Kenny Dillingham’s call to action stimulates growth
Last Saturday, Arizona State gave its fans a first look at the 2026 roster when the program held its fifth session of spring practice at the Bill Kajikawa Practice Fields, which was also the first open practice this month as well. This session was just a few days removed from the Sun Devils’ first practice in pads held last Tuesday. Despite their desire to up the overall intensity then, head coach Kenny Dillingham was discontent with the physicality on display that day.
Since that disappointing session, Dillingham has been pleased with the player’s resolve in front of fans on Saturday, as the team, now practicing in full pads, has turned a corner on its ferocity.
“I thought the last two days had been more physical,” Dillingham said. “You’re just trying to get better. We’re flying around, though. I do like that part.”
Dillingham noted two sides to the coin of early-season physicality, which he claimed will actually improve as players continue to build friendships amongst themselves, comparing the dynamic to a sibling rivalry.
“Part of practicing violent verse each other and practicing physical is having relationships, and it gets chippy because you know you care about the guy across from you,” Dillingham reamrked. “There are a lot of people just one at a time teaching guys what it takes to be a Sunundevil, and the guys that have been here know what it takes.”
A player who certainly knows what it takes to be successful in the maroon and gold is cornerback Rodney Bimage. He took major strides in 2025, climbing up the depth chart to third-choice corner.
Now that the two players who started in front of Bimage, Keith Abney II (NFL Draft) and Javan Robinson (transferred to Wisconsin), are in the forefront as key defensive backs for the Sun Devils. On Saturday, he thrilled fans by blocking a field goal during their special team segment in practice, and Dillingham couldn’t be more excited for his production in 2026.
“He’s definitely taken a big step just in how he prepares,” Dillingham noted on Bimage. “We’re expecting a lot out of him this year, and he’s preparing like that, and he’s really matured.”
Dillingham also raved about the competitive energy amongst the program. He noted defensive lineman C.J. Fite as the lone guaranteed starter on the roster, whilst every other position is up for grabs. Because of this, when Dillingham called out the tight end room before last Thursday’s practice, he noticed an immediate response from multiple players in that group, including sophomore AJ Ia.
“I thought they had a good day,” Dilligham stated regarding the tight ends. “I challenged them on day three, I want to say day four, they responded really, really good and I’ll grade the tape today, but I thought they had a decent day.”
Dillingham has generally tried to refrain from praising players in the media during the early weeks of camp, but he couldn’t help but note freshman defensive lineman Julian Hugo for his commendable start to spring camp.
Hugo, a Cibolo, Texas native, was a 4-star recruit and a top 50 player in the state of Texas. Thus far, the 6-foot-4 250-pound Edge rusher has proven to be shifty and improving with each day.
“Julian Hugo is showing up as a freshman,” Dillingham described. “He’s showing up over and over again. So, I hope that continues.”
Dillingham also praised freshman defensive back Zeth Thues, who has made multiple pass breaks in the secondary throughout spring. For both the standout freshman and the rest of the team, the next portion of spring will turn into a more regimented evaluation period for the coaching staff. This is aimed at tracking overall talent along with growth, which Dillingham has said will translate to trust, the main trait he’s looking for this spring.
“Now it’s like, ‘okay, we got a bulk of the install in.’” Dillingham explained. “Now, you can’t make the same mistake twice. So, these last 10 practices, it’s really accumulating assignment mistakes.”
Once the sun set in Tempe, the temperature dropped, and the lights came on, practicing at that time of the day is an underrated aspect of season preparation. Receivers have to adjust, along with punt and kick returners, who may lose sight of the ball in the bright luminescence.
“It definitely helps catching the ball under lights,” Dillingham said. “Most of our games are under lights. We try to get about six to eight of them a year.”
Beyond the cooler temperatures, the fans clearly enjoyed watching the team practice for the first time. The practice fields were packed, and parking was a struggle for anyone who didn’t show up at least 30 minutes before their start time. Many of the people watching also included family members of the players. This is one of the advantages of having a local high school player begin his football journey at the collegiate level by joining the Sun Devils.
For Dillingham, no amount of praise and support will ever feel like “enough”; however, when evaluating the state of the program and its connection to the state, it’s hard for even the most pragmatic of coaches not to be proud.
“We’re always wanting to strive to get better, and we’re wanting more and more and more,” Dillingham admitted. “But it is cool to see the excitement of people for ASU football in March.”
