Arizona State Gets Respect in Preseason Rankings

The anticipation surrounding the 2025 Arizona State Sun Devils has been consistent in the months following an appearance in the College Football Playoff - and it has only gotten louder over time.

While projections and expectations vary, the belief is that the Sun Devils will ultimately be ranked within the top 15 of the preseason AP Poll, which would be the highest mark before a season since 2015.

ESPN's Bill Connelly - utilizing ESPN's SP+ metrics - ranked Arizona State within the top 25, although the ultimate placement is lower than some would expect.

The three factors the model uses to determine rankings going into the season:

1. Returning production: "The returning production numbers are based on rosters I have updated as much as humanly possible to account for transfers and attrition. The combination of last year's SP+ ratings and adjustments based on returning production makes up about two-thirds of the projections formula."

2. Recent recruiting: "This piece informs us of the caliber of a team's potential replacements (and/or new stars) in the lineup. It is determined by the past few years of recruiting rankings in diminishing order (meaning the most recent class carries the most weight). This is also impacted by the recruiting rankings of incoming transfers, an acknowledgment that the art of roster management is now heavily dictated by the transfer portal."

3. Recent history: "Using a sliver of information from the previous four seasons or so gives us a good measure of overall program health."

Arizona State comes in at number 22 according to the metrics, which ranks them as the second best team in the Big 12 currently - trailing number 18 Kansas State.

The Sun Devils rank number five in the country in returning production rankings on offense - with a 78% retention rate, while they slide in at number two in returning defense at 79%.

According to the SP+ model, the Sun Devils are the fourth likeliest team to finish with an 11-1 record or better in the Big 12 - behind Kansas State, Brigham Young, and Texas Tech.

The 2025 season is promising for the Arizona State programs - read more about the most difficult games the team faces in the months ahead here, and a profile on future opponent Texas Tech here.

Please let us know your thoughts on the outlook of the program in a season that is just over three months away when you like our Facebook page when you click right here.