“It’s 4th-and-13. You look across the field, and you can see the vision of Sark calling the play… It just happened too fast. Ball snapped, and then dang. That’ll never change.”  Texas’ 4th and 13 touchdowns in overtime conversions still live fresh in Kenny Dillingham’s memory. After all, ASU was a massive underdog in that Peach Bowl game last year, and they did everything to edge out the Longhorns, even forcing double overtime. But sometimes, the breaks don’t go your way, and you have to get up, lick your wounds, and prepare ahead. That’s exactly what Dillingham is doing this season.

But before he could move on to focus on practices, there was a massive gap in the squad that needed to be filled. And this isn’t a minor setback, it was 1,711 rushing yards and 605 receiving yards deep. Yes, we are talking about Cam Skattebo, who notched up those stats last year, and even in that defeat against Texas, he earned the MVP award. What the bowling ball running back did last season was no small feat. He surpassed Eno Benjamin’s single-season rushing yard record (1,642) and Woody Green’s 19 rushing touchdowns record that had been in place since 1972. But now, with Skattebo off to the NFL, Kenny Dillingham faces the tall task of getting the same production from someone else.

To fill that void, Arizona State brought in Kanye Udoh from the Army, who was also incredible last year, producing 1,117 rushing yards. While the rushing production is there, the dual-threat ability is largely unproven in the two seasons he has been in the Army. Another player who is being touted to match a percentage of the production is the junior Kyson Brown. His head showed moments of brilliance last season and produced 351 rushing yards. But if you ask HC Kenny Dillingham, he doesn’t have a definite answer for the replacement.

Kenny Dillingham spoke to On3’s Pete Nakos as he relayed Dillingham’s take. “Dillingham said his absence can’t be filled by just one running back; he’s looking at multiple to step up, including Army transfer Kanye Udoh and former top-100 recruit Raleek Brown,” reported Pete Nakos. However, the head coach stressed that while getting the same production in the RB room won’t be easy. His ultimate goal is to change the identity of the program and take it into the list of ‘blue-blood’ programs of the country.

“Every 10 years, a team shows up on the map, and they’re a blue blood to the next generation. They’re not a blue blood to the people my age, but they’re a blue blood to the 10-year-olds, the 11-year-olds, and the 12-year-olds who you’re eventually going to recruit….The lifestyle you have in Arizona, if we can create some staff consistency, and then we’re in a league where we can continually compete to win,” said Kenny Dillingham to Pete Nakos.

The 2025 season will be pivotal for teams like ASU and the Indiana Hoosiers, who exceeded all expectations last season. As for the talent pool? 15 players have returned for the 2025 season, including Sam Leavitt, who had an incredible season last year. Leavitt threw for 2,885 yards, along with 443 rushing yards, which was incredible. However, with new faces around him and Skattebo no longer in the backfield, can he replicate or elevate his performance again this year?

Kenny Dillingham challenges Sam Leavitt and Co. for the 2025 season

Kenny Dillingham is all ready to take the 11-3 season of 2024 up a notch. The head coach stressed the importance of improving every season, and he won’t compromise on that: “Why don’t you go do something else?” For Dillingham, player mentalities and hunger reign paramount, and retaining that talent and mentality is something the head coach is building his team towards. However, before that happens, he has a message for all players, including Sam Leavitt, for the 2025 season.

“For us, it’s just very simple: Why would everybody choose to come back if they want to be the same? Did people come back to do the same thing again? Was that really the goal? That shouldn’t be the goal. If everybody came back to accomplish the exact same thing, then why don’t you go take more money elsewhere? “

So, the message is simple: 2024 was no fluke, and the head coach is ready to prove that he can do it again. In terms of talent acquisition, he has 16  transfers, including players like Jaren Hamilton (WR), coming from Alabama, and Noble Johnson (WR), coming from Clemson. Moreover, the red-shirt freshman running back Raleek Brown is expected to have his breakthrough season. And if the 5’9″ RB has the burst. The Sun Devils will not suffer Skattebo’s absence excessively.