ASU football preview: Kenny Dillingham plots major rebuild
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ASU head coach Kenny Dillingham at Pac-12 Media Day on July 21 in Las Vegas. Photo: Louis Grasse/Getty Images
When the ASU Sun Devils take the field Thursday night, first-year head coach Kenny Dillingham hopes to showcase a team that looks, feels and plays entirely different from the one that captured only three wins last season.
ICYMI (we wish we had): The Sun Devils suffered their worst winning percentage since 1942 with several painful defeats — including a 38-35 loss to rival U of A.
- ASU canned controversial head coach Herm Edwards a few weeks into last season after a disappointing start and NCAA investigation of the team's recruiting practices.
The latest: ASU announced Sunday morning that it's self-imposing a ban on bowl games this season in light of the ongoing investigation.
The big picture: The university hired 33-year-old Dillingham (the youngest head coach in Division I football) last November.
- The ASU graduate, who most recently served as offensive coordinator for Oregon, got to work building a new coaching staff. Most of his picks have deep ties to Arizona, The Athletic reported.
- Dillingham also picked up 43 new players, including 15 high school prospects and 25 Division I transfers, many of whom are expected to play major roles on the field this season.
The intrigue: The influx of new talent set up a three-way competition for starting quarterback between Notre Dame transfer Drew Pyne, true freshman Jaden Rashada and junior Trenton Bourguet, who started five games for the Sun Devils last year.
- Pyne suffered a hamstring injury at Camp Tontozona earlier this month, which will keep him off the field at least through the first week.
- Dillingham named Rashada the starter for Week 1 but hasn't committed to keeping him in the spot permanently.
Zoom in: ESPN rated Rashada the No. 27 overall recruit in the 2023 class. His father, Harlen, played defensive back for ASU in the early '90s.
- Rashada initially committed to Florida, but when a promised $13 million NIL deal fell through, he backed out. His story became a cautionary tale of the new and mostly unregulated world of college sports deals.
Yes, but: By all accounts, Rashada arrived at ASU and refocused on football following the NIL fallout.
- "He's getting better every day," Dillingham told reporters last week. "He's making throws out here that are top-notch NFL throws that our team sees. And it's exciting to see."
What we're watching: Most reputable predictors don't expect much from ASU in this rebuilding year, but Dillingham told reporters the team has high internal expectations. It will depend on a few key factors:
- The quarterback: Can Rashada prove himself and hold onto the starting gig all season? If not, can a healed Pyne or hungry Bourguet quickly step in and lead?
- Returners: The wide receiver-tight end duo of Elijhah Badger and Jalin Conyers needs to start the season with a bang. Last year, they combined for 108 receptions.
- Defense: ASU's defense ranked 107th nationally last season, allowing an average of 31.4 points per game. Luckily, it received a complete overhaul, with a new coordinator and many promising transfers.
1 pricey thing: As the college football season approaches, Sun Devils ticket sales are up by 500%, per a new Stubhub analysis.
- ASU's home games against USC and Oregon are particularly pricey. This is the last season the Sun Devils will play those teams regularly, as they're Big Ten-bound and ASU is headed to the Big 12.