Three Big Questions: Arizona State Sun Devils
A look at each FBS program for 2023, alphabetically
For the first time on this FBS journey, let’s take a look at a program starting fresh. Amidst some potential recruiting scandals and faltering on-field performance, Arizona State ditched NFL guy-turned broadcaster-turned college coach Herm Edwards on September 22, following a home loss to Eastern Michigan. On November 26, the Sun Devils announced ASU-alum and former Oregon offensive coordinator Kenny Dillingham as head coach.
Team Information
School: Arizona State Sun Devils
Conference: PAC-12
2022 Record: 3-9 (2-7)
Bowl: N/A
Coaching Staff:
Head Coach: Kenny Dillingham, first season
Offensive Coordinator: Beau Baldwin, first season
Defensive Coordinator: Brian Ward, first season
1. Who does Dillingham anoint as quarterback?
While it doesn’t show while looking at the Sun Devils’ record, they had a talented quarterback one year ago in Emory Jones. Jones, though, left Arizona State for Cincinnati with the coaching change.
Now, there is a battle brewing in Tempe. There is Trenton Bourguet, who took over down the stretch a year ago with Jones out with injury. Then, Dillingham hit the portal and brought in Drew Pyne, who started 10 games for Notre Dame a year ago. Oh, need another name? How about the face of the NIL struggle and uber-talented freshman Jaden Rashada?
Dillingham named Bourguet the spring starting quarterback, but it’s hard to assume that he’s locked in as the Sun Devils’ starter. The senior came out strong a year ago, taking over for Jones when he was injured against then-No. 21 Washington, and went 15-of-21 through the air for 182 yards and three touchdowns. Across the rest of the season, Bourguet completed 71.4% of his passes for 1,490 yards, 11 touchdowns and six interceptions.
Pyne has the most starting experience in the Arizona State quarterback room after starting 10 games for Notre Dame a year ago. The redshirt sophomore completed 64.6% of his passes for 2,021 yards, 22 touchdowns, and six interceptions. The Fighting Irish went 8-2 while Pyne was under center, including ranked wins over Syracuse (16), BYU (16), and Clemson (4).
Rashada, though, is the question mark. The four star is ranked as the seventh-best quarterback in the 2023 class, and is ready to go for the Sun Devils. He flipped from Florida after a much-publicized NIL kerfluffle, and now lays in Dillingham’s hands. He’s mobile in the pocket, but his main player comparison is to Jared Goff, with a quick, strong throwing motion that projects well for the NFL and college success. One thing to note is that Rashada didn’t enroll early at ASU, and will be missing out on spring camp.
2. How does Brian Ward revive the defense?
Arizona State’s defense was bad last year. Abysmal, in fact. They allowed 31.4 points per game, which is tied for 23rd worst in the nation. On the flip side, they only scored 26.1. That kind of margin leads to a 3-9 season.
Ward is no stranger to reviving previously non-existent defenses. His previous post was at Washington State, which was fresh off of the Mike Leach score-more-points-than-the-other-team era. Last season, the Cougars only allowed 22.4 points per game, the sixth best mark in Washington State history and 33rd in the FBS. For context, Washington State hadn’t appeared in the Top 40 of scoring defense in over two decades, and spent six seasons since 2007 90th or lower.
Ward’s hallmarks throughout his stops have also been building opportunistic defenses. His units consistently lock down in the clutch, including ranking 23rd in the nation in red zone defense and top-three in the PAC-12 in third down defense last season.
They also attack the ball, something that Arizona State desperately needs. Ward’s Washington State unit a year ago was tenth in the nation with three defensive touchdowns. Prior to stopping at Washington State, he made Nevada’s defense a turnover machine, ranking eighth in the nation in his final season with 25 takeaways.
Ward’s aggressive, opportunistic scheme meshes well with Dillingham’s offense, and provides Arizona State with a solid culture to build on. As long as they can keep recruiting at higher levels, the Sun Devils could construct a strong defensive unit for years to come.
3. Can Arizona State’s transfer class make a big impact?
When you think about schools that benefit the most from the portal, who do you think of? Colorado, sure. But Arizona State?
The Sun Devils ranked 11th with their transfer class, portalling their team to relevance. Dillingham rebuild his offense, adding Pyne and BYU transfer Jacob Conover. He got depth at running back with Sacremento State transfer Cameron Skattebo and Cal transfer DeCarlos Brooks. The pass catching corps is completely revamped, with Xavier Guillory coming over from Idaho State, Melquan Stovall from Colorado State, Texas transfer Troy Omeire, and USC product Jake Smith. The class’s best prospect, four star tackle Aaron Frost comes in from Nevada, alongside Bram Walden who follows Dillingham from Oregon.
And, did I mention they’re all highly-regarded three stars?
The defense got a similar makeover, but is it enough? We’ve seen teams portal to win in the short term a la Mel Tucker’s 2021 Michigan State. But, is Arizona State in the same boat?
This could be an interesting case study in portal success, but Dillingham showed he has recruiting chops. His transfer class, by all metrics, is outstanding. He landed the coup of the class with Rashada committing out of nowhere.
A lot of these transfers in are Power Five guys with limited experience, but that’s typical of anyone in the portal. They didn’t lose many impact players, and did replace the ones they lost. Emory Jones who? Dillingham brought in Pyne and Conover. Four-star interior offensive lineman LaDarius Henderson, who left for Michigan, is the only hole left over. The rest of the line got significantly stronger in the portal, though, so that may not be as big of a whole as it seems.
What is the expectation for Arizona State?
This is a team that’s primed and ready for a big jump, but we need to stay realistic. They’re not competing for the PAC-12. Their biggest fight is bowl eligibility. The transfer class helps a lot, and Dillingham has shown he can get the most out of transfers after resurrecting the potential of Bo Nix at Oregon. When we consider PAC-12 After Dark, the Sun Devils are going to surprise someone. The question is just who and when.