ASU football coach Kenny Dillingham will set the tone for spring practice with an emphasis on competition and improvement after a tough 3-9 season in 2023. Photo by Reese Andrews/Cronkite News)
TEMPE – Arizona State football is in its second year of the Kenny Dillingham era, and after an unforgettable 2023 campaign, the Sun Devil faithful are looking forward to 2024 when ASU begins spring practice on Tuesday. It's a taste of what's in store for the struggling program.
The team finished the season with a 3-9 record for the second year in a row, the program's worst record in nearly 80 years. The Sun Devils are also preparing to play in the Big 12 Conference this season, with a 2-7 record in the soon-to-be-defunct Pac-12 Conference.
This is a chance for a fresh start for a team that has struggled with injuries and a lack of depth.
On Thursday, Dillingham emphasized to the media that the standard has been raised for the Sun Devils heading into 2024. Competition within spring ball will be fierce, and we expect the established performance level to impact the team for years to come.
“I think the minimum standards we can reach this year are much higher than the minimum standards we were able to reach last year,” Dillingham said. “We all know we want to go out there and compete every day. That's who we are, that's who I am, and that's what this team will always be. The way we do things is 1 Just one. That's all.
“It will continue from now until eternity.”
The program announced Thursday that quarterback Jayden Rashada, who missed most of his freshman season with a knee injury, will miss most of spring ball with a hand injury. When he arrived in Tempe more than a year ago, the former Florida native was seen as the next heir to the quarterback crown and destined to return Sun Devil football to the promised land.
Those expectations remain, but Dillingham said he would not hesitate to have veteran quarterback Trenton Bourguet and Michigan State transfer Sam Leavitt compete for roles in spring training. The team will give the same amount of reps to Navi Bruzon, a walk-on quarterback from Peoria High School.
“We'll have some good competition in the spring,” Dillingham said. “I think adding Sam (Leavitt) to the room and adding Navi (Blouson) to the room adds a lot of depth. And with the new system in place, I think we're going to get a lot of walkthroughs by spring ball. Okay, so now we're going to have three guys get reps and then Jayden can add in and get spring ball reps. So they're going to be a lot of reps for these guys. . So by the end of spring ball, they're going to have a really good understanding of this system and what we're trying to accomplish.”
Quarterback depth is a big issue for the Sun Devils in 2023. Rashada missed nine games, recently transferred Drew Pyne missed 10 games with multiple foot injuries and Bourguet missed four games. Towards the end of the season, tight end Jaylin Conyers and running back Cam Skatebo lined up at the position.
This was just one of many priorities in the offseason as the Sun Devils looked to build a young roster for the future of ASU football. As Levitt highlighted, ASU's transfer class included 23 players. Leavitt, who acknowledges the intense competition creeping within the team's quarterback room, chose to come to the Valley for ASU's beefed-up coaching staff.
“I feel like there's competition everywhere you go,” Levitt said. “I wasn't going into a situation where I already had a confirmed starter, but that wasn't really a factor for me. What's really important is about the offensive situation that I'm going to be coached by.”
In addition to new players, the Sun Devils will have a new coach. Offensive coordinator/QB specialist Marcus Arroyo was hired shortly before Leavitt's departure and brings a wealth of experience to the sideline. Prior to arriving in Tempe, he served as QB coach for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2014), assistant head coach, offensive coordinator and QB coach for the Oregon Ducks (2019), and UNLV head coach (2020-22). I've been there before. Dillingham said he and Arroyo will split the offensive line “60-40, 70-30.”
“We've got 15 spring practices, right? I just want to know how much it's going to cost,” Arroyo said. “I think Jaden and Sam, the quarterbacks, the players we bring in, they look at the offense holistically and understand what we can do. Who we put around them, the weapons around them, the wide receivers here, the tight ends, the offensive line that we built and our beliefs about the front, it's a very good match.
“I think it’s a big part for quarterbacks to understand how they play as a system as a whole, not just their individual positions.”
For a program that has struggled to embrace the concept under the leadership of former athletic director Ray Anderson, Dillingham said the NIL situation has progressed “incredibly” since its final game in 2023. he emphasized. It's a process that takes time, and the second year head coach encourages positivity and optimism among the Sun Devils faithful as the program strives to regain its former glory.
“You can help find the solution, or you can be part of the problem,” Dillingham said. “If you're complaining on Twitter, that's part of the problem. Beautiful. Don't worry about it too much, okay? If you're finding a way to help, that's part of the solution. Negative on Twitter If you post something positive about your child, we may take it because of you.
“So, are you part of the problem or part of the solution?”
