“Started all this, laid the foundation. Obviously the people that recruited me here, I can’t thank them enough for what they’ve done for me in my football career,” said Daniels, who played in Tempe from 2019-21. “And the relationships that I’ve made off the field here, still cherish them to this day.”

The No. 2 overall pick, Daniels is practicing in Tempe with the Washington Commanders this week ahead of a matchup with the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday. He said he still has a good relationship with Herm Edwards, who was at the helm as ASU was hit with NCAA infractions for recruiting violations under his watch.

“I’m always talking to Herm. Love Herm. He recruited me here,” Daniels said. “Phenomenal head coach, phenomenal man. Looked out for me while I was here. I still talk to him today so that dynamic’s still there.”

Commanders QB Jayden Daniels discussed his departure from ASU and how much Herm Edwards means to him. pic.twitter.com/8LOW3e06uq

— Arizona Sports (@AZSports) September 26, 2024

He said name, image and likeness (NIL), which saw its influence grow while Daniels was in college, did not play a factor in his decision to leave ASU after the 2021 season for LSU, where he won the Heisman Trophy last year.

“It didn’t mean nothing to me. My time here was great, but I didn’t leave for any NIL purposes or things like that. NIL didn’t really have that much of an impact on me,” Daniels said. “But I’m never against players making money off their name, image and likeness. Just know what’s the end goal for you.”

He instead said the move gave him the chance to find himself, both as a man and a football player, after his arrival at ASU was his first time being on his own.

What did Jayden Daniels enjoy most about his time at Arizona State?

Although his Sun Devil tenure had bitter endings, ASU had a real moment developing pros under Edwards. Daniels listed Brandon Aiyuk, Rachaad White and Ricky Pearsall as three players he was proud to grow with.

“It’s awesome. It started here, we grew up and to see everybody live out their dreams, those are brothers to me,” Daniels said.

Aiyuk and Pearsall were each first-round picks and White was picked in the third, while Daniels was the No. 2 overall pick after winning the Heisman Trophy at LSU.

The quarterback pointed to an upset win over Oregon in which he won Pac-12 Player of the Week as a freshman among the moments that stand out to him from his time. He said his rapport with Aiyuk helped set up the game-winning touchdown the two connected on.

The other highlight Daniels pointed to from over his ASU career?

“Being undefeated versus Arizona,” Daniels said, the 70-7 win in 2020 included.

Overall, the quarterback had positive feelings about being back in his old stomping grounds.

“It’s cool, first time back in a while, being able just to walk around here and re-live some memories in my head,” Daniels said Wednesday. “But the main thing is to focus on the Arizona Cardinals.”

Daniels will lead the Commanders into State Farm Stadium on Sunday for a 1:05 p.m. MST matchup with the Cardinals. Listen to play-by-play coverage on the Arizona Sports app, online or on 98.7.

After Daniels completed 21 of 23 passes and Washington carved up the Bengals defense for 356 yards in a 38-33 victory Monday night, the young cornerback chalked it up to “those quick throws.” But Daniels also had all the time in the world in the pocket, thanks to improved offensive line play and balance provided by running backs Brian Robinson Jr. and Austin Ekeler.

The No. 2 draft pick out of LSU and reigning Heisman Trophy winner made the most of it. And Kingsbury rides into a game Sunday at the NFL team he coached from 2019-22, the Arizona Cardinals, on a high with Washington now 2-1.

“Kliff has done an incredible job,” starting left guard Nick Allegretti said. “I feel like he just kind of shoots from the hip, and he lives in the moment. He may set up one, two, three in a row, but situation by situation he’s ready with the play call, and it’s really impressive how we were able to mix the run and the pass and read option.”

Daniels was responsible for 293 yards — 254 passing and 39 rushing — and he threw for two touchdowns and ran for another. Robinson and Ekeler each also got into the end zone.

After going 0 for 6 in the red zone with five false start penalties and needing seven field goals from Austin Seibert to beat the New York Giants at home in Week 2, Washington went 3 for 3 at Cincinnati.

“We knew third down in the red zone was going to be a really big part of this,” coach Dan Quinn said. “(Kliff Kingsbury) and the staff had a really clear understanding of what we had to do. You have those moments that come up and you take your shot and deliver and they weren’t going to miss it.”

While Daniels’ average time to throw was 3.13 seconds per passing attempt, according to Pro Football Focus, Joe Burrow had 2.06 seconds — a testament to Washington’s pass rush and a rebuke of Cincinnati’s. But that should not take away from Daniels completing 91.3% of passes — a rookie record.

“That kid has poise,” said receiver Terry McLaurin, who caught a 27-yard TD pass from Daniels. “He’s been doing a great job in camp making those throws, but to come out here and do it when you’ve got to have it with the game on the line — that’s what great players are about, and I think he’s going to be well on his way if he continues to work.”

What else is working to help Kliff Kingsbury’s Commanders offense

Along with the offense, Washington got a boost from its special teams in the form of a 62-yard kickoff return by Ekeler and a 25-yarder by Noah Igbinoghene.

“He gave us the field position that changes everything,” Quinn said of Ekeler’s return at the start of the second half. “He has such a unique ability to make guys miss in space.”

What needs help

The defense is still an area of concern after allowing Burrow and the Bengals to rack up 436 yards. Washington ranks 29th out of 32 teams overall on that side of the ball and 31st against the pass, which is worrisome with Arizona’s Kyler Murray looking to bounce back from a flat showing in a loss to Detroit.

“Thank God for our offense,” defensive tackle Jonathan Allen said. “They won it for us today. Defense, we’ve got to be better. No other way around it.”

Stock up for Jayden Daniels’ top target

McLaurin had the breakout game he was hoping for after making just eight catches for 39 yards through the first two weeks of the season. The TD was part of a four-catch, 100-yard performance.

“It felt good,” Daniels said. “We continue to work. We’ll still face some adversity. It’s not smooth sailing from the jump. There will be ups and downs but just staying even keel, keep working and improving.”

Stock down

Punter Tress Way might need to get in some extra practice time after not seeing any action the past two games. Of course, the Commanders will take it if the offense continues producing on every drive.

Injuries

Ekeler did not travel with the team to Arizona because of a concussion. His status bears watching, especially given the short week.

Cornerback Emmanuel Forbes could return after missing the past two games following surgery to repair a ligament in his right thumb.

Key number

5 — Consecutive fourth-down attempts Washington has converted in as many tries to start the season.

Next steps

The Commanders hope that not returning home and instead practicing this week in Tempe helps them acclimate to the Pacific Time Zone. They opened as 3 1/2-point underdogs at the Cardinals on BetMGM Sportsbook.

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Daniels is coming off a breakout performance on Monday Night Football in a 38-33 win over the Cincinnati Bengals on the road. Daniels completed 21 of his 23 pass attempts for 254 yards and two touchdowns.  He also ran for 39 yards and another touchdown. Washington is now 2-1 and winners of two straight.

Daniels started as a true freshman in Tempe under then-head coach Herm Edwards, posting 17 touchdowns with only two interceptions. After a pandemic-shortened 2020 sophomore year, Daniels struggled more as a junior and would enter the transfer portal. He went to the SEC and LSU, where he built off a year of adapting and learning the system to winning the Heisman Trophy last season. This got Daniels selected second overall in the 2024 NFL Draft.

The rookie quarterback’s visit will surely inspire questions on his decision to depart Arizona State, something he did speak on in December with The Pivot Podcast.

“There was just so much uncertainty there with everybody,” Daniels said. “[Antonio Pierce] was gone, I didn’t know anything about coach Herm, so I was like, ‘I gotta go somewhere else, I gotta start fresh.’ For me I was like, man, I seen what Bryce Young, C.J. Stroud, what those guys were doing on this big stage and I grew up playing against them. I was like, ‘Nah, I know I can do this.’ …

“Then LSU came knocking. And I was like, ‘Man, I can’t pass up this opportunity.’ We play in the SEC, we play in the best conference and you play on national television every week. So I was like, ‘Man, I need to show and prove that I can play and show that I can.'”

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“I know just throughout the season what I’m most proud of is our guys don’t quit,” Dillingham said Monday after a loss to Texas Tech dropped ASU to 3-1 on the year. “Even when we made stupid mistakes, which (it was) uncharacteristic of us to do some of the things that were done last week … the positive was our guys that made those mistakes were able to regather their composure and go finish.”

One of the mistakes in Saturday’s 30-22 loss at Texas Tech was a taunting penalty by safety Myles Rowser, who had just picked up a big sack on third down for the Sun Devil defense.

The drive didn’t result in points for the Red Raiders following the free first down, but they were able to pin ASU at its own 2-yard line when they could’ve had to punt from inside their own 20.

“You could take a guy off the field and (tell him to) calm down, calm down … but at the end of the day, if you’ve got a competitor he knows he messed up,” Dillingham said. “If your guy isn’t harder on himself for making a mistake that hurts the team then he shouldn’t be on the field to begin with.

“Hopefully those guys that had some uncharacteristically kind of stupid penalties don’t have them again and they were learning experiences because we haven’t had those since I’ve been here.”

Rowser went on to tie for the most snaps and post the highest grade for the game among ASU defenders, according to Pro Football Focus. He had nine tackles, one sack, one tackle for loss and three passes defensed in the otherwise outstanding performance.

What changes will Arizona State football make during the bye week?

Dillingham wants to get more of a rotation going at running back but says it’s hard to keep Cam Skattebo off the field.

“He’s always next to you like ‘I’m good, I’m good, I’m good,’ so it’s really hard to be like, ‘Well, if you’re good just stand here (while another running back is in),'” the head coach said.

Skattebo leads the nation in rushing attempts (86) through four weeks, which Dillingham doesn’t think is sustainable if the running back is to be fresh for the end of games and the season.

“We gotta do a better job as a staff of managing him and letting him know going into a game that we have to keep you fresh for later,” Dillingham added. “I’ve got to do a better job making sure we stay to a plan of how we want to rotate even if Skat’s telling us he’s good.”

Dillingham also said he wants to shrink down what’s being demanded of the players on a schematic basis.

He pointed to a short week leading up to the Texas State win and longer week that can sometimes be “a curse” leading into the Texas Tech loss as two situations where they didn’t manage that as well as they could have.

“I didn’t feel like our guys played fast enough, so we’ve gotta be able to shrink what we’re doing to make sure our guys can play fast,” Dillingham said. “When you have a billion things in, it’s hard … That’s me, I gotta do a better job of that, not just throwing ideas out there.”

ASU will look for the program’s first Big 12 win when the Sun Devils host Kansas on Oct. 5 at 5 p.m. MST at Mountain America Stadium.

Kansas visits ASU for a 5 p.m. MST kickoff on Saturday, Oct. 5, on ESPN2.

The Wildcats welcome the Red Raiders for an 8 p.m. MST start in Tucson. UA-Texas Tech will air on FOX.

The Sun Devils fell to 3-1 on Saturday with a loss to the Red Raiders and head into a bye week before the Jayhawks (1-3) visit. Kansas entered the season ranked No. 22 but has suffered losses to Illinois, UNLV and West Virginia since a season-opening win over Lindenwood.

The Jayhawks visit Tempe coming off a home game against TCU this coming weekend.

Arizona (2-1) is coming off a bye this week and on Saturday faces No. 10 Utah at 7:15 p.m. on ESPN.

Texas Tech hosts Cincinnati this week before a trip to Tucson for the late kickoff.

Big 12 college football schedule for Oct. 4/5 — Kansas at ASU, Texas Tech at Arizona

Friday, Oct. 4

Houston at TCU, 4:30 p.m. MST on ESPN

Saturday, Oct. 5

West Virginia at Oklahoma State, 1 p.m. MST on ESPN 2

Baylor at Iowa State, 4:30 p.m. MST on FOX

UCF at Florida, 4:45 p.m. MST on SEC Network

Kansas at Arizona State, 5 p.m. MST on ESPN 2

Texas Tech at Arizona, 8 p.m. MST on FOX

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Blessed to announce my commitment to Arizona State University!! Excited to continue to pursue my dream as a Sun devil #ForksUp pic.twitter.com/7iLPFiEIxG

— Jake Fette (@jake_fette1) September 23, 2024

Fette is rated as a four-star prospect, top 15 among quarterbacks and top-200 overall in the 2026 class by 247 Sports. The quarterback from El Paso Del Valle is the first 2026 commit for the Sun Devils.

ASU head coach Kenny Dillingham was in El Paso the day after ASU’s Week 3 win over Texas State to watch Fette star in a 62-6 win. He threw for 229 yards and three touchdowns on 15-of-18 passing in front of his future head coach, according to MaxPreps.

The program has prioritized recruiting efforts in Texas with a “Texas to Tempe” mantra that was all over coaches’ social medias following the announcement.

Great day!!!!!! #Texas2Tempe!! pic.twitter.com/bjsAU7XZBX

— Coach Dillingham (@KennyDillingham) September 23, 2024

💥 BOOM!! LFFGGGG #ForksUp 🔱#Texas2Tempe 📈 pic.twitter.com/BOTKmtfhn8

— Coach Arroyo (@coacharroyo) September 23, 2024

Dillingham has expressed excitement toward the thought of being “linked” to current ASU quarterback Sam Leavitt for “the next four years,” but in an age of college football where coaches don’t know who could leave at a moment’s notice, it’s important to have other plans in place.

Leavitt and true freshman Navi Bruzon — a former Gatorade Player of the Year at Peoria Liberty who walked on at ASU — are both in the fold with plenty of eligibility remaining.

Michael Tollefson is committed to ASU in the 2025 class and recently transferred from California to Phoenix Mountain Pointe to be closer to the program. He was seen recently at multiple practices and is expected to enroll in the spring.

Fette’s commitment further improves that long-term positional outlook.

On the latest edition of the State of the Sun Devils podcast, Jeremy Schnell, Jesse Morrison and Damon Allred discussed Arizona State football’s first loss of the season in its first Big 12 contest.

The Sun Devils fell 30-22 to the Texas Tech Red Raiders at Jones AT&T Stadium to fall to 3-1 overall (0-1 in Big 12).

ASU had eight penalties for 69 yards and sent two kickoffs out of bounds, giving Texas Tech solid field position.  Quarterback Sam Leavitt threw his second interception of the season right after Texas Tech scored a touchdown on the opening drive of the game.

Arizona State gambled a few times in the matchup, going for it on fourth down four times. The Sun Devils were 0-for-3, with another attempt not counting due to a pass interference call against Texas Tech.

The Sun Devils’ pass catchers did not have their best outing with multiple catchable passes not being caught.

ASU has a bye week next week before hosting Kansas on Oct. 5.

Conyers’ touchdown gave the Red Raiders a 24-10 lead in the third quarter as the Sun Devil defense struggled to get stops against an efficient offense.

WildConyers 💪

📺: @CFBonFOX | #WreckEm pic.twitter.com/9FmsTHBu6t

— Texas Tech Football (@TexasTechFB) September 21, 2024

Over 13% of Conyers’ snaps last season at ASU came at quarterback, according to Pro Football Focus. Texas Tech has him playing multiple positions again, but this year has looked more traditional for a tight end.

The versatile tight end left a lasting impact on ASU’s program, and head coach Kenny Dillingham said the two still have a good relationship.

Where did Arizona State football miss out on opportunities in 1st loss?

The Sun Devils (3-1) had a hard time finding a rhythm on offense after the first two drives were stalled by Texas Tech (3-1) takeaways.

Quarterback Sam Leavitt threw an interception on his first pass attempt after he was sacked while trying to create with his legs on the first dropback. The second drive saw ASU total 69 yards before failing to convert a fourth-and-one in the red zone.

It was the first game in which ASU failed to score in the first quarter.

On the final play of the first half, Leavitt launched a Hail Mary that traveled more than 60 air yards before going right through the hands of wide receiver Malik McClain, who would’ve had a touchdown on his first catch of the season after transferring from Penn State.

Wide receiver Jake Smith failed to adjust on a later deep shot in which he had plenty of open grass out in front. Dillingham told reporters postgame the sun impacted Smith’s ability to see the ball.

The Sun Devils finally broke open a big play with a 66-yard run by Cam Skattebo off a screen pass, and he punched in a touchdown on the next play. However, Ian Hershey’s extra point was blocked, keeping ASU at arm’s length.

Key fourth-quarter drops from tight end Chamon Metayer hurt ASU’s comeback efforts, as did eight penalties. It was the third straight week with at least eight ASU penalties after committing four in Week 1 against Wyoming.

Arizona State has a bye week coming up to reset before hosting Kansas on Oct. 5.

Arizona State’s first-year athletic director Graham Rossini told Arizona Sports’ Burns & Gambo on Thursday that there is merit to the concept.

“We’re studying a lot of scenarios across many of our sports because right now, you think about the life of a college coach in any sport, you’ve got to wake up in the morning and determine whether you are putting your energy into coaching the team you have or recruiting the team that you need,” Rossini said.

“We know coaches, they work around the clock, but there are only 24 hours in a day. As the access to talent and access to information becomes more and more important, I do think you’ll start to see more of a specialization into scouting and roster management, as opposed to coaching and player development. And that’s obviously a very tried-and-true model in professional sports.”

College programs are starting to turn to general managers. ASU AD Graham Rossini shares his thoughts on the development with @BurnsAndGambo: pic.twitter.com/ws6mlwhGj3

— Arizona Sports (@AZSports) September 20, 2024

Rossini returned to his alma mater Arizona State earlier this year after spending 13 years working in professional sports for the Arizona Diamondbacks, and former ASU athletic director Ray Anderson cited the changing collegiate athletics landscape and NIL as prime reasons for his departure amid investigations of recruiting violations.

Versions of a pro football-like system have been in effect for college football programs for decades, and basketball is now catching up. Duke got the ball rolling by hiring the first college hoops general manager, Rachel Baker, in 2022. Other programs followed suit.

The University of Arizona hired Gaizka Crowley to be its new football general manager and Matt King as its president of basketball operations earlier this year.

Alabama made waves this past offseason by awarding general manager Courtney Morgan with a three-year contract worth nearly $2.5 million, a potential market-setting investment.

“I think as there’s just more at stake in college sports, now more than ever, there is some merit to having a group of your sports staff that can really be focused on future roster composition while the current coaches are developing the talent that needs to win now,” Rossini said.

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Iced out for our @Big12Conference debut 🥶#ForksUp /// #ActivateTheValley pic.twitter.com/6N16Nq5Yvs

— Sun Devil Football (@ASUFootball) September 19, 2024

ASU’s white jerseys feature maroon squad numbers outlined in gold, with Adidas and Big 12 logos on the left and right front side of the jerseys, respectively. In between the logos, the collar of the jerseys have a PT42 patch on it as a tribute to former Sun Devil Pat Tillman.

The pants have a large pitchfork on the right thigh, similar to Week 3’s jerseys but in white instead of gold. The team helmet will feature two maroon pitchforks on the sides of the helmet.

Texas Tech will wear all red jerseys with a black helmet for Saturday’s game. The Red Raiders’ name and player numbers are threaded in white with Big 12 and Adidas logos on the left and right side of the jersey.

Between the logos, the collar of the jersey has a Texas Tech logo on it. The pants have a white stripe on the sides.

Laser focused 💯

Game 4 uniform combo.#WreckEm | #TeamAdidas pic.twitter.com/LIKTgnOUkt

— Texas Tech Football (@TexasTechFB) September 19, 2024

Raider Power ⚫️🔴🔴 pic.twitter.com/hiJGM3J6xR

— Texas Tech Football (@TexasTechFB) September 19, 2024

The team helmet features a red and white stripe printed from the front to the back with the Texas Tech logo just below the stripe.

TEMPE — Arizona State and Cam Skattebo meeting Texas Tech and Tahj Brooks on Saturday will serve as an appetizer for the elite running back matchups to expect in the Big 12.

“You’re not a 1,000-yard rusher on accident. He’s absolutely dynamic,” ASU head coach Kenny Dillingham said of Brooks. “When you look at the stats, the fact that he’s back is huge for them. Someone we’ve gotta control, gotta contain.”

For ASU entering its Big 12 debut, Skattebo has opened the season as the workhorse of all workhorses leading the nation with 68 rushing attempts through three weeks. Brooks has had similar usage on a per-game basis (44 total attempts) but missed the Red Raiders’ lone loss against Washington State in Week 2.

In both games he’s played, Brooks ran for more than 100 yards with a touchdown. He produced 1,541 yards last season and has been Texas Tech’s leading rusher for three straight seasons.

Red Raiders offensive coordinator Zach Kittley loves to establish the running back early to open up play action. All four of Texas Tech’s passing touchdowns in a Week 3 win over North Texas came off play action, with Brooks laying the wood on some key blocks.

Kittley has called Brooks the best pass-protecting running back he’s ever been around, and ASU defensive coordinator Brian Ward said it’s an element the Sun Devils must be prepared for.

asu defensive coordinator brian ward said going against tahj brooks in pass pro is “like trying to run through a block of granite.” pic.twitter.com/24c3qpvIFP

— Damon Allred (@iamdamonallred) September 19, 2024

With Skattebo looking to keep an exceptional start to his season going, the Red Raiders’ staff had their own top-notch running back to prepare for.

“I don’t know how you say it, but I know he’s a bad man,” Texas Tech head coach Joey McGuire told reporters after mispronouncing the running back’s name (it’s Skatte-BOO).

Skattebo is sixth nationally among running backs in yards after contact (258), according to Pro Football Focus. Among those six, he has the second-most rushes of 10-plus yards with 11.

“He’s in a lot of ways a lot like Tahj,” Texas Tech defensive coordinator Tim DeRuyter said. “When he gets one-on-ones, there’s not many guys that get him down and there’s no yardage. You better have a gang of guys there tackling because he’ll run through people.”

The matchup is a chance for the ASU rushing attack to establish itself as one of the best in the conference.

“I feel like every game for us is a statement game,” center Leif Fautanu said. “I feel like we try to put out the best film that we can, and this week we’ve got a good opportunity to put some yards on the ground. But again it just starts off with doing our job.”

After dealing with Brooks this week, the running back matchups don’t get much easier for Arizona State with Kansas’ Devin Neal and Utah’s Micah Bernard the next two on deck. Neal has reached the century mark in all three games, while Bernard has done so against both FBS opponents Utah has faced.

After a second bye week, more challenging running back matchups come with preseason conference player of the year Ollie Gordon II of Oklahoma State and UCF’s R.J. Harvey, a top-three rusher in the nation.

After giving up 134 rushing yards in the win over Texas State, the ASU rushing defense dropped from one of the best in the nation to sixth in the Big 12. This matchup with Brooks and Texas Tech should provide a clearer expectation for how ASU will hold up throughout conference play.

Former Arizona State TE Jalin Conyers facing old team

Tight end Jalin Conyers, now with Texas Tech, was among the most important players for Arizona State in Dillingham’s first season, making an impact with his versatility last season.

In addition to catching 30 passes for 362 yards with limited quarterback play, Conyers ran 22 times and completed five passes last year.

Through three games with his new team, he has again taken snaps at quarterback and in the backfield, according to PFF. However, it’s much more of an orthodox tight end role than at ASU, where more than 13% of his snaps came at quarterback.

Dillingham said playing closer to family was a big factor in Conyers’ decision, one the coach fully supported.

kenny dillingham raved about jalin conyers and his move to texas tech … after he gave us some grief for forgetting to ask pic.twitter.com/9ZFtr2F7KG

— Damon Allred (@iamdamonallred) September 17, 2024

McGuire said Conyers is excited for the matchup, and Kittley said he planned to speak with the tight end about the ASU defense.

The Sun Devils expect to start six defensive newcomers on Saturday, so Conyers’ familiarity will only be so helpful.

ASU, meanwhile, has a former Red Raider on its roster in starting right guard Cade Briggs. He was Texas Tech’s backup center in 2022 and appeared in two games before arriving in Tempe last year.

How to watch, listen to Arizona State football vs. Texas Tech

The Sun Devils match up against the Red Raiders at 12:30 p.m. MST in Lubbock.

You can listen to play-by-play on the Arizona Sports app, ESPN 620 or 98.7 FM-HD 2, with pregame coverage beginning at 10 a.m. MST. FS1 will have the TV broadcast.

Arizona State’s Kenny Dillingham has created some headlines this year. His candid honesty and humor come out in front of cameras.

Usually, it’s helpful for ASU football.

We’re not sure if the latest instance counts. Dillingham spoke pretty glowingly of the atmosphere at Jones AT&T Stadium in Lubbock, Texas, to start the week of preparation before the Sun Devils’ first official Big 12 game.

It was so complimentary that the head coach’s press conference was twisted by the Red Raiders to act as a voiceover for a Texas Tech hype video.

Red Raider Nation, you have a reputation to uphold.

BE THERE AND BE LOUD.

🎟️ » https://t.co/KOZxCTbv1v pic.twitter.com/W1yelmuq6A

— Texas Tech Football (@TexasTechFB) September 18, 2024

Whoops!

Dillingham was asked Friday on Arizona Sports’ Bickley & Marotta about his words getting layered over some Red Raider hype. It sounded like there’s an inkling of regret.

“Yeah, uh, don’t really have a comment there,” Dillingham said playfully. “It’s a great environment. I guess they liked what I had to say about the environment.

“Hopefully, I didn’t hype their fan base up too much. It was to hype us up! Not them!”

Arizona State's Kenny Dillingham accidentally created a voiceover for a Texas Tech hype video.

"Hopefully, I didn’t hype their fan base up too much," he said.

Listen to Dillingham's full visit with @Bickley_Marotta ahead of ASU's first ever Big 12 game:… pic.twitter.com/hBgp5lmW70

— Arizona Sports (@AZSports) September 20, 2024

How did Kenny Dillingham end up creating a voiceover for the Texas Tech hype video?

Dillingham on Monday was asked a rather innocuous question about Arizona State entering its first conference game as a new member of the Big 12.

He ended up diving into the game day details for the Red Raiders’ home. That includes a tortilla toss, a practice with a few origin stories.

“This will go down in literal history. Very few times in sports do you get to accomplish a first. Like a real first,” Dillingham said Monday. “Not a crazy first. A real first. … It’ll be remembered forever as ASU’s first Big 12 game.

“The crowd there, I’m very excited for the tortillas — I’ve heard that there’s tortillas that get thrown around. I’m excited for it because it’s a challenge, but it’s what college football is supposed to be. We walk out underneath the band, is where I was told our entrance is. A college band on the road, it’s going to be loud. Their fans are diehard fans, it’s a college town. It’s going to be an unbelievable environment to play in. I think that’s the exciting part about joining the Big 12.”

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Brown is listed as the Sun Devils’ third-string running back on the latest depth chart with an “OR” alongside him, senior DeCarlos Brooks and junior Alton McCaskill. Thamel reports Brooks “should return” after he did not play against Texas State.

Through three games, 68 of the 103 carries among the running backs have gone to Cam Skattebo. Brooks has the second-most with 14.

Brown has two of those carries for one yard this season, making his ASU debut in the Texas State matchup after missing the first two games. The sophomore transfer from USC had 42 carries for 227 yards and three touchdowns as a freshman in 2022.

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Arizona State defensive back Cole Martin is done for the remainder of the 2024 season with a hip injury, head coach Kenny Dillingham announced on Wednesday.

The Oregon transfer had been ASU’s backup nickel to Shamari Simmons, and he made four tackles with one pass breakup over the first two games of the season.

“He’s gonna get surgery on a few items that have just been lingering since he got here, it was before he got here,” Dillingham said. “He’s been trying to push through it, he’s a really tough kid. It had just come to a point where we got to get him right.”

Martin, a Basha High School alum who previously attended Hamilton, played all 14 games for the Ducks last season as a true freshman. He racked up 21 tackles, an interception and two passes defensed. The sophomore was a consensus four-star recruit out of Basha and a boost to ASU’s secondary coming in.

Dillingham said freshman Kyan McDonald will be the backup nickel in Martin’s stead — Macen Williams, who entered the year contending for snaps at nickel, retired before Week 1.

“Super smart, super savvy, just where he’s supposed to be,” Dillingham said of McDonald. “He picked the ball off yesterday, last week he had a pick in 7-on-7, just a guy who is around the ball a lot.”

McDonald was a three-star prospect out of O’Dea High School in Seattle.

Simmons has been one of the brightest spots on the defense this season with 18 tackles — three for a loss — and a forced fumble through three games.

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The Hall announced 167 modern-era candidates for the class on Wednesday, which included 16 players nominated for the first time, including two-time All-Pro guard Marshal Yanda.

A screening committee will reduce the list of nominees to 50 players next month. Then the full 50-person selection committee will cut the list down to 25 semifinalists and then 15 finalists for the annual meeting before the Super Bowl that will produce the new class. Players must get 80% of votes to get in with between three and five players getting in as modern-era candidates.

There will also be three senior candidates, grouped with one coach and contributor with at least one and no more than three of those finalists getting in based on voting.

Arizona connections in the Pro Football Hall of Fame nominee class

Suggs, who went to Hamilton High School in Chandler and then Arizona State for college, was one of the top pass rushers in the league over his 17-year career, with his 139 sacks ranking eighth best since they became an official stat in 1982.

Suggs had seven double-digit sack seasons in his 16 seasons with Baltimore, including 14 in 2011 when he was selected as the top defensive player in the league and led the NFL with seven forced fumbles.

He won Defensive Rookie of the Year in 2003 and helped the Ravens win the Super Bowl in the 2012 season. He finished his career in 2019, splitting time with the Arizona Cardinals and Kansas City Chiefs, where he helped the latter win the Super Bowl in the 2019 season.

The other first-time candidates are offensive linemen Travis Frederick, Ryan Kalil and Joe Staley; running back Darren Sproles; receiver Demaryius Thomas; tight ends Vernon Davis and Delanie Walker; and defensive backs Antoine Bethea, Aqib Talib and Earl Thomas.

Bethea played for the Cardinals from 2017-18 before finishing his career in 2019 with the Giants.

Fellow former Cardinal and receiver Anquan Boldin returns as a nominee after he tallied 7,520 receiving yards — out of 13,779 for his entire NFL career — with Arizona from 2003-09.

Boldin was a semifinalist in last year’s class.

Pass rushers Simeon Rice (1996-2000) and John Abraham (2013-14), plus kicker Jeff Feagles (1994-97) are among other candidates who spent time with the Cardinals in their careers.

There are also 10 players back under consideration who were finalists a year ago with tight end Antonio Gates, receivers Torry Holt and Reggie Wayne; offensive linemen Willie Anderson and Jahri Evans; defensive backs Darren Woodson, Eric Allen and Rodney Harrison; defensive lineman Jared Allen; and running back Fred Taylor back on the list.

Woodson went to Phoenix’s Maryvale High School and played his college ball at Arizona State (1988-1992).

The Arizona Wildcats are represented by linebackers Tedy Bruschi (1995) and Lance Briggs (2003), who were both third-round picks out of college.

The top new names on the list

Manning will look to follow his brother Peyton into the Hall following a standout career with the New York Giants. Manning was picked first overall in the 2004 draft and spent his entire career in New York. He led the Giants to an upset win over the undefeated New England Patriots in the Super Bowl following the 2007 season, throwing a game-winning TD pass to Plaxico Burress in the final minute.

He led another late TD drive to upset Tom Brady and the Patriots four years later. Manning is one of 13 QBs to win multiple Super Bowls with eight of the nine who are eligible for the Hall getting inducted.

Only Jim Plunkett has not been inducted along with more recent players such as Brady, Ben Roethlisberger and Patrick Mahomes, who aren’t eligible.

Manning was a four-time Pro Bowler but never made All-Pro or led the league in a major statistical category in a season but finished his career with 57,023 yards passing and 366 TDs.

His best moments were in those two postseason runs. Manning joined Brady (five), Mahomes (three), Joe Montana (three), Bart Starr (two) and Terry Bradshaw (two) as the only multiple winners of Super Bowl MVP awards.

Kuechly and Suggs were among the top defensive players of their era with Kuechly selected as the top defensive player in 2013 and Suggs in 2011.

Kuechly’s career was brief but impactful. The first-round pick by Carolina in 2012 was an All-Pro five times in his eight-year career with seven Pro Bowl nods and a Defensive Rookie of the Year award.

Over his eight-year career, Kuechly led all linebackers in the NFL in tackles (1,090), takeaways (26), interceptions (18) and passes defensed (66).

Vinatieri was one of the most clutch kickers in NFL history, making the game-winning field goals in the first two Super Bowl titles during New England’s dynasty.

He helped launch the run with one of the game’s greatest kicks — a 45-yarder in the snow to force overtime in the “Tuck Rule” game against the Raiders in the 2001 divisional round. He made the game-winning kick in OT to win that game and then hit a 48-yarder on the final play of a 20-17 win in the Super Bowl against the Rams.

He then made a 41-yarder two years later to give the Patriots a 32-29 win in the Super Bowl against Carolina. Vinatieri also won Super Bowls in 2004 with New England and in the 2006 season with Indianapolis.

Vinatieri is the NFL’s all-time leader in points (2,673) and made field goals (599) over a 24-year career with New England and Indianapolis. He also leads all players with 56 field goals and 238 points in the postseason.

Yanda was a member of the 2010s all-decade team as a key of Baltimore’s success. He also was selected second-team All-Pro five times and made the Pro Bowl in eight of his final seasons, missing in 2017 when he played only two games of an injury.

Pro Football Hall of Fame 2025 class candidates

QUARTERBACKS (10): Marc Bulger, Randall Cunningham, Jake Delhomme, Doug Flutie, Rich Gannon, Jeff Garcia, Donovan McNabb, Eli Manning, Steve McNair, Tony Romo

RUNNING BACKS (31): Shaun Alexander, Terry Allen, Jamal Anderson, Tiki Barber, Larry Centers (FB), Jamaal Charles, Stephen Davis, Corey Dillon, Warrick Dunn, Charlie Garner, Eddie George, Priest Holmes, Steven Jackson, Chris Johnson, Thomas Jones, John Kuhn (FB), Vonta Leach, Dorsey Levens, Jamal Lewis, Marshawn Lynch, Eric Metcalf (also WR/PR/KR), Glyn Milburn (also WR), Lorenzo Neal (FB), Clinton Portis, Tony Richardson (FB), Robert Smith, Darren Sproles (also PR/KR), Fred Taylor*, Chris Warren, Ricky Watters, Ricky Williams

WIDE RECEIVERS (21): Anquan Boldin, Donald Driver, Antonio Freeman, Irving Fryar, Torry Holt*, Joe Horn, Chad Johnson, Brandon Marshall, Derrick Mason, Herman Moore, Muhsin Muhammad, Jordy Nelson, Andre Rison, Jimmy Smith, Rod Smith, Steve Smith Sr., Demaryius Thomas, Hines Ward, Reggie Wayne*, Wes Welker, Roddy White

TIGHT ENDS (6): Ben Coates, Vernon Davis, Antonio Gates*, Jeremy Shockey, Delanie Walker, Wesley Walls

OFFENSIVE LINEMEN (26): Willie Anderson* (T), Bruce Armstrong (T/G), Matt Birk (C), Lomas Brown (T), Ruben Brown (G), Jahri Evans* (G), Travis Frederick (C), Jordan Gross (T), Ryan Kalil (C), Lincoln Kennedy (T), Olin Kreutz (C), T.J. Lang (G/T), Nick Mangold (C), Logan Mankins (G), Tom Nalen (C), Jeff Saturday (C), Mark Schlereth (G/C), Josh Sitton (G), Chris Snee (G), Joe Staley (T), Dave Szott (G), Brian Waters (G), Richmond Webb (T), Erik Williams (T), Steve Wisniewski (G), Marshal Yanda (G)

DEFENSIVE LINEMEN (18): John Abraham (DE also LB), Jared Allen* (DE), La’Roi Glover (DT/NT), Casey Hampton (DT/NT), Robert Mathis (DE), Chester McGlockton (DT), Haloti Ngata (DT), Simeon Rice (DE), Clyde Simmons (DE/DT), Justin Smith (DE), Neil Smith (DE), Henry Thomas (DT/NT), Justin Tuck (DE), Ted Washington (NT/DT), Vince Wilfork (DT/NT), Jamal Williams (DT/NT), Kevin Williams (DT), Pat Williams (DT)

LINEBACKERS (20): Jessie Armstead, Brendon Ayanbadejo, Cornelius Bennett, Lance Briggs, Keith Brooking, NaVorro Bowman, Tedy Bruschi, Donnie Edwards, James Farrior, London Fletcher, James Harrison, Luke Kuechly, Willie McGinest (also DE), Ken Norton Jr., Julian Peterson, Bill Romanowski, Takeo Spikes, Terrell Suggs, Mike Vrabel, Lee Woodall

DEFENSIVE BACKS (18): Eric Allen* (CB), Eric Berry (DB), Antoine Bethea (S), Dré Bly (DB), Kam Chancellor (S), Nick Collins (DB), Antonio Cromartie (CB), DeAngelo Hall (DB), Rodney Harrison* (S), Eugene Robinson (DB), Samari Rolle (DB), Allen Rossum (DB), Bob Sanders (S), Aqib Talib (CB), Earl Thomas (S), Charles Tillman (CB), Troy Vincent (CB), Darren Woodson* (S)

PUNTERS/KICKERS (15): David Akers (K), Gary Anderson (K), Darren Bennett (P), Jason Elam (K), Jeff Feagles (P), Jason Hanson (K), John Kasay (K), Sean Landeta (P), Shane Lechler (P), Pat McAfee (P), Brian Moorman (P), Matt Stover (K), Matt Turk (P), Mike Vanderjagt (K), Adam Vinatieri (K)

SPECIAL TEAMS (2): Josh Cribbs (KR/PR also WR), Brian Mitchell (KR/PR also RB)

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