“And they lived happily ever after.” That’s how every fairy tale ends. Sans any margin for nuance or negativity. Telling you, rather disingenuously, that prosperity is perpetual. The reality is that the clock eventually strikes midnight in every Cinderella story. Every ounce of fairy dust is exacted with an antidote of reality. Success, especially in the sports realm, is finite and often comes in short, one-off bursts. Even the FSUs and Michigans of this world aren’t averse to a blip. Kenny Dillingham and the ASU Sun Devils are about to embark on a quest to prove this wrong. To sustain their success, their prosperity, and their Cinderella run. Prove that they weren’t a mere flash in the pan. That they’re here to stay for the long haul.

One season is an eternity in college football. This time last year, Arizona State was still licking its proverbial wounds after a 3-9 season. Now, they’re standing on the precipice of entering the ‘25 season as defending Big 12 champions. After having channeled their inner David and nearly slaying Texas’ Goliath in the inaugural 12-team playoffs. Most coaches will typically rest on their laurels after forcing a turnaround of this magnitude. Kenny Dillingham resonates with anything but typical, though. 

ASU’s activity this offseason suggests they’re not satisfied with adding 8 wins and hardware to their first year under Coach Dillingham. Now that they’ve gotten a taste for winning, they’re striving for more of the same. A national CFB analyst believes they will prevail in their efforts. Over the On3 YouTube channel, J.D. PicKell relayed a hypothetical list of his post-spring top 25 teams for 2025. Kenny Dillingham’s Sun Devils are slated in at #13. On the surface level, this indicates he’s got them missing the playoffs by an excruciatingly small margin. However, he reckons they’ll make it through via the alternate route. The one they traversed last season, too.

“I’m here for all the Arizona State hype, because they’ve earned it at this point,” remarked PicKell. “In on the Sun Devils. In on what Coach Dillingham is doing. Will pick them to win the Big 12 and feel pretty good about doing so, too,” he added. As per the stipulations in place, subject to change in the ever-changing dynamics around the sport, winning a Power conference guarantees you a playoff berth. It even guarantees you a first-round bye, although that very contentious provision may not survive the off-season. It’s how ASU made the Peach Bowl last time of asking. J.D. PicKell proceeded to touch upon a couple of reasons why he predicts Kenny Dillingham and Co. will repeat this feat. 

The first bit of rationale PicKell brought up was the fact that ASU is No. 2 in the country in returning production from 2024. For context, they’ve retained 79% of their output. Over 50 players from last season’s roster are back on campus. In an era where the transfer portal is fanning the flames of players jumping ship left and right, this is extremely noteworthy. This segues into PicKell’s second reason, one such returning player.

QB1 Sam Leavitt is staying put in Tempe and is poised to spearhead an offense that has lost its star man in RB Cam Skattebo. Leavitt projects as one of the very best quarterbacks in the sport next season. A mix of quality and experience. Lastly, J.D. PicKell mentioned how open the Big 12 is. There’s no standout powerhouse creating separation at the top. This means Kenny Dillingham’s team is primed to repeat as conference champion.

But even with all this said, it’s not all sunshine and rainbows for Arizona State. The aforementioned Cam Skattebo’s ascension to the NFL does leave behind a void that’s difficult to fill. Both in the short term and the long term.

Kenny Dillingham’s projected success undercut by a Cam Skattebo-shaped hole in the backfield

Cam Skattebo was a Swiss Army knife for Arizona State. The tailback didn’t just move the sticks rushing out of the backfield, akin to a battering ram. He caught passes from Sam Leavitt, blocked for him, and was a figurehead for ASU from a leadership standpoint. He even threw touchdowns off play-action, a la the Texas game! A microcosm of his importance to ASU is his 5th-place Heisman finish last year. Naturally, Kenny Dillingham will, and is, having some trouble substantiating his absence.

Arizona State has replaced Cam Skattebo with Kanye Udoh, who’s the new RB1-elect. Coming to Tempe via the transfer portal from Army, Udoh represents a different archetype of running back. Not necessarily a downgrade by any means. If you can run the football with potency at a service academy, when everybody and their mom knows they’re going to run the football, it’s a testament to your ability. Kanye Udoh is just less multi-dimensional relative to Skattebo.

Alas, a full year of starting at the collegiate level means redshirt sophomore Sam Leavitt can be bestowed a greater onus of the offense. He’ll be tasked with making up for some of the lost production post-Cam Skattebo. With Kenny Dillingham and his staff guiding him and Kanye Udoh complementing him, he almost certainly will. There’s an air of positivity around Tempe right now. Coach Dillingham will hope to continue striking the iron while it’s hot. Making the playoffs again, by whatever means, will represent that Arizona State is indeed here to stay. Not the beneficiaries of some fairy dust sprinkled upon their path.