ASU's Dillingham Reflects on Thursday’s Spirited Practice

The fourth-year leader of the Sun Devils is seeing the team ramp-up towards the summer.

Nov 28, 2025; Tempe, Arizona, USA; Arizona State Sun Devils head coach Kenny Dillingham reacts against the Arizona Wildcats in the second half during the 99th Territorial Cup at Mountain America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

TEMPE -- Day two of week three for Arizona State football's spring practice regimen is now officially complete.

Thursday's practice was especially spirited, chippy, and heated, which seemingly fired up head coach Kenny Dillingham, who spoke to the media following the end of the day to discuss numerous pertinent topics related to the spring.

Oct 25, 2025; Tempe, Arizona, USA; Houston Cougars head coach Willie Fritz (left) with Arizona State Sun Devils head coach Kenny Dillingham at Mountain America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

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Dillingham Inviting Conflict

Thursday's practice proved to be the most tense, spirited, and visceral of the seven that have been held in front of the media to this date.

Several drills, offense-defense reps, and other miscellaneous portions of practice boiled over into brief skirmishes that certainly translated into a more concerted effort from both sides of the ball during the day.

Arizona State running back Kyson Brown (1) during practice on March 24, 2026, at Kajikawa Practice Fields in Tempe. | Rob Schumacher/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Dillingham welcomed the encounters, making the argument that teams grow tighter bonds when faced with conflicts that are set up to be resolved.

"Relationships aren't built through roses and candy canes. They're built through conflict. If you want a really close team, you have to create conflict," Dillingham said.

Arizona State football head coach Kenny Dillingham reacts during the first quarter against Iowa State in the Big-12 showdown at jack Trice Stadium on Nov. 1, 2025, in Ames, Iowa. | Nirmalendu Majumdar/Ames Tribune / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The point that the team must work through issues to be as tightly bonded as they need to be is a valid one, and it certainly seemed that the skirmishes fueled the roster as a whole to perform at their best for the remainder of practice.

Jake Fette (#2 QB) throws a pass during ASU football practice at Kajikawa Practice fields in Tempe, Arizona, on March 19, 2026. | Mark Henle / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Position Battles Continue To Be Focal Point

It's clearly far too early in the process to name definitive starters at most positions, though the last week has begun the evaluation process for big-picture roster decisions, something Dillingham has acknowledged in recent days.

Quarterback, running back, tight end, edge rusher, and safety are just a small handful of spots that will be tightly contested - the first of which being the one that will continue to grasp the lion's share of focus.

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

Cutter Boley has grown over the last week of action - rapidly cutting down on "risky" throws while also pushing the ball downfield and showing exactly why the Sun Devils targeted him to begin with. Cameron Dyer continues to return to pre-injury form and has made some of the most impressive throws of the week, although the redshirt freshman faces an uphill climb in the competition.

Jake Fette has looked fair for the most part - some would say much better than the average true freshman should look at this point of offseason preparations. Mikey Keene remains the veteran presence on the team and has been relatively steady throughout the process.