These three players have essentially driven ASU’s offence all year and are receiving much-deserved national attention for their abilities.
Arizona State football stunned the collegiate football world this season by winning the Big 12 Conference in its first year of membership, despite being projected to place 16th out of 16 in the preseason. The Sun Devils received the No. 4 seed in the inaugural 12-team College Football Playoff and a first-round bye, allowing them to nearly defeat Texas in the Peach Bowl.
ASU finished in the AP Top 10 (No. 7) for the first time since 1996, thanks to an incredible 11-3 record just a year after a three-win bowl-banned 2023 season. In only his second year as head coach, Kenny Dillingham assembled an Avengers-level team, mastering the transfer portal and recruiting hidden treasures to play for him in the desert.
Until late this season, few in the national media were paying attention to ASU’s standout players, but on Wednesday, three of them gained well-deserved accolades in year-end rankings.
Three Sun Devil players are placed in ESPN’s Top 100 for the 2024-25 season.
On Wednesday, ESPN published its Top 100 players for the 2024-25 season, and three Sun Devils were among them.
Cam Skattebo, a fifth-year senior running back, finished fourth, which is a tiny consolation for national media members who snubbed him as a Heisman Trophy nominee. This season, the Sacramento State transfer set multiple school records and behind only Boise State’s Ashton Jeanty in all-purpose yards, placing a disappointing fifth in the Heisman voting. At least now, his worth is being acknowledged.
Redshirt freshman quarterback Sam Leavitt was placed No. 58 on ESPN’s list and 11th overall among quarterbacks. That appears to be a modest estimate, given that his abilities resembled those of school legend Jake Plummer more than anybody else who has played at Mountain America Stadium. Leavitt’s 2,885 throwing yards and 24 touchdowns were not spectacular, but there were few athletes in the sport who had a greater influence than him.
Redshirt freshman wide receiver Jordyn Tyson recently made the list at No. 89, which is definitely an appropriate spot. That being said, Tyson will be at the top of many watchlists in 2025 as he heals from a shoulder injury. His 1,101 receiving yards and 10 touchdowns ranked him near the top of the Big 12 Conference, and he will most likely be Leavitt’s favourite target again when Dillingham reloads the roster for another run at the CFP.