Kenny Dillingham Discusses Bowl Game, Recruiting Class, More

TEMPE -- Arizona State head coach Kenny Dillingham gifted media an opportunity to catch up following the Sun Devils' first open practice in nearly two weeks ahead of the December 31 bowl contest against Duke.

To watch the full availability, view below.

Below is a partial transcript from the availability period, with added commentary.

On Jake Fette's Recruitment

klnnklnk — Del Valle High School quarterback Jake Fette (1) breaks past Andress High School’s Erick Blucher (9) to score the tiebreaking touchdown during Friday night’s football game in El Paso, Texas. | Luis Torres/Special to El Paso Times / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

“Yeah, I think he's super relatable. Anytime you play quarterback, I think relatability and the ability to connect to people, he can connect to people, he can understand people. He's super intelligent, super competitive. And the dude ran track, you know, this last season. So, I mean, that's just, he's a competitor that can connect to people that's intelligent, and he's funny.”

Fette is the crown jewel of Arizona State's 2026 recruiting class - the El Paso native is set to enroll in the school early in 2026 and is quite possibly the future of the program at the QB position.

On Bowl Game Prep

“Yeah, we want to get better and become the best team we can play when we play the next game we play. The mission is to get better every single day and become the best version of us and have fun doing it. So I had a lot of fun today. I'll say that I had a lot of fun coming out here and coach football. A lot of people don't get to do that.”

On Transfer Portal Players Being Welcome to Practice

,.l;l; — Nov 28, 2025; Tempe, Arizona, USA; Arizona State Sun Devils defensive back Javan Robinson (12) 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

“100% if somebody wants to enter the portal and be a part of our team, they have 100% the ability to be a part of this team. This is the 2025 team. Unfortunately, this is like the bridge in today's era between the 25 team and the 2016 right? But this is the ‘25 kids team. If anybody wanted to be a part and go through prep and play in the game and be a part of this team, they have the right to do that, because this is still their team.”

The overall inclusivity of Arizona State's program under Dillingham has been something that has become a frequent point of praise from those on the inside and outside alike. Many programs don't come anywhere near the level of accommodating that Arizona State does for players of all walks and roster statuses.

On Cam Dyer’s Growth

“He's starting to understand protections at a higher rate. Still got to clean up some things mechanically, but you see some hot throws vertically. He could always throw the ball. The vertical fade is one of the easier balls you know, to throw. People been doing them since they were young. It's the timing throws and all those things that we're really trying to grow with.”

Dyer has potential to play in his first collegiate game against Duke, as Dillingham stated on Monday that there is potential to have special packages for the freshman, as he continues to serve as the backup for Jeff Sims.

On Opinion of 2026 Recruiting Class

"I thought it was awesome. I thought, you know, in today's era, it's all about the quality of the guys you get. And I think we got really, really good quality. I mean, we wanted to sign players that we felt like could play for us, and not how many could we sign?

And I think we did that, and we did that with guys who wanted to be Sun Devils. And that's the other piece of it, is we want guys who truly want to be here in this process. And a lot of those guys, a lot of our class, has been more committed to us for months. They turned down tons of other opportunities because they wanted to be here. And I think that's just a testament to those guys knowing what they want."

The 2026 class is widely considered one that is among the best in recent years - between the volume of blue-chip prospects, the proportion of different positions being signed, and the sheer desire the prospects have in playing for coach Dillingham.

Read more on why the Arizona State men's basketball team will exceed expectations in the 2025-26 season here, and on why the bright future of the football program isn’t dimmed by the loss to Arizona here.

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