Kenny Dillingham squeezed every last drop of potential from his 2024 Arizona State roster, with Cam Skattebo leading the Big 12 in rushing and a quiet revolution taking place at quarterback. Skattebo’s 1,711 rushing yards and 24 total touchdowns stole headlines, but the truth is, Sam Leavitt might’ve been the Sun Devils’ real engine. The former Michigan State transfer exploded for a school-record 3,328 yards of offense in his first season in Tempe, giving Dillingham the kind of dual-threat spark ASU fans haven’t seen since—well, since a guy who just signed for $37.7 million in the NFL. And while questions swirled early in the season, ASU’s once improbable Big 12 title charge became downright legitimate by year’s end.

The whispers around Leavitt’s upside have now turned into full-throated declarations. After a recent training video surfaced, NFL Rookie Watch lit the match. Sam Leavitt launched 50-plus-yard bombs flat-footed—then followed that with 40-yard ropes on the run, looking more like a quarterback out of a Madden glitch than a college sophomore. The hype has weight. Several NFL scouts reportedly believe Leavitt is the “most prolific” QB to come through Arizona State since Jayden Daniels—the 2023 Heisman winner and now $37.7 million man under center for the Commanders.

One scout wasn’t shy about the ceiling, either. “He’s easily one of the most intriguing QB prospects eligible for next year’s draft.” Another went even further: “He has Heisman potential.” It’s hard not to believe them.

Leavitt’s tape already shows a polished blend of timing, zip, and improvisation. And when paired with Kenny Dillingham’s up-tempo, spread-heavy attack, the pairing looks made for Saturdays—and maybe Sundays. Leavitt is that kind of quarterback: poised, unshaken, and dripping with the type of natural arm talent that turns anonymous hotel meeting rooms into million-dollar interview stages come draft season.

The hype isn’t just external. Leavitt himself pointed to the moment everything changed—an away win that recalibrated the Arizona State Sun Devils’ entire season. “The win in Manhattan, Kansas changed everything,” he told ESPN’s Matt Barrie.

And Kenny Dillingham didn’t hesitate to echo that. “You saw the guys come together after the Kansas State game,” coach Dillingham said on ESPN. “You saw the guys’ confidence as they were playing together, and then you saw multiple games there where we got out to really big leads, where we just played great early in the game and that confidence of ‘man, what if we just played like this for a complete game?’”

That moment of clarity turned into momentum. Dillingham detailed the transformation from chaos to cohesion with pride. “They got so much confidence in getting onto those big leads that they started to stack halves together and to start to play complete football games.” That maturity, especially from a young passer like Leavitt, is what separates programs that flame out from those that take the next step. And Dillingham isn’t hiding from the expectations anymore.

With 2025 now in focus, Arizona State isn’t lurking in the woods—they’re out front, being talked about as one of the top teams in the nation and a serious threat to repeat as Big 12 champions. It’s a stunning turnaround for a program that a year ago looked like it was still searching for its footing. He wants ASU to become a “blue blood,” and he’s doubled down on that vision.

Kenny Dillingham dreaming big in Tempe

Coach Kenny isn’t just coaching Arizona State—he’s manifesting a football empire out in the desert. Fresh off being named the Big 12 Coach of the Year in 2024 and runner-up for AP Coach of the Year, Dillingham is dreaming big for the Sun Devils—and he’s not shy about it.

In a recent chat with On3, Dillingham laid out his vision with bold clarity: “You can build something very, very unique,” he said. “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.”

“You have Clemson this last cycle, from 2010 to 2020. They just showed up. People think they’ve been around forever. You have Oregon from 2000 to 2010. … There hasn’t been a team in this era, in the 2020s.” His point? Why not ASU? The mix of a desirable lifestyle, a fertile recruiting state, and a competitive Big 12 setup gives Arizona State a real chance to rise. But it’s not just about dreaming—it’s about staying the course.

“Of course I should believe we can build something, so should every coach of a program,” Dillingham said. He quickly added some perspective: “We are a LONG way away from this and the context was about why I want to be at ASU for the long haul. 1 season proves nothing. It’s a marathon not a race. #SunDevil4LIFE.” A Phoenix native and Sun Devil alum, Dillingham isn’t just pitching hype—he’s pitching homegrown hope.