Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian and Arizona State head coach Kenny Dillingham pose for photos before facing off in the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl. Michael Chow/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Arizona State Ranked High in Preseason Power Rankings

Originally posted on Arizona State Sun Devils on SI
By Kevin Hicks | Last updated Aug 20, 2025 9:00 AM ET

The season opener for the nationally ranked 2025 Arizona State football team is right around the corner.

The program enters year three under Kenny Dillingham with extremely pointed expectations after winning the Big 12 unexpectedly.

ESPN's college football experts gathered to vote on the top 25 going into the season - the Sun Devils came in at number 11.

More on the ranking below:

"After being picked to finish last in the Big 12 last season, Arizona State emerged as the conference champion to earn a trip to the College Football Playoff. This season, the Sun Devils won't be sneaking up on anyone as they'll begin as the favorite in the Big 12. With a Heisman Trophy contender in quarterback Sam Leavitt and one of the best young coaches in the country in Kenny Dillingham, there is a foundation for the Sun Devils to compete for conference titles well into the future."

"Replacing Cam Skattebo's production (2,316 yards of total offense in 2024) will be difficult, but look for wide receiver Jordyn Tysonto to have an All-American-level season."

Michael Chow/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Sun Devils come in at the same spot here as they did in the AP top 25 - behind the usual suspects such as Alabama and Miami.

Beyond Leavitt and Tyson, Arizona State has a very talented roster that is incredibly well-coached.

Chamon Metayer, Ben Coleman, C.J. Fite, Keyshaun Elliott, and Xavion Alford are just a small handful of the All-Big 12 caliber players that are on the roster. Perhaps the most impressive part of the team is that both sides of the ball are on even ground talent-wise.

Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

When speaking on coaching, the Sun Devils are represented by coaches with incredible pedigree - from Super Bowl winner Hines Ward, to longtime coach Diron Reynolds. Coach Dillingham has built an impressive program from top-to-bottom that is in a position to be the only Big 12 program to repeat as champions outside of Oklahoma.

Arizona State is joined by Iowa State and Kansas State in the rankings from within the conference.

Read ASU on SI's exclusive interview with Jordyn Tyson here, and on where Sam Leavitt lands on the NIL merchandise sales leaderboard here.

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

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