college sports teams are good is because of the fan support.”
Earlier this month, Dillingham attended the Waste Management Phoenix Open, a golf tournament in Scottsdale, Arizona, and was recognized all over the course. Going from a 3-9 season in his first year to 11-3 and a berth in the College Football Playoff allowed fans to see more of Dillingham nationally. Dillingham knows being recognized can go one of two ways, and he certainly realizes he’s on the right side of it right now.
“You can’t put a hat on and disappear,” Dillingham stated. “If you’re here long enough, which I want to be, you’re going to be recognized. You’re either going to have people booing you or asking for a photo. Hopefully, we don’t lose too many games, and people still want a photo with me.”
The national attention ASU received last year has the country waiting to see what Dillingham and his revamped squad will do this upcoming season, but he feels the local media are the sources that recruit attention the most. Dillingham is always recruiting and trying to continue the success he saw last year, and the in-depth reporting on Arizona State helps give potential recruits an inside scoop on whether or not ASU is the right place for them.
“People are excited about the program, and I think that’s clear,” Dillingham explained. “All the radio stuff and articles written is recruiting, and the local media is the biggest part of that. You guys are recruiting the state more than everybody else, and all the kids out there are listening. They watch everything the local media does, and you’re the narrative around the place.”
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