Video Notebook: Kenny Dillingham Breaks Down Signing Class, Needs Moving Forward

It’s been a sprint for college football teams to sign the majority of their recruiting classes on early signing day.

Arizona State and Kenny Dillingham just wrapped up their first full recruiting cycle with 17 high school players signing with the Devils and 14 transfers announced as well. 

Here are a few takeaways from Dillingham’s media availability the day after early signing day:

QB Ride or Dies

There were plenty of questions coming into the offseason about the Sun Devil quarterback room. There were even more questions when Michigan State redshirt freshman Sam Leavitt announced his transfer to the Sun Devils. Would that impact Jaden Rashada’s standing with the program? 

According to Dillingham, it was Rashada’s response in a season exit interview that made the head coach feel comfortable taking a younger quarterback in the class. “I’m not afraid of competition,” Dillingham recalled. 

Dillingham said he would “ride or die” with a competition between Rasahada and Leavitt leading up to the season. Trenton Bourguet also announced his return to the Devils for his final season.

 

Raleek the Running Back

USC transfer Raleek Brown brings a new dynamic to the Sun Devil offense. The speedster can hurt defenses in a lot of different ways, and Dillingham clarified on Thursday that he sees Brown as a running back. The new Sun Devil started his career at USC as a running back and transitioned to wide receiver last year. 

Dillingham believes Brown’s impact in the backfield can create mismatches and that he could also move to the slot in certain scenarios. Brown will help the Sun Devils play “basketball on grass” to create big plays. 

In-State Impact 

Arizona State brought in four commits from Arizona this cycle, and Dillingham believes the quantity and quality will get further bolstered in future classes. He said it typically takes about two years to really build solid relationships with these elite recruits. It’s been no secret the Sun Devil staff has been in constant contact with Notre Dame Prep wide receiver Cooper Perry and Brophy offensive lineman Logan Powell, two of the top recruits in Arizona next class. 

With Arizona State continuing to build that in-state foundation and Arizona bringing in elite recruits from State 48, there should be some fun recruiting battles between these two programs over the years to come.

What’s Next

While early signing day is behind us, the work is not done. The Sun Devils can continue to add to the roster, primarily through the portal. Dillingham is happy witht he group he has but said Arizona State will try to add another offensive tackle, linebacker and some help along the defensive line as well.