The 2024 Arizona State football season shocked the college football landscape. The team, projected to finish last in the Big 12 Conference, overcame all odds to win the conference title and earn a spot in the quarterfinals in the newly expanded 12-team College Football Playoff.
The last time the Sun Devils suited up with a chance to be crowned national champions was at the 1997 Rose Bowl, where they fell 20-17 to Ohio State. The centerpiece of that team was quarterback Jake Plummer. He played all four years in Tempe, appearing in 42 games and scoring 64 touchdowns. Plummer finished third in the 1996 Heisman Trophy race, and to this day, he remains the only ASU player to finish in the top three in Heisman voting in the award's 90-year history.
Plummer's excitement for the program’s new era is driven by the legacy created in 1996. The time has come for a new ASU team to create a legacy in Tempe on the gridiron.
“I’d really like to see Arizona State do well,” Plummer said. “They’ve had moments since ‘96, but it’s been a long time since they were really in that conversation and at the top of the rankings. What a time to have a year like this. Really, what an opportune moment.”
Redshirt freshman quarterback Sam Leavitt left reminiscent fans of the 1996 team with joy, as his playstyle resembled that of Plummer. Both signal-callers relied on quick thinking and great athletic ability to elongate plays and spark something out of nothing. For Plummer, he doesn't buy into unnecessary comparisons between his old playstyle and Leavitt’s. However, he is fond of the 20-year-old quarterback and his free-flowing demeanor.
“As I came out, I was compared to some legends and some pretty amazing players. I always just wanted to be myself, and I see that in Sam,” Plummer said. “Regardless of everybody wanting to say this or that about what he does on the field, for me, it’s just heartwarming.”
“It makes me feel good to know there’s a leader there doing the things that a leader should do. As QB No. 1, all eyes are on you, whether you want it or not. How ever you carry yourself is your choice, but I see the things that are inherent in a guy who’s a natural leader and plays with his heart and soul. He’s ready to go yell at somebody if they didn’t do their job, and he’s also ready to go celebrate a nice drive and a touchdown. Playing without any guardrails, he’s out there just flying around, leading with passion. If there’s a comparison to be made, it’s that I didn’t have any plan in place. I just went out and played with my heart and soul, and I saw that from him this year.”
Plummer’s impact on the team has stretched beyond the quarterback position. ASU head coach Kenny Dillingham has consistently brought him around the program as a motivational outlet for the players. Plummer’s connection with Dillingham stretches back beyond ASU when a young Dillingham was coaching at Florida State as an assistant. Even in his early years in the coaching sector, Plummer recognized an energy that made Dillingham stand out above the rest.
“I remember meeting him and just thinking, ‘Wow, this is it.’ He was just a young kid. He was in his teen years. I think he was only 19 at the time, maybe 20. As time went on, I watched him progress rapidly up the ladder. I don’t know exactly how my first impression of him was, other than that I saw this eagerness. That fire, that little light in his eye, was there when I first met him. And it’s still there now. And that’s really what a program needs — that guy leading the charge.”
The Sun Devils earned a place in the College Football Playoff, losing in overtime 39-31 against Texas. The matchup was a blockbuster, putting ASU football on the national radar. Plummer credited the 2024 season by contrasting it with 1996, as the triumphant turnaround from a 3-8 season in Dillingham’s first year is unprecedented success in Tempe.
“Being able to see a team like ASU go out there, my alma mater, and represent well and compete was awesome,” Plummer said. “We went round for round with Texas. We very well could’ve had an opportunity — or a couple of things could’ve gone our way — to win that game. Win or lose, though, it proved that, ‘Hey, you can do it.’ Whether the fans need to hear that or if the media needs to see that, it’s the players who now believe that ‘Hey, we actually kind of dominated that team, and we should have won.’ It stings. It’s a nasty taste in our mouth. Let’s go back and make sure we know what we can do, what we can build upon, and who we can bring in to fill some roles so that if we get this opportunity again...”
Plummer is a fan favorite and still a marquee face in the history of ASU athletics. He knows the difficulties of competing at the pinnacle of competition year after year. In four years at ASU, the team went 26-19, including a 3-8 record in his sophomore season. For the fanbase, Plummer’s message revolves around managing expectations and backing the team through any bumps that may come.
“I think as fans; we want to see the same thing. But let’s be supportive in whatever they put forth,” Plummer said. “Knowing that the plan is to be in the conversation every year. The fans know their job is to keep being here for them, supporting them in whatever way they can.”
“Having a packed stadium is important. As a player, you want that. I’ve played in that stadium a few times where there weren’t that many people in it. Keep supporting these guys. Keep showing up. Keep coming to the games.”
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