Arizona State will not be creeping up on any single team in the scope of college football in the 2025 season.
The Sun Devils famously came out of nowhere a year ago to win the Big 12 in the first year as members - they also nearly won a College Football Playoff game.
Now, Kenny Dillingham returns 17 starting players, his entire coaching staff, and reeled in quality depth via the transfer portal going into spring camp.
While Arizona State has a lot going for them heading into the new season, there are a small handful of question marks.
Among those is how the program will handle transitioning from the role of being the hunter to becoming the hunted - at least according to CBS Sports analyst Shehan Jeyarajah.
Question: How does Arizona State handle being hunted?
"The Sun Devils aren't not sneaking up on anyone this season. .... ASU returns the playmaking trio of quarterback Sam Leavitt, receiver Jordyn Tyson and safety Xavion Alford. The last time ASU won 10 games, it was followed by a 6-7 stumble. Can Kenny Dillingham prevent an emotional hangover?"
The high-end talent the Sun Devils possess is likely to be unmatched in the conference, so it is simple to see a path to repeat as champions during a critical 2025 season under Dillingham and his staff.
While the potential for a letdown season is a realistic outcome to the 2025 season, it feels like a curious choice to compare the upcoming roster to that of 2015's.
Todd Graham failed to build a deep roster, continued to trust some questionable assistant coaches, and carried out Mike Bercovici at quarterback.
While Bercovici was a quality Sun Devil, Leavitt is at a totally different level. The roster is also much deeper compared to the 6-7 team from a decade prior, and Dillingham is set to return a proven coaching staff.
Teams such as Texas Tech, Baylor, and even Utah will be hunting the Sun Devils in 2025, but Arizona State still remains in pole position to take the conference.
Read more on Arizona State's All-Big 12 Preseason team selections here, and on Leavitt earning the Offensive Player of the Year honors here.
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