Previewing Day One of Arizona State Spring Practice

TEMPE -- In today's episode of the Arizona State Sun Devils Insider Podcast, we take a look at what to watch in day one of spring football on Thursday.

To listen to today's podcast, view below.

Below is a partial transcript from head coach Kenny Dillingham's press conference on Tuesday in anticipation for the ushering in of spring football.

On What Impresses Him With QB Cutter Boley

"Yeah, what excites me about him is his completion percentage was fairly high for what they were asking him to do down the field. Have a 65 ish completion percentage is pretty high in college football... So what excited me was I saw the tape. I saw him operate within their system really well, hit the ball to where they were supposed to go, extend with his legs... He's a big dude... And then there's this weird testing called the s2 scores... his score was really, really, really, really good, which is a cognitive test that basically tells you your reaction time in real time."

ml;;m — Auburn Tigers defensive lineman Bobby Jamison-Travis (97) deflects a pass from Kentucky Wildcats quarterback Cutter Boley (8) as Auburn Tigers take on Kentucky Wildcats at Jordan-Hare Stadium in Auburn, Ala. on Saturday, Nov. 1, 2025. Auburn Tigers and Kentucky Wildcats are tied 3-3 at halftime. | Jake Crandall/ Advertiser / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Boley is the presumed starter, as he was one of the very first players to commit to Arizona State once the portal window opened in early January. The athletic traits, arm strength, and consistent ball placement have made a transition into the Dillingham/Marcus Arroyo offense relatively seamless, while his cognitive testing coming off the charts should be massively encouraging for Arizona State fans as well.

On Clayton Smith Receiving an Extra Year

The EDGE was granted another year of eligibility due to an injury that was suffered while at the University of Oklahoma - which has lent the opportunity for the mainstay in the program to be tested at different positions.

"There's a chance, based off something at Oklahoma, that he could get that year back as a medical and he wanted to do it... The waiver came back. It was approved. Him and me met and you know, he already knows our defensive system... So we talked about what they're doing in the spring, what other things he could potentially add to our football team, and where we can try him out in the spring and then make a decision on where he actually plays next year. So I'm excited about spring ball with him."

lm;ml — Nov 28, 2025; Tempe, Arizona, USA; Arizona State Sun Devils defensive lineman Clayton Smith (10) 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

On Leadership Council Being Reshaped

"Normally we have a leadership council right now. Normally we get guys back that were on the council and that I had, like, three to four guys to it. We have a council. We go on our team, compete teams, because we have competition teams all off season. And this year we graduated so many guys that told everybody, listen, we're not, not just putting people on leadership council."

Essentially every player that was on the Pat Tillman Leadership Council last season (save for DT C.J. Fite) has moved on from Arizona State. While new players will be named to the council, Dillingham made it clear that those spots will have to be earned.

ml;m — 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