Kansas is Potential Challenger to Arizona State in Big 12

Kenny Dillingham has his Arizona State football program in an incredible position heading into the 2025 season.

He is set to return nearly 80% of starting talent from last season and was able to retain both coordinators - the general feeling of belief in the upcoming team is palpable.

That doesn't mean that challenges won't come along during the year.

CBS Sports analyst Carter Bahns believes that the Kansas Jayhawks could be an enigma in the Big 12 in 2025 following a disappointing 2024 season that saw the team finish 5-7

"With Jalon Daniels finally healthy, last season was supposed to be Kansas' opportunity to finally put everything together and shock the college football world. Instead, a 1-5 start stopped the Jayhawks from even reaching a bowl game. But something changed down the stretch when Lance Leipold's squad rattled off three straight wins over ranked opponents. It is impossible to predict which version of Kansas shows up in 2025."

"If it is the former, this could be one of the best seasons in program history. If it is the latter, it will be 'just another year of Kansas football" in the bottom of the Big 12."

The Jayhawks and Sun Devils do not face off during the 2025 regular season, but the first three games of Big 12 play could set the former up to make a run to finish in the top two of conference standings - Kansas is set to open with West Virginia, Cincinnati, and UCF before an uptick in difficulty.

Lance Leipold and senior QB Jalon Daniels are considered one of the top coach-quarterback duos in the conference - much like ASU's pairing of Dillingham/Sam Leavitt. The way the Jayhawks finished the season after an unfortunate 1-5 start last season that was chalk full of heartbreaking losses could inspire confidence in their prospects this season as well.

Kansas could very well join other teams such as Texas Christian and Utah as perceived 'sleepers' in the conference in 2025 - Arizona State must remain vigilant.

Read more on what the Arizona State ceiling could be in this hotly anticipated season here, and how Leavitt can be even better in his redshirt sophomore season here.

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