Del Valle alum Jake Fette, an incoming Arizona State freshman, runs drills during ASU practice at Eastwood High School in El Paso, Texas, on Sunday, Dec. 28, 2025, during Sun Bowl week ahead of the Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl. Gaby Velasquez/ El Paso Times / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

New Year's Resolutions for Arizona State Football

Originally posted on Arizona State Sun Devils on SI
By Kevin Hicks | Last updated Jan 1, 2026 8:00 AM ET

TEMPE -- 2026 is now upon us - the Arizona State football program has to make the requisite adjustments to a new year much more abruptly after closing the 2025 season out on Dec 31 against the Duke Blue Devils.

The transfer portal is set to open less than a day from now, head coach Kenny Dillingham is juggling the responsibilities of being head coach with welcoming another member to his family, and several 2026 recruits will be making the trek to Tempe early in the year as early enrollees.

Arizona State on SI names three New Year's resolutions for the program as a whole, moving into the year, with an emphasis on roster building.

Gaby Velasquez/ El Paso Times / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Find 2026 Starting Quarterback

The expected departure of two-year starting QB Sam Leavitt still looms large, especially with Jeff Sims running out of eligibility.

There are a pair of talented freshman signal callers that are with the team in El Paso this week - Cameron Dyer saw his first game action in his collegiate career, while Jake Fette is a native of El Paso and practiced with the team on Sunday.

The two four-star recruits will surely factor into the battle for the starting role, while there's a strong likelihood that the program will poach at least one player from the transfer portal, which is set to open tomorrow.

Patrick Breen/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Replenish Trenches

The Sun Devils will have to replace three of four starting players in Brian Ward's 4-2-5 scheme (C.J. Fite is the lone returning starter), while there is potential that all five offensive line spots see new starters.

Jarmaine Mitchell, the number one recruit in the JUCO class, is likely to slide into one of the two starting tackle spots, while Wade Helton and Makua Pule will have opportunities to hold onto their starting roles in 2026.

One thing that is for sure is that Arizona State will need to do extensive work to reshuffle two of the most vital spots on the football field.

Maximize Resources

Dillingham's amended contract has increased the salary pool for assistants to among the highest in the Big 12, while the indoor practice facility is set to break ground later in 2026.

There's little doubt that the program needs to maximize what's in front of them, and they are off to a strong start if the report of a promotion being in the cards for CB coach Bryan Carrington does come to fruition.

Read more on why the Arizona State men's basketball team will exceed expectations in the 2025-26 season here, and on why the bright future of the football program isn’t dimmed by the loss to Arizona here.