Dillingham balances youth development and bowl game prep

After weeks spent reflecting on the Territorial Cup game loss, ASU now has a chance for a measure of redemption as it closes the season against Duke in the Sun Bowl on Dec. 31. The matchup arrived much like many 2025 bowl games did: messy, late, and loaded with context.

Duke staggered into the ACC title picture at an 8-5 mark following a three-game surge, a five-way tie in the ACC at 6-2 conference record, and a chaotic finish that only settled after Cal upset SMU, reshuffling the conference pecking order and paving the way for Duke to upset No. 19 Virginia in the title game.

For ASU, the Sun Bowl serves as both a reward for its 8-4 season and a reset, offering a chance to send seniors out on a high note while evaluating the next wave of talent.

That purpose came through clearly from Monday morning’s press conference as ASU head coach Kenny Dillingham detailed who might play, how the team will use the extra practices, and what the modern bowl era means for participation.

“We’re going to get after it in bowl prep,” Dillingham stated. “We’re going to get a lot of young guy reps. With the veterans, the whole goal will be the guys who have exhausted eligibility to keep them in shape enough that those guys that want to participate in the bowl game, those guys are in shape enough so that when we go into the last six days of prep, we’ll really hammer in Duke and the game plan just like a normal week.”

That early stretch of practices will function as a bit of an audition. Dillingham was open about trying to balance the urgency to win this postseason contest with the need to see what underclassmen can do in live settings.

“I know for one thing that we’re going to try to win the game, and we’re going to do everything we can to try to win the game,” Dillingham said. “If those are really young guys on the field and those are guys getting first game day experiences, awesome. Well, let’s still try to win the game. I don’t want you to play and get experience while losing. I’d rather play, and you get experience while winning.”

That mindset will guide how Dillingham deploys his personnel. He confirmed senior quarterback Jeff Sims as the starter for the Sun Bowl in what will be his final collegiate game, while leaving room for packages featuring true freshman Cameron Dyer, the former four-star recruit and New Mexico’s top prospect, who has shown flashes throughout practice.

“Jeff Sims is going to be our starter,” Dillingham emphasized. “We may have some packages with Cam in there to see him rocking and rolling, but 100 percent it will be Jeff. Jeff’s worked his butt off here. Jeff is going to be our starter.”

Sims has been a steady option this fall with sophomore quarterback Sam Leavitt off the field, compiling a 3-1 record as a full-time starter. Looking ahead, getting a look at Dyer could prove valuable, adding more excitement to the quarterback room next year alongside incoming freshman Jake Fette, ASU’s prized four-star recruit and the No. 7 quarterback in his class per On3.

Dillingham praised Fette’s character and preparation, traits he has shown well before last Wednesday’s Signing Day.

“One is commitment,” Dillingham explained. “He’s been committed the longest, stayed committed through all the people that tried to get him to flip. And the want to be here is really important to me. I have so much faith in him in the future.”

The Sun Bowl also reinforces how bowl season has changed. Players weigh their futures, agents circle, and every program has to navigate fatigue, minor injuries, and the option to decline a bowl altogether. There were, in fact, three ASU players who declared their intentions of entering the portal in the hours following Dillingham’s press conference. Dillingham didn’t announce who will participate in the New Year’s Eve game and instead made it clear that players will have agency and that he’ll support whatever decision they make.

“50-50 I would guess,” Dillingham estimated when asked about expected participation from outgoing seniors and other returning players. “Maybe higher than that. I’m going to support whatever our players do, whatever they deem is best, and I’m going to support that and get behind it. We have a lot of seniors, a lot of guys that have been playing.”

That open stance reflects the reality of the portal and draft decisions that swirl around this time of year. On3 reported that both senior offensive lineman Josh Atkins, who will receive an extra year of eligibility, and junior defensive back Javan Robinson entered the portal this morning. Meanwhile, names like senior defensive lineman Justin Wodtly and senior tight end Chamon Metayer, who had previously said they would enter the NFL Draft process, could still elect to play against Duke. Junior defensive back Keith Abney II and junior wide receiver Jordyn Tyson are expected to declare for the NFL draft, with their postseason status uncertain, adding complications to depth charts and bowl preparation.

Dillingham didn’t blame players for the churn and instead pointed to issues that are plaguing the college football system.

“The adults were the people who started this mess,” Dillingham argued. “Now people try to blame the kids. This isn’t a kid’s problem. Every kid that transfers, every kid that leaves, this isn’t a kid problem. There’s not even a problem at all if you don’t care that people leave. This is an adult’s mess, not a kid’s mess.”

He also emphasized the fundamentals that still decide games: ball security and situational discipline. ASU committed nine turnovers in its last two games, including five costly ones against Arizona, and Dillingham said the coaching staff must take responsibility for that.

“We cannot turn the ball over four times,” Dillingham stressed. “That cannot happen. Cannot turn it over five times. We cannot turn it over six times. I got to look myself in the mirror and say, ‘What can I do better to help emphasize ball security and the importance, considering it’s the number one stat that equates to winning and losing football games.’”

Preparing for Duke means preparing for a team that improbably won an ACC title. Their late surge left them peaking at the right time, a familiar challenge for a Sun Devils squad that dealt with its own disruptions this season. Dillingham framed Duke as worthy and praised the Sun Bowl stage.

“We’re excited,” Dillingham remarked at the bowl announcement. “I’ve been in this bowl game one time before, and we played Duke. I’m 2 out of 2 facing the Blue Devils in the bowl, and it’s a great bowl.”

Beyond the matchup itself, Dillingham said the extra practices are vital for bringing younger players further into the program’s culture and building long-term growth. Those sessions, along with a quality opponent, are why he believes bowl games still matter.

“We’re going to get a lot of young guy reps,” Dillingham reiterated. “Those first nine practices before that, it’s basically it’s on. We’re gonna put in things. We’re gonna practice hard. We’re gonna practice physically, and we’re gonna get better.”

Beyond the matchup itself, Dillingham emphasized that the Sun Bowl is as much about building the program for the future as it is about closing the season on a high note. The extra practices give younger players a chance to gain experience while embedding the team’s culture and work ethic.

“What they taught me was getting guys that have a get it out the mud mentality,” Dillingham commented. “Getting guys that are so driven to be successful internally, not externally, that don’t care about the optics, that just want to work and grind will forever be a model that we emulate.”