The Arizona Sun Devils hadn’t posted a winning season in four years in the Pac-12. But Kenny Dillingham didn’t care. Neither did Sam Leavitt. Together, they unlocked ASU’s true potential by marking 11-3 on the Big 12 scoreboard last season. And they are up for it again in 2025. A peek behind the curtain showed a team that made smart recruiting moves that changed the locker room culture. One of the players at the heart of it all was transfer safety Xavion Alford. He recounts his own recruitment journey in 2023 and the relationship he shares with their quarterback Leavitt.

Entering the Big 12 for the first time, few in the football world expected this team to make much noise. But despite their underwhelming 3-9 season in 2023, the Sun Devils managed to turn it around next season. Kenny’s squad stormed through league play, demolished Iowa State 45–19 for their first Big 12 title, and punched their ticket to the College Football Playoffs.

They nearly pulled off a stunner in the Peach Bowl. After rallying from a 16-point deficit to force double overtime, they lost the game 39–31 to Texas. In all of it, Xavion Alford didn’t just patrol the back end; he anchored the defense as a leader on and off the field. His transformation from transfer to first-team All‑Big 12 staple helped turn skeptics into believers and set the tone for what Dillingham was building.

“Funny story. So, when I got in the portal, obviously the second time and schools are reaching out. They reached out, ASU reached out to me, Coach Dillingham, and Coach Ward, and told me, ‘Come check it out.’” Xavion recounts in an interview during the Big 12 Media Days with 365Sports on how he came to join Arizona State. “And I was like, ‘Uh, Arizona.’ I had never really been there before, but I had came up on a Friday obviously through official visit time. I was there like on a Friday through Sunday. And when I left, I was back Wednesday with all my stuff moved in, you know. Yeah. That that fast. Boxes, cars, shipped, everything.”

Alford’s story is just one thread in the larger fabric of Arizona State’s rise. A story that is built on trust and an unshakable belief in the people next to you. And while Dillingham sets the tone from the top, it’s the leadership within the locker room that truly kept this group grounded. As Alford hints, there’s one player in particular who embodies that mentality more than anyone else.

Sam Leavitt, the selfless leader under center

Every championship team has that one player who leads the group without ever needing to say much. For Arizona State in 2024, that guy was QB Sam Leavitt. After transferring from Michigan State in just his second year, the transfer quarterback didn’t come in with a flashy reputation or a five-star label. But what he brought was even more valuable. Steady, humble, and locked in from day one, Leavitt earned the locker room’s trust not with talk, but with his production.

In his first full season with the Sun Devils, he piled up 2,885 passing yards, 24 touchdowns, and just 6 interceptions. He paired this feat with rushing for 443 yards and 5 more touchdowns. His performance earned him the Big 12 Offensive Freshman of the Year. “Sam is a professional. He’s a true professional. You know, I see him each and every day. Me and him have a lot of  conversations in private, you know, being two leaders of the team,” recounted Xavion when asked about his relationship with Sam.

“He puts in the work each and every day for the attention that he’s getting, and I’m I’m really glad for him, happy for him, you know, uh, blessed blessed to be on the team with him, but, ready to go to war with him again this year,” the defensive back added, closing with a smile.

The future is bright for ASU. What stands out about Arizona State is that it’s more than just an underdog program, fire‑started by Coach Dillingham. It’s a place with deep roots, big ambition, and a history of turning overlooked talents into legends. From Pat Tillman to Terrell Suggs, ASU has bred stars who rose beyond expectations. That legacy helped draw guys like Xavion Alford and Same Leavitt into the program. For the Sun Devils, the belief isn’t built overnight; it’s carved into history, passed from one generation to the next.