The Peach Bowl trophy on display before a joint news conference with Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian and Arizona State head coach Kenny Dillingham. Michael Chow/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Arizona State Approaches Top 10 of Coaches Poll

Originally posted on Arizona State Sun Devils on SI
By Kevin Hicks | Last updated Aug 4, 2025 5:00 PM ET

The Arizona State Sun Devils are coming off of an incredibly successful 2024 season in which the program saw a meteoric rise to the College Football Playoff in year one as a member school.

The result has been the program facing substantially higher expectations from the outside world over the course of the offseason - including Sam Leavitt entering preseason Heisman Trophy conversations, Jordyn Tyson receiving high-first round pick hype for the 2026 NFL draft, and the program now being ranked 11th in the Preseason Coaches Poll.

Arizona State was one of five Big 12 schools ranked in the initial poll:

ASU (11)

Kansas State (20)

Iowa State (T-21)

Brigham Young (23)

Texas Tech (24)

The Sun Devils are set to face Texas Tech at home on October 18 in what should be a heavyweight battle between the rosters that are widely considered to be the class of the Big 12. Arizona State is also set to travel to Ames to face Iowa State on November 1 - which will obviously be a rematch of last year's Big 12 title game, one that was won by the Sun Devils in convincing 45-19 fashion.

Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images

Other teams that could potentially work their way into the top 25 during the season that are on the schedule include Texas Christian, Utah, and possibly even Colorado.

While detractors will argue that the Sun Devils are ranked too high and were a product of a perfect storm of events, this Arizona State team has earned respect from fellow coaches from around the nation.

The 2025 Arizona State team is likely the most talented to take the field in Tempe since at least 2021 - and they will get an opportunity to prove that correct beginning with the season opener on August 30 against Northern Arizona

The official AP Poll - the one that is used prior to the CFP rankings - is set to release next Monday at 9 A.M. Arizona time.

Read more on Dillingham discussing the various narratives that Sun Devil running backs have faced in replacing Cam Skattebo here, and on revisiting previous hall of fame selections to come out of Arizona State here.

This article first appeared on Arizona State Sun Devils on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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