Kenny Dillingham Challenges 2026 Arizona State Team After Pro Day

The upcoming Sun Devil team will be tasked with carrying on a strong legacy left behind the 2024/25 renditions.

Arizona State head football coach Kenny Dillingham watches as his team practices at Eastwood High School in El Paso, Texas, on Sunday, Dec. 28, 2025, during Sun Bowl week ahead of the Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl. | Gaby Velasquez/ El Paso Times / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

TEMPE -- The weeks ahead are certainly an exciting time for the Arizona State Sun Devils football program, as Kenny Dillingham's fourth season is officially underway with spring practices, while 20 different former members of the program that took part in Pro Day on Friday have an opportunity to build an NFL future.

Dillingham lit a fire under the 2026 team following the Pro Day - adding fuel to motivate the roster that has designs of winning another Big 12 title.

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

Dillingham Gifts Advice to Next Generation of Sun Devils

Dillingham's advice was equally pointed and well thought out response when asked what advice he would give to the current Sun Devils that were present at Pro Day.

"Don't wait to put in the work. Like, you can't rush... You better start if you want to get to where you want to go... you're competing versus yourself to be the best version of yourself. And hopefully they came out here and they saw our guys, they saw the guys perform, and the guys who they saw perform... That's how I need to practice if I want to perform like that. People didn't just flip a switch. And so I hope they just learned that habits stay habits."

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

This statement truly has many layers to it - as what Dillingham said certainly coincides with the program seeking to tweak practice sessions and make slight changes in other aspects of the preparations associated with the season, while also extending to individual players.

Players that represented Arizona State on Friday included QB Cutter Boley, WR Reed Harris, DL C.J. Fite, WR Jaren Hamilton, and RB Kyson Brown. There was a strong balance between players who have been multi-year members of the program and ones that are set to begin their careers as Sun Devils, which should point to a locker room that will be in harmony heading into the first game of the season.

Nov 28, 2025; Tempe, Arizona, USA; Arizona State Sun Devils running back Cameron Skattebo (left) greets running back Kyson Brown against the Arizona Wildcats during the 99th Territorial Cup at Mountain America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Each of the players mentioned above have something to prove this season - Boley will look to silence doubters after departing the University of Kentucky. Brown is returning from a nagging ankle injury and finally has the chance to firmly establish himself as the top back on the roster.

Harris is moving from a not-so-great situation that was Boston College to one of the better in the Big 12. Fite is the lone returner from the Pat Tillman Leadership Council, is expected to be the anchor of the defense, and continue to advance his stock - potentially becoming the top prospect out of the school this time next year.

Jul 8, 2025; Frisco, TX, USA; Arizona State defensive lineman C.J. Fite answers questions from the media during 2025 Big 12 Football Media Days at The Star. Mandatory Credit: Raymond Carlin III-Imagn Images | Raymond Carlin III-Imagn Images

Much is on the line in the near future for Arizona State, and it would be a surprise to see the team unprepared for the season opener on September 5.