They say that the 2024 magic is going to be tough for Kenny Dillingham to repeat. Arizona State went 11-3 and ran away with the Big 12 championship. However, with his key weapons RB Cam Skattebo and WR Jake Smith gone, it turns out that Dillingham might be standing on quicksand. Maybe that will give him the perfect opportunity to focus on how to improve himself and his Sun Devils. 

As Arizona State’s tight ends coach, Jason Mohns shared, “He’s [Dillingham] so humble and he asked things, ‘Hey, where can I get better and what can I do?’” Maybe that’s what propelled Dillingham to give Michigan State transfer quarterback Sam Leavitt a shot. And the gamble paid off. He had a strong 2024 season at the Arizona State camp. This was followed up with 2885 yards and 24 touchdowns. Now, fans are inquisitive about what Dillingham’s Leavitt plan is for the 2025 season.

On July 30, the Arizona State head coach faced the media, recapping the first day of fall practices. And Leavitt’s topic had to come up. One interviewer asked, “Do you feel like the way you’re now communicating with Sam is different than last year? You feel like it’s more collaborative now?” Leavitt’s 2024 feat has frequently tabbed him among the best in college football. Both at the QB position and at large. He threw for under 200 yards just four times. On that note, Dillingham shared, “I mean in a way, yes. He knows the system, right? In some ways, he may know the vernacular better than me, right? Because he’s in there more than me in terms of the true vernacular of the football plays.”

The head coach shared how he never puts the blame on Leavitt for any wrong play. Rather tries to understand his point of view, “But for me and him, it’s always been communicating. What did you see? I never tell him why didn’t you throw the post. I say what did you see? Cuz I want to know why he didn’t throw the post.” Being a bit compassionate and understanding goes a long way. And we have already seen that. The redshirt freshman started out in a positive yet subdued manner throughout the early stages of the 2024 season. But once Dillingham’s quarterback was on the rise, there was no turning back. 

The Texas Longhorns’ defensive line gave the Sun Devils a hard time. But Dillingham remained calm and composed. Leavitt ran for 60 yards, including a 28-yard scamper that generated a scoring opportunity for his team early in the third quarter. As the Sun Devils crushed Iowa State in a 45-19 heroic feat, the kudos go to Leavitt, who made most use of his rushing ability. We then got to see him completing a 9-yard pass to Kyson Brown, and then running for another 14 before Skattebo scored a touchdown to change the score to 17-10. 

“I think him communicating to us like he did last year, but I think he has more confidence in that communication and I think he has more confidence in what he likes as an alternative,” noted the head coach. And what about Leavitt’s partner-in-crime?  

Is Kenny Dillingham’s silence on Jordyn Tyson a strategy?  

Jordyn Tyson and Leavitt’s brotherly bond had turned into a hot topic in the Big 12 conversations. Dillingham’s quarterback-wide receiver duo is from the same school. Plus, they both have picked up first-round buzz in the 2026 NFL Draft. Tyson is coming off a redshirt sophomore season in which he had 75 receptions for 1,101 yards and 10 touchdowns in 12 games. Unfortunately, Dillingham’s wide receiver’s 2024 stint had been cut short. 

This was due to to his collarbone injury. While he was expected to make a comeback post-surgery, Tyson went missing from the Sun Devils’ spring practice. But guess who came back with a thunder? Has to be Tyson. Dillingham’s wide receiver has been named to the Pat Tillman Leadership Council as he shares the honor with Josh Atkins, Jordan Crook, among others. On the opening day, Tyson visibly looked much improved from how he was moving in 2024.

However, Kenny Dillingham wants Jordyn Tyson to push a bit harder. He shifted the spotlight to Malik McClain, Jaren Hamilton, and Harru Hassman. The head coach then continued, “Malik had a really good play on the back shoulder. Harry had a few good plays. Jaren had a few good plays. I mean, that was a pretty good game for those guys. They won one-on-one matchups. I’m not going to sit here and talk about Jordyn Tyson every day…I will talk about him on a day that he gets beat, to continue to challenge him. You know, that’s my job as a coach is to not tell him how good he is, but to challenge him on things to get better at and to continue to push him.” It’s Tyson’s time to cash in on his chemistry with Leavitt and lead the Sun Devils to the top.