Breaking news: Arizona devil’s head coach has finally Commit a world wide receiver from BYU cougars due to the….
UCLA Bruins Insider Podcast on SI – Ep.66: Mara Shines, Bruins Upset No. 18 Wisconsin at Home (01/21/25)
College football rankings: Arizona State ranked behind BYU in early 2025 predictions
The Sun Devils enter the offseason still looking for respect
Ben Sherman | 18 Hours Ago
Arizona State quarterback Sam Leavitt (10) returns in 2025 as one of the top QBs in the country.
Arizona State quarterback Sam Leavitt (10) returns in 2025 as one of the top QBs in the country. / Patrick Breen/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
In this story:
Arizona State Sun Devils
BYU Cougars
Texas Tech Red Raiders
Iowa State Cyclones
The college football season is officially over.
Ohio State beat Notre Dame 34-23 on Monday night to cap the first-ever 12-team College Football Playoff and secure the Buckeyes’ seventh national championship.
Of the 11 playoff games, Arizona State’s 39-31 double-overtime loss to Texas in the quarterfinals was easily the best game. It featured wild swings of momentum, 885 yards of offense, clutch plays in big moments and one of the best individual performances in the history of college football bowl games.
Arizona State running back Cam Skattebo cemented his place among the toughest and most versatile running backs in college football history with a Peach Bowl performance for the ages: 143 yards rushing, 99 yards receiving, 42 yards passing and three total touchdowns.
Who Will Replace Skattebo?
Now the focus turns to 2025 — and the reality that the Sun Devils will no longer have Skattebo.
Running back Kyson Brown will be back for his junior year after rushing for 351 yards (4.8 yards per carry) and 2 touchdowns as Skattebo’s backup in 2024.
And Kenny Dillingham added one of the most sought-after players in the college football transfer portal: Army running back Kanye Udoh. A 6-foot, 218-pound sophomore, Udoh rushed for 1,117 yards and 10 touchdowns this past season. He has two years of eligibility remaining.
As good as Brown and Udoh are, it still doesn’t account for the loss of Skattebo’s leadership. He was the emotional heartbeat of ASU’s team, and Kenny Dillingham and his staff will spend the offseason figuring out who is going to fill that void.
Who Is The Best Big 12 Team?
Arizona State beat BYU 28-23 in a thrilling game on Nov. 23 that ended up being the difference in the three-way tiebreaker that sent the Sun Devils to the Big 12 championship game.
The Sun Devils and Cougars both finished 7-2 in the Big 12, and both had valid claims for at-large berths in the College Football Playoff. ASU received an automatic bid after winning the Big 12 championship, but BYU (11-2) was left out.
After the first round of CFP games, it became clear that BYU was robbed — the Cougars were clearly a better team than SMU and Indiana. Both teams were blown out in their CFP games — and BYU actually beat SMU head-to-head in September.
The Big 12 was disrespected by the poll voters and the CFP Selection Committee all season. Hopefully that changes in 2025, because Arizona State and BYU return two of the best rosters in college football.
While the Sun Devils look to replace Skattebo’s leadership, they return the bulk of their defense plus two of the best players in the country at their positions — quarterback Sam Leavitt and wide receiver Jordyn Tyson.
BYU has almost everybody back as well, including quarterback Jake Retzlaff. And in CBS Sports’ way-too-early top 25 college football rankings, Dennis Dodd has BYU as the Big 12 favorite.
“The Cougars should emerge as the Big 12 favorite after an 11-win season,” Dodd wrote. “The league’s best defense remains largely intact. Jake Retzlaff returns after tying for most interceptions thrown in the Big 12 (12).”
Dodd has BYU ranked No. 13, three spots ahead of Arizona State at No. 16. The other ranked Big 12 teams are Iowa State at No. 19 and Texas Tech at No. 24.
The top-ranked team in CBS Sports’ rankings? Texas.
The chip on
Arizona State’s shoulder just continues to grow.
