Arizona State's Cutter Boley Takes Leadership Post Seriously

TEMPE -- The Arizona State Sun Devils have something of a power vacuum in play ahead of the 2026 season, as DT C.J. Fite and ATH Clayton Smith are the only two holdovers from the 2025 Pat Tillman Leadership Council.

The mass exodus of the veteran-laden roster of last year has forced Kenny Dillingham to begin to identify members of the 2026 roster that are in position to step up as spiritual successors to those that came before.

feeff — Arizona State head football coach Kenny Dillingham speaks to the media during a news conference at Mountain America Stadium in Tempe on Oct. 20, 2025. | Joe Rondone/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Kentucky transfer QB Cutter Boley is ready to take the mantle as the player at the position that is the defined leader - with statements made at Pat's Run on Saturday serving as a reminder that Dillingham made a wise decision by adding him.

Boley Discusses Pat's Run Experience

lmm — Cutter Boley (#8 QB) during ASU football practice at Kajikawa Practice fields in Tempe, Arizona, on March 19, 2026. | Mark Henle/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Blake Niemann of Fox 10 got an exclusive interview with Boley following Saturday's event, with the redshirt sophomore taking everything in and reflecting on the special day. "Yeah, that's what we try to do every day, is represent what he stood for, and kind of just how we run our program, you know, just kind of try to represent him and honor him..."

"And it's just awesome to have this many people out here while I was driving into that, and I, there are so many this whole, the whole Tempe is filled with just straight Pat Tillman jerseys... It's awesome thing to be a part of." Boley truly valuing what happens in Tempe, prioritizing the program over himself, and looking forward to taking on the mantle as a true leader are all positive signs that he was the right man for the job.

How Boley Can do Justice to Legacy

vffvd — Cutter Boley (#8 QB) throws a pass during ASU football practice at Kajikawa Practice fields in Tempe, Arizona, on March 19, 2026. | Mark Henle/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Dillingham has already stated that the team has yet to decide who will be members of the 2026 leadership council, but Boley seems to be in an optimal position to earn a spot in the vaulted group. Quarterbacks are inherently handed leadership roles, but Boley is already taking the responsibilities to heart - becoming one of the hardest-working players on the roster and clearly connecting with teammates at a personal level, namely with the receivers that he will be throwing to if he is to win the starting role.

Boley's path to holding up Tillman's legacy is quite simple - he must be a leader through the highs and lows, while also making decisions that benefit the team before anything else, which would be a marked difference from what transpired during the 2025 campaign.