Running Back
Arizona State is bringing in a solid transfer in Kanye Udoh. Udoh ran for 1,117 yards on 6.2 yards per carry for Army last season. While these are great numbers, there are always concerns with bringing in a service academy transfer.
The main concern for the Sun Devils isn’t the talent being brought in. The question is, how can you possibly replace the talent that is leaving?
Cam Skattebo had an elite season for this team in 2024. He posted 293 carries, 1,711 yards, 5.8 yards per carry, and 21 touchdowns on the ground. He then caught 45 passes for 605 yards and 3 TDs through the air.
Skattebo finished 2nd in the country in total rushing yards and tied 6th in rushing touchdowns. Arizona State will need a group effort to match Skattebo’s elite production. The Sun Devils’ coaching staff will be replacing a major chess piece and Swiss-army knife in their offensive scheme.
Pass Rush
The Sun Devils return all four starters from their 2024 defensive front. The only problem is that these starters only produced 14.5 sacks last season. The defense as a whole produced only 24 sacks.
The Sun Devils finished the season ranked 99th in the country in sacks per game and tied 73rd for total sacks.
Arizona State won six one-possession games last season. If the pass rush isn’t improved, the team could easily lose one or two more of these games. For a defense that will face 7 teams ranked in the top 40 in passing yards per game, a pass rush will be paramount.
Wide Receiver
The Sun Devils are replacing their 2nd and 3rd leading receivers at this position. Xavier Guillory and Melquan Stovall combined for 46 receptions, 626 yards, and 5 TDs.
The team will return star receiver Jordyn Tyson, who caught 75 receptions, 1,101 yards, and 10 TDs last season. However, Tyson’s health will be a constant worry.
Two seasons ago, Tyson tore his ACL, MCL, and PCL. Last year, he suffered a collarbone fracture, leading to him missing the final two games of the season while undergoing surgery. Tyson then sustained an injury at the beginning of spring practice that eventually healed by the end of spring.
Arizona State brought in a few transfers in the offseason. Jalen Moss was a productive player for Fresno State. Noble Johnson was a backup at Clemson. Jaren Hamilton was a bench player for Alabama.
Arizona State will need guys to step up to prevent defenses from focusing too much attention on Jordyn Tyson. The Sun Devils will also need Tyson to play a full season.
Repeatable Success?
In the last 20 years, Arizona State has only repeated this type of success once. ASU went 10-4 in 2013 and then 10-3 in 2014. In 2007, ASU went 10-3, then 5-7 in 2008. In 2019, they went 8-5, then 2-2 during 2020. They went 8-5 in 2021, then they had back-to-back 3-9 seasons.
Historically, this has not been a program that has sustained success. Losing Cam Skattebo makes this goal much harder to achieve.
In 2025, the Sun Devils totaled 6,021 yards. Skattebo produced 2,358 of those yards. That’s 39% of the team’s production.
Arizona State must travel to play at Mississippi State for a game that ASU won by 7 points last year. They must play road games at Baylor, Utah, and Colorado. They also host Texas Tech, which is currently 2nd in the Big 12 title odds.
Can head coach Kenny Dillingham keep this team on track for another great season, or will Arizona State regress to the mean?
