Despite the departures of quarterback Sam Leavitt, running back Raleek Brown, receiver Jordyn Tyson and other important pieces to the Arizona State Sun Devils’ 2025 season, ESPN ranked ASU at No. 23 in its way-too-early top 25 for the 2026 season.
“The Sun Devils are undergoing a transformation … But coach Kenny Dillingham did a nice job rebuilding his two-deep through the transfer portal,” ESPN’s Mark Schlabach wrote.
ASU went 3-9 in Dillingham’s first season and had one of the greatest one-year turnarounds in college football history, leading the Sun Devils to an 11-3 record as Big 12 champions and a spot in the College Football Playoff in 2024.
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It was another strong year in 2025, finishing with at least eight wins for the fourth time in the last 11 years. However, despite the loss of running back Cam Skattebo, with the return of both Leavitt and Tyson, ASU started the year ranked No. 11 in the country.
After a Week 2 loss to Mississippi State, ASU dropped out of the AP top 25. Then, the Sun Devils earned a 19-point win over Texas State and traveled to Baylor and earned a 27-24 win to climb back to No. 25 in the rankings.
ASU beat No. 24 TCU the following week to move up to No. 21 before a 32-point loss at Utah, without Leavitt, to drop back out of the rankings. However, the Sun Devils knocked off No. 7 Texas Tech the following week, with Leavitt, to jump back to No. 24. That was Texas Tech’s lone loss of the regular season.
Then, ASU fell at home to Houston to drop back out of the rankings before earning back-to-back wins at Iowa State and against West Virginia to climb back to No. 25.
The Sun Devils jumped to No. 21 thanks to a 25-point win in Colorado before the Territorial Cup game to end the regular season.
ASU lost to Arizona, 23-7, and dropped out of the rankings, and then lost its bowl game against Duke to finish the season unranked.
In addition to Leavitt, Tyson and Brown on the offensive side of the ball, offensive linemen Josh Atkins and Max Iheanachor departed this offseason to the transfer portal and the NFL Draft, respectively, and running back Kanye Udoh is in the transfer portal.
On the defensive side, ASU lost key starters in defensive linemen Clayton Smith, Prince Dorbah and Justin Wodtly, linebackers Keyshaun Elliott and Jordan Crook and defensive backs Keith Abney II, Myles Rowser, Xavion Alford and Javan Robinson.
However, Dillingham hit the transfer portal this offseason to revamp the Sun Devils with the 14th-ranked class in the country, according to 247Sports. ASU brought in 27 new players, including 11 on offense, 13 on defense and three on special teams.
The Sun Devils brought in quarterbacks Cutter Boley (Kentucky) and Mikey Keene (Michigan) to compete with Cameron Dyer and true freshman Jake Fette. ASU earned commitments from three receivers including two of the top four at the position (Reed Harris, Boston College, and Omarion Miller, Colorado), and the No. 5 linebacker (Owen Long, Colorado State) in the portal.
“Boley played pretty well as a first-time starter at Kentucky this past season, and Miller, Harris and Raiden Vines-Bright were three of the top receivers available,” Schlabach wrote. “Two FCS running backs, Marquis Gillis from Delaware State and David Avit from Villanova, might be sneaky-good additions.
“Arizona State plays at Texas A&M, Arizona, BYU and Texas Tech this coming season.”
The Sun Devils will travel to College Station in the second week of the season to play the Texas A&M Aggies, who will return quarterback Marcel Reed. ESPN ranked Texas A&M at No. 10 for the 2026 season.
What other Big 12 teams made ESPN’s top 25?
ASU was one of five Big 12 teams in ESPN’s top 25 for the 2026 season. Texas Tech led the way at No. 7 and BYU came in at No. 11. TCU cracked the top 20 and Utah rounded out the group at No. 25.
ESPN has the national champion Indiana Hoosiers at No. 1 in the 2026 rankings, followed by Texas, Notre Dame, Georgia and Oregon.
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