ASU, under Kenny Dillingham, was a force to be reckoned with last season. They had running back Cam Skattebo on a generational run and Sam Leavitt behind the center, who exceeded all expectations. The Sun Devils were undoubtedly one of the feel-good stories of the postseason. The Longhorns almost became the victim of the vibes. Although Steve Sarkisian’s team managed to overpower ASU in double overtime, it wasn’t without drama. If not for that controversial targeting call, Arizona State might have won the game. However, despite that loss, the program finished 11-3, with a Big 12 championship under their belt. Everything wasn’t always batting for them, and it took great determination to ultimately beat the odds.

Before they went undefeated in the regular season after that Oklahoma State win, ASU suffered two major setbacks against Texas Tech and Cincinnati. Against Texas Tech, they lost 30-22 and they lost 14-24 against Cincinnati. Both of these were road games and quite difficult, too, and ASU’s defensive struggles couldn’t help their case. Against Texas Tech, they allowed 334 yards and failed to convert critical third downs. As for the loss against Cincinnati, the special teams missed a field goal attempt, and turnovers and failed conversions plagued them. But something changed with these losses.

ASU’s safety Xavion Alford, who totaled 85 tackles last season, sat on the June 15th podcast episode of ‘PHNX Sports‘ and talked about how Sam Leavitt and the team rallied after the loss. “I remember like me, Sam, a couple of people having a conversation in the locker room like, ‘If this is really what we want to do from this moment forward, then we know what we have to do.’ We knew we couldn’t lose any more games, you know, we knew that if we did that, they were going to count Arizona State out.” The fortunes really changed after that, and the team didn’t look back.

From then on, ASU went on to beat Oklahoma State, UCF, Kansas State, and BYU. Moreover, Sam Leavitt’s performance against Oklahoma State was a sign of true accountability, as he passed for 304 yards and 3 touchdowns. As for Xavion Alford? He also had a good game, totaling 4 tackles, and led the secondary to hold Oklahoma State to just 21 points. Now, coming into the 2025 season, the winning mentality is there, and Sam Leavitt is the major factor in that.

Alford talked about how talented and humble Sam Leavitt is and highlighted his leadership in the locker room. “You know, he really still wants to work. You know he puts in the work each and every day. He comes in and sets a standard, you know, obviously, he’s the leader.” When asked what sets Leavitt apart, the safety had a simple reply. “I think that’s really what it is. Just his mindset is what separates him. I play with obviously a lot of guys, a lot of different guys. And I would say that his mindset is similar to mine.”

Last year, Leavitt was probably the second-best player for ASU after Cam Skattebo. The guy ran for 443 yards, threw for 2,885 yards, and led ASU to their first-ever playoff appearance. Moreover, who can forget his game-changing touchdown against Kansas, right, with just 20 seconds left on the clock? Now, in the 2025 season, he is coming back with a promise of even greater improvement in his performances, leading to Heisman talks.

Kenny Dillingham weighs in on Sam Leavitt’s Heisman case

Under Kenny Dillingham, Sam Leavitt thrived and produced one of the most memorable seasons. And this season, Cam Skattebo might not be there, but Dillingham still has some lethal weapons for Sam Leavitt. For instance, Jordyn Tyson is coming back, and Brian Ward is leading the defense, making the team’s hopes even greener. So, Dillingham finally hinted at what he planned to do with Sam Leavitt.

“I think there’s a strategic plan in how they’re going about that… he’s earned it. I think there’s more than just him on our team,” he said, “but obviously the quarterback and the Heisman get hyped up the most. So that’s why the hype is on him, which it should be because he deserves it,” said Kenny Dillingham.

Well, looking at the squad for ASU, they have brought in some of the reliable players to address the departures. These include Jalen Moss (WR), Jaren Hamilton (WR), and Jimeto Obigbo (LG). However, the major question will be their running back room after the departure of Cam Skattebo. Sure, they brought in Kanye Udoh, who had 1,117 rushing yards last season with the Army. But can he be as good as Skattebo? We don’t know it yet!!