Lots of pundits are starting to write off Arizona State's magical 2024 season as yet another flash in the pan in this program's history — akin to the 1986 and 1996 Rose Bowl campaigns. In 2025, just as in the followups to those other two breakthroughs, the Sun Devils failed to return to the conference championship game let alone the national championship race.
But Kenny Dillingham's team enters 2026 without the same target they had on their backs last year, and that must feel freeing to some degree. The Big 12 is just as unpredictable as ASU's previous home in the Pac-12, which makes the team a compelling candidate to sneak out of the pack once again and challenge for the conference title.
1. Kenny Dillingham rocked the transfer portal yet again
ASU's success in 2024 stemmed mostly from head coach Kenny Dillingham bringing would-be misfits from the transfer portal and getting them to peak ahead of schedule. That group was led by QB Sam Leavitt and WR Jordyn Tyson. Dillingham made similar splashes this offseason with the additions of passers Cutter Boley from Kentucky and Mikey Keene from Michigan, plus top weapons for them to work with like wideouts Omarion Miller from Colorado and Reed Harris from Boston College.
Folks should really be excited about Miller and Harris, two of the top rated transfer prospects at their position in the portal. Imagine having two Tyson-type receivers on the roster; that's the kind of potential ASU is working with this year. On top of that, the nation's leading tackler — linebacker Owen Long — transferred to Tempe from Colorado State. That should provide a big boost to the Devils' pass rush, an area that was in need of improvement last year.
2. Early schedule opportunities to be underestimated
ASU has a tough schedule this year, there's no denying that. Yet many are already making the Devils out to be serious underdogs in most contests despite the aforementioned roster improvement. That underestimation could doom some opponents, especially in the opening month or so — which includes a trip down to College Station to take on No. 8 Texas A&M in Week 2 and a shot at taking down the defending Big 12 champions, No. 12 Texas Tech, in Lubbock for Week 7.
Should ASU emerge victorious from either or both those marquee matchups, it'll put them back on the map in a big way. They'll both be gigantic tests for Dillingham's squad, but there's plenty of reason to believe the Devils will step up to the challenge because they've seemingly been written off so early. Playing a high-ranked opponent early in the year as an unranked team lets the latter take the field under the radar. ASU loved playing in the shadows during 2024 and it paid dividends in December. That same scenario is poised to play out again this year.
3. Potential NFL talent will lead the way
Stemming mostly from Dillingham's hard work in the transfer portal, the Sun Devils boast a lot of individual talent that will get the attention of national media once NFL Draft season rolls around next spring. Miller and Reed top that list on the offensive side, but Tempe-grown prospects like defensive tackle CJ Fite and running back Kyson Brown should also be pinned to pundits' draft boards. Redshirt sophomore cornerback Rodney Bimage is one more name to spotlight; he'll be starting fully for the first time in his young career, but his potential ceiling is way higher than most realize.
Dillingham also has a lot of NFL producers on his staff. Most notably, wide receivers coach Hines Ward has committed himself to making ASU a threat to LSU's Wide Receiver U monopoly. That kind of leadership goes a long way in cultivating a locker room culture that inspires the team to play above its level. Sure, you could boil it all down to "vibes", but sometimes that's all you need to get guys to believe in themselves when nobody else will. That's where monumental upsets are born, and ASU is going to need a few of those to compete for the Big 12 again.
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