Dec 7, 2024; Arlington, TX, USA; Arizona State Sun Devils head coach Kenny Dillingham looks at the trophy after winning the Big 12 Championship game against the Iowa State Cyclones at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tim Heitman-Imagn Images Tim Heitman-Imagn Images

CBS: Arizona State Ranked Firmly in Top 25

Originally posted on Arizona State Sun Devils on SI
By Kevin Hicks | Last updated Aug 7, 2025 11:00 AM ET

A common theme of the offseason for the Arizona State football program has been figuring out how the 2025 team is perceived from various points of view.

While some are quite bullish on what Kenny Dillingham's squad can do as an encore of the 2024 season, others have been a bit more tepid.

Chip Patterson of CBS Sports proselytized the site's preseason 136 rankings - where every team in the FBS is ranked in order ahead of the start of the season.

The Sun Devils came in at number 11 in the set of rankings - which comes out as the best in the Big 12 and coincidentally the same as what the team was in the Coaches Poll that released on Monday.

Arizona State was joined in the top 25 portion of the rankings by conference foes Kansas State (14), Iowa State (19), Texas Tech (21), and Utah (25) - all of these teams are considered major threats to the Sun Devils repeating as champions of the Big 12.

Kansas State returns a talented team, Iowa State reached the conference title game in 2024, Texas Tech reloaded via the transfer portal, and Utah returns the most fearsome group in the trenches in the conference - however Arizona State is still in the driver's seat to reach the College Football Playoff again.

Sam Leavitt returns for a redshirt sophomore season in which he is viewed as a potential Heisman Trophy candidate. Leavitt will be supported with a dynamic wide receiver room headlined by Jordyn Tyson, while potential breakouts such as Jaren Hamilton supplement the position group much better compared to a year ago. The offensive line returns four of five starting players from 2024 - and OC Marcus Arroyo returns. As for the defense - DC Brian Ward returns, as do 10 of 11 starting players from a top five defense in the Big 12.

The first opportunity to see the top 25 Sun Devils in action is on August 30 when they welcome Northern Arizona to Tempe.

Read more on the case for Leavitt to be an All-American selection at season's end here, and if Dillingham has any built-in recruiting advantages in his role here.

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

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