Kansas Football vs Arizona State: Get to Know the Sun Devils

The Kansas Jayhawks are set to face the Arizona State Sun Devils on Saturday morning in what is now looking like a must-win for KU if they hope to reach bowl eligibility be season’s end.

The Jayhawks and Sun Devils will face off in London at Wembley Stadium as part of the inaugural Union Jack Classic. It's the first time a college football game has ever been played at the historic venue, which is known for hosting big-time soccer matches and some of the most famous musical artists from around the world.

Here's a look at this year's Arizona State team.

History

These two programs have only met once before when KU traveled to Tempe, Arizona, back in October 2024.

Despite a strong effort, the Jayhawks came up just short in a 35-31 loss. That Sun Devils team was loaded on offense with quarterback Sam Leavitt who is now with LSU, running back Cam Skattebo who is now with the New York Giants, and wide receiver Jordyn Tyson who’s with the New Orleans Saints.

Arizona State has a conference record of 20-9 since joining the Big 12 in 2024.

Record

Arizona State enters Saturday's contest at 1-1 on the season. The Sun Devils demolished their Week 1 opponent Morgan State by a final score of 70-7 after racking up 681 yards of total offense (432 passing, 249 rushing).

The following week, ASU fell to No. 9 Texas A&M 48-20 in College Station, Texas, but they kept the game close through three quarters before the Aggies pulled away.

Key Players

The Sun Devils are led by junior quarterback Cutter Boley who has impressed through two games this season after transferring from Kentucky. He threw for 387 yards and six touchdowns in the Sun Devils’ season opener and threw for 254 yards and two touchdowns in the loss to Texas A&M.

Their biggest playmaker on offense is senior wide receiver Reed Harris who has 15 catches for 326 yards and four touchdowns so far this season – including 189 yards and two scores versus the Aggies. His 326 yards receiving is fourth best in college football, and he currently leads the nation in receptions over 20 yards with eight on the year.

The Sun Devils' defensive line is arguably their strongest position group. Led by senior defensive lineman C.J. Fite and edge rushers Emar'rion Winston (Baylor transfer) and Jalen Thompson (Michigan State transfer), they are generating a quarterback pressure rate of 38.3% per play on just 13 blitzes so far this season. The fact that they are able to get to the quarterback without blitzing, makes them a very dangerous unit.

Coaching

The Sun Devils are led by third-year head coach Kenny Dillingham.

An ASU alumnus, Dillingham took over the program in 2023 as the youngest head coach in the Power 5 conferences at the time (32 years old). Prior to that, he was offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach at Auburn (2019), Florida State (2020-21), and Oregon (2022).

He has an overall record of 23-18 during his time as head coach at ASU and owns a 20-9 record in the Big 12 since the Sun Devils joined the conference in 2024. Dillingham won Big 12 Coach of the Year in their first year after (surprisingly) guiding the Sun Devils to the 2024 Big 12 Championship.

Dillingham received a contract extension in December 2025 that made him the second highest paid head coach in the Big 12 at approximately $7.4 million per year.

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History

Record

READ MORE: Why Kansas Football is Now Facing a Must-Win vs Arizona State in London

Key Players

Coaching