As spring practice opens, ASU football enters second year of Kenny Dillingham era with higher expectations in 2024

TEMPE – Arizona State football is starting its second season under head coach Kenny Dillingham. Following a disappointing 2023 season, Sun Devil supporters will get a preview of what lies ahead for the ailing club in 2024 when ASU commences spring practice on Tuesday.

The squad just finished its second consecutive season with a 3–9 record, which is the worst run the program has had in almost 80 years. In addition, as the Sun Devils are ready to play in their first Big 12 Conference this season, they are riding high on consecutive 2–7 finishes in the soon-to-be-defunct Pac-12 Conference.

This is an opportunity for a squad that has suffered from injuries and a lack of depth to start over.

Speaking to the media Thursday, Dillingham emphasized that the bar has been raised for the Sun Devils entering 2024. He expects competition within spring ball to be cutthroat and that the established level of performance will influence teams for years to come.

“I would say this year the minimum standard that we can reach is much higher than the minimum standard that we could reach last year,” Dillingham said. “Everybody knows we want to go out there and compete every day. That’s just who we are, that’s who I am, that’s who this team is always going to be. There’s only one way to do things, and that’s all in.

“That’ll be from now until forever.”

Jaden Rashada, the quarterback, will miss the whole of spring football due to a hand injury, the program said on Thursday. Rashada missed the majority of his freshman campaign due to a knee ailment. The former Florida commit was considered the next in line for the quarterback position and was expected to take Sun Devil football back to the promised land when he committed to Tempe more than a year ago.

Although Dillingham has said he won’t think twice to let Michigan State transfer Sam Leavitt and seasoned quarterback Trenton Bourguet battle for the position during spring camp, those expectations still stand. Additionally, the club will give Peoria High School walk-on quarterback Navi Bruzon the same amount of reps.

“We’re going to have a good competition in the spring,” Dillingham said. “I think adding Sam (Leavitt) to the room, adding Navi (Bruzon) to the room adds pretty good depth there. And I think putting in a new system and we’ve been able to get a bunch of walk-throughs leading up to spring ball, and now we’ll be able to get spring ball reps with three guys taking reps and then Jaden adding back in, they’ll be a plethora of reps for these guys. So by the end of spring ball, these guys are going to have a really good grasp of this system and what we’re trying to get accomplished.”

Quarterback depth became a major problem for the Sun Devils in 2023. Rashada missed nine games, recently-transferred Drew Pyne missed 10 games with multiple leg injuries and Bourguet missed four. Near the end of the season, tight end Jaylin Conyers and running back Cam Skattebo lined up at the position.