Realistic expectations for Arizona State football in 2024

Kenny Dillingham's first year as Arizona State football coach went just about how he had expected. The program was in the gutter when he took over and it needed a massive overhaul in order for him to even field a competitive squad.

Year one was difficult, though, as he finished just 3-9.

Arizona State also lost Jaden Rashada to the transfer portal and he eventually wound up at Georgia where he's going to back up Carson Beck. One of the reasons for the transfer had to be the emergence of redshirt freshman, and Michigan State transfer, Sam Leavitt this spring.

The Sun Devils will have Cam Skattebo back at running back as well as two of the team's top receivers to complement the No. 43 incoming class and No. 29 transfer class.

All-in-all, this team got better, on paper, this offseason.

So what does that mean for the expectations moving forward? The Sun Devils are joining a new conference and the Big 12 may not have Oklahoma or Texas anymore, but it's far from a walk in the park. The Sun Devils will have their work cut out for them.

Let's say Leavitt lives up to expectations and plays to his potential, I think Arizona State could be a bowl team this year. It may have gone just 3-9 a season ago, but it had close losses to Cal, Colorado, and Washington. They could have easily finished 5-7 or 6-6 with a few lucky bounced.

Looking at this year's schedule, I see the Sun Devils starting 3-0 with a big win over Mississippi State. They'll drop their fourth game at Texas Tech and the following two games against Kansas and Utah, but I see them stealing one at Cincinnati to improve to 4-3 before dropping to 4-4 with a loss to Oklahoma State. The Sun Devils will beat UCF, lose at Kansas State, beat BYU and then lose at Arizona to finish the regular season 6-6.

Overall, it'll be a successful second season for Dillingham and Arizona State.