ASU Spring Practice kickoffs with thematic song choices

(Photo: Grace Johnson/ WCSN)

TEMPE – As the Arizona State football team opened its first spring practice, the echos of coaches yelling, whistles blowing, and players trash-talking were familiar sounds at a typical football practice.

However, ASU head coach Kenny Dillingham provided some unique music choices through Queen’s “We Are the Champions” and DJ Khaled’s “All I Do is Win” playing over and over again. At first it seemed as though the Sun Devils boasting its Big 12 Championship from last season, Dillingham’s intention couldn’t have been anymore different.

“We’re trying to make last year irrelevant cause nobody cares anymore,” Dillingham said. “We’re going to handle success fine. How are we gonna handle this year when we get punched in the face.”

Heading into the 2024 season, ASU looking to prove it wasn’t toward the bottom of the Big 12 barrel, fighting its last placed predicted finish in the conference. In July 2024 the Sun Devils projected to finish last in the conference in the First in the Big 12 Football media Preseason Poll.

However, Dillingham emphasized to his players to leave this in the past saying a “sailboat doesn’t sail on yesterday’s wind,” meaning 2024’s outcome doesn’t impact today’s. Early gusts of change have been seen with numerous players saying they have already moved on from last season’s triumph.

“I don’t care about last year’s championship. Obviously it was fun for the moment, but I don’t want to hear that anymore,” Redshirt sophomore quarterback Sam Leavitt said. “We’re not no champions anymore. It’s a new season. We got more to prove.”

Leavitt was one of the key contributors to the Sun Devils last season, both on and off the field. He accumulated 2,885 passing yards and 24 passing touchdowns, while also being named to the first-ever Pat Tillman Leadership Council.

Leavitt has also seen the most drastic change in personal expectations from a year ago. Ahead of last season, he was looking to prove he could be a starting quarterback for a Power Four program, and now Leavitt has been ranked near the top of many national quarterback rankings.

“It doesn’t change my opinion on the game or the work you gotta put in. If anything it means I gotta hold myself to a higher standard,” Leavitt said. “Last year, it was more so me trying to make myself better every day. Now I gotta bring an entire unit with me.”

A part of the unit Leavitt looks to bring with him is a revamped backfield. With running back Cam Skattebo gone to the pro ranks, rising junior running back Kyson Brown becomes the most tenured ASU back in the room. Rising redshirt senior Raleek Brown and rising junior Kanye Udoh are also expected to be key contributors in the run game.

Although no position battles will likely be decided this spring, the group has shown an early competitive fight. Kyson Brown is the natural leader in the group, playing in all 14 games last season, and gaining experience under Skattebo.

“I got to uphold the standard and show the younger guys the ropes,” Kyson Brown said. “We got such a talented running back room, we make each other better.”

The Sun Devils have a different competitive edge to them in 2025, with many players coming out with a newfound hunger. It may have only been the first spring practice, and the regular season won’t kick off for another five months, but early signs show ASU’s strong mindset in 2024, hasn’t wavered to open 2025.

“We need to keep the standard, the standard, and raise it,” Dillingham said. “If we’re the same team as we were last year, the same standard as we were last year, somebody is going to surpass us.”