Arizona State head coach Kenny Dillingham made it clear that the tone of training camp in Tempe has been intentionally grueling.
Speaking with the media this week, Dillingham said that nearly every transfer on the roster has admitted this camp is tougher than anything they experienced at their previous schools.
“Every other transfer said this camp is significantly harder than the place they came from. And that’s the goal,” Dillingham said.
The Sun Devils have undergone one of the most aggressive roster rebuilds in the Big 12, bringing in a wave of transfers to compete right away. For Dillingham, setting a standard of toughness in camp is part of creating a program identity that can withstand the weekly grind of the league.
Arizona State’s move into the Big 12 has raised expectations, but it also raises the stakes. Competing against physical programs like Kansas State, Utah, and Iowa State requires a level of preparation that goes beyond scheme. Dillingham is leaning into that reality by pushing players harder than they’ve been pushed before, and the feedback from transfers has only validated his approach.
The third-year head coach has emphasized culture and accountability since arriving in Tempe, and a reputation for difficult training camps could become part of that foundation. For a team that finished last year atop the Big 12 and in the College Football Playoff, the grind of August may be what sharpens them for the fall.
As Dillingham put it, the goal is simple: build a program where the work is harder, the buy-in is higher, and the results follow. If Arizona State can match its talent upgrades with the toughness demanded in camp, the Sun Devils could quickly become one of the Big 12’s toughest outs.
