Kenny Dillingham faces a significant challenge in ensuring that ASU can maintain strong football performance into 2025 and prove that their successful 2024 season wasn’t just a fluke.
During a Zoom call with reporters on Friday, Dillingham pointed out that in the history of the Big 12, only Oklahoma has won the conference outright in back-to-back years, and Oklahoma is no longer part of the league.
“How do you get that same group of people to play with that fire, that energy, have that passion, play with that mindset of ‘the world’s against me?’” Dillingham asked. “I think the greatest challenge for our guys is that. Since we’re returning everyone, we’re going to have high expectations.”
“But the reality is,” he continued, “it doesn’t matter. We’re only going to be as good as we prepare and practice. We can’t just show up on Saturday and win games. It’s a process.”
ASU has a head start with more than 35 players returning from last season’s 44-man two-deep, including the dynamic duo of Sam Leavitt and Jordyn Tyson, but there’s still plenty of work to do.
What changes will Dillingham make to the ASU offense?
Dillingham noted that the offense may evolve now that Leavitt, as a second-year starter, offers more options. However, the overall approach may remain largely the same.
“We might not change a lot, but we’ll prioritize different aspects more in the offseason because, at the end of the day, it’s about maximizing the players on your team,” Dillingham explained. “We have a different team, so we’ll focus on maximizing their skill sets. We should look a bit different this year. And if we don’t, I’ll be disappointed in myself for not adapting our offense around our current team.”
Dillingham also mentioned that the key area he’s focusing on for Leavitt is improving his consistency as a dropback passer.
Dillingham emphasized the importance of Leavitt’s rhythm, coordination between his feet and eyes, and consistency on specific throws. “When you’re an athletic quarterback, you’ve played freely your whole life, and that’s crucial,” Dillingham said. “You never want to take away someone’s ability to play with freedom. But there’s a balance between playing freely and having parts of your game that are very rhythmic.”
He also wants Leavitt to be in more situations where he only has to make one read, allowing the ball to get out before the defense has time to react. This should help improve his efficiency as a passer.
Dillingham added, “Our job is to maximize him. Even if it feels uncomfortable at first, if we think it’s best for him, we’ll do it. If it doesn’t look good by June, we can always go back to what works. But we’re trying to improve his game, especially his eye-foot coordination and his quick passing on short and intermediate throws.”
As for players Dillingham is looking to develop, ASU added transfer running back Kanye Udoh, who had an impressive 1,117 yards and 10 touchdowns at Army last season.
Replacing a key player like Cam Skattebo will be a challenge, but Udoh may lead a backfield that also includes Kyson Brown and Raleek Brown, along with returning depth pieces like Jason Brown Jr. and Alton McCaskill.
Dillingham plans to assess the running backs in the spring during live practices to see how they perform against ASU’s defense before finalizing the rotation.
“It may sound boring, but the best running backs don’t get tackled,” he said. “I’m eager to see which ones can avoid being tackled in live drills. We’ve got solid depth in the room, and even though we don’t have a Skattebo, we have plenty of players who can help fill the gaps.”
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