Coming into the 2024 season, Arizona State was perceived as one of the bottom power four teams in the country, ranking dead last in the Big 12 preseason poll.
However, Kenny Dillingham and the Sun Devils have been proving people wrong from the get-go, and is now the lone Big 12 team still standing in the race for a national championship.
After a 45-19 beatdown of Iowa State in the Big 12 Championship Game, ASU secured a conference title and a first-round bye in the College Football Playoff. Perhaps even more impressive than the score to that game is the fact that they did it without their top target, Jordyn Tyson.
The Big 12 Offensive Newcomer of the Year finished the regular season with 75 receptions for 1,101 yards and 10 touchdowns, going for 125 yards or more in each of his final three games.
Even without Tyson, Sun Devils’ quarterback Sam Leavitt (Big 12 Offensive Freshman of the Year) maintained balance on offense, throwing for 219 yards and three touchdowns while completing 12 of 17 attempts.
Leavitt’s play, along with the development of the entire receiving corps under Hines Ward, has made Arizona State something of a destination for transfer portal wide receivers.
According to Chris Karpman of 247Sports, the Sun Devils are receiving a lot of interest from wideouts in the portal.
“Kenny Dillingham said that ASU has received a lot of interest from wide receivers in the transfer portal,” Karpman said on X. “Sounds like a lot of guys are interested in playing with Sam Leavitt and being coached by Hines Ward. The Sun Devils should be able to be selective at a position of need.”
Leavitt’s performance in his first year as a starter immediately makes ASU a program to watch in the Big 12 for the next few seasons. With Jordyn Tyson likely to return, along with a host of other impact players, the Sun Devils have plenty of reason to be excited for the future.
However, before they even begin thinking about that, ASU has a College Football Playoff appearance to tend to, as they await the winner of Clemson and Texas in the Chick-Fil-a Peach Bowl on New Year’s Day.
