Transition to game week prioritizes in-season mindset for the Sun Devils

With fall camp behind them, ASU’s focus has fully shifted to the season opener against Northern Arizona. After months of preparation in the spring and through fall camp, the Sun Devils have been evaluating player fit and experimenting with rotations. While camp provided a chance to assess talent, the emphasis now is squarely on execution and game readiness.

Head coach Kenny Dillingham said the end of camp isn’t just about naming starters—it’s about fostering a mindset capable of handling the pressure and unpredictability of game day.

“The mission and goal every week are to stay focused on the right now,” Dillingham said. “That’s always the biggest challenge because there are so many distractions. Can we stay focused on this moment? Are we the best version of ourselves today? And then repeat that tomorrow?”

For Dillingham, camp highlighted growth not only in skill but in mental maturity across the roster. Quarterback Sam Leavitt and offensive lineman Ben Coleman were singled out as examples of players whose preparation and leadership helped solidify key roles. Coleman, a graduate senior transitioning from left guard to center this season, earned the starting nod for next Saturday after consistently demonstrating a deep understanding of the system.

While adjusting to the nuances of snapping and line calls, Coleman’s four years of college experience—combined with his time alongside Leavitt last season and his steady leadership—ultimately proved decisive, edging out redshirt freshman Wade Helton, who had earned reps earlier in camp as the staff explored options and fostered competition.

“Ben’s going to be our starting center. He worked for it. He’s prepared,” Dillingham noted. “I said we wanted to move guys around throughout camp, and we feel like that gives us the best chance to win football games.”

Coleman’s move to center also allowed Texas State transfer Jimeto Obigbo to take snaps at left guard, maintaining continuity across the line while giving Coleman the reps he needed to settle into his new role.

With one of the final position battles settled, ASU turned its attention to the first true week one practice. On Saturday, the Sun Devils trained in deliberately simulated post-storm, high-humidity conditions—hovering around 60 percent—to mirror what they could encounter in early-season games, including their week two trip to Mississippi State. 

The goal wasn’t discomfort for its own sake, but preparation under pressure—and the simulated environment delivered just that. The first-team offense and defense emphasized play design while rotating against newly introduced scout units, a setup built to sharpen assignment discipline, situational awareness, and communication.

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Defensive coordinator Brian Ward emphasized that these practices were about more than just physical readiness. “It’s always a little loud in here, which gives us the best feel for what home is going to be … guys are forced to communicate, and running the football even with 60 percent humidity,” Ward said. “It’s the best way to prepare them for the chaos of a real game.”

The emphasis on mental sharpness and situational awareness has already paid dividends, particularly for younger players stepping into larger roles. Sophomore Montana Warren, for example, has shown noticeable growth in both confidence and speed of play, and has been diligent in his off-the-field preparation as he battles to try and receive the nod as the starting nickelback. This focus on preparation has allowed Warren and other defenders to refine their play on top of already standout intangibles, strengthening the overall defense while increasing both depth and versatility.

That depth is on full display at the nickel position for the Sun Devils, where Warren is competing for time in a role Ward described less as a single-starter spot and more as a rotation. Purdue transfer and senior Kyndrich Breedlove has seen slightly more first-team reps, while Warren—who drew the start in the Peach Bowl after a targeting suspension sidelined Shamarri Simmons for the first half of that contest continues to push for a share of the role.

“Just two really good athletes competing every day and getting themselves ready to play … both guys are going to help us tremendously this year,” Ward remarked. “How the snaps will ultimately be divided in-game, he added, will depend on performance: “We’ll see.”

Dillingham reiterated that the approach to positions like nickel reflects the broader theme of camp: consistency, focus, and adaptability are more important than titles or statistics. “Those positions aren’t one guy plays the majority of the snaps, like center is,” Dillingham explained, ‘So I don’t like to talk about positions where starters don’t really matter.”

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Out of all the true freshmen who didn’t don a gold scout team jersey this morning, the biggest surprise may have been cornerback Joseph Smith. Even in a deep position group room, Smith has shown ever since his spring arrival that he can be a contributor in 2025.

“He’s one of those guys who played every sport in high school,” Ward described. “If you put him on the basketball court, he’s probably one of the best basketball players on our team. He has a high football IQ, and now that we are able to pare things down after camp, where we threw so much at him on a daily basis, and prepping for a game, we think he will really flourish.

“We think he will be a special player down the road.”

Defensive growth was mirrored on offense by Leavitt, who has continued to develop not just physically but as a leader. Dillingham highlighted Leavitt’s progression from a redshirt freshman to a capable, mature signal-caller. 

“Sam’s grown. Sam’s matured. He went from a redshirt freshman to a redshirt sophomore, and he shows it,” Dillingham stated. “The biggest growth is sometimes people talk about him as if he’d been here four years, and you forget a year ago today, everybody had question marks. That was the conversation. For him to come that far as a player, as a leader, is just a testament to the work he puts in.”

The attention to detail extended beyond standard practice periods. Dillingham noted that players were coached through situational plays such as kickoffs and punts during the “lock-in” portion of Saturday’s session, with an emphasis on decision-making under pressure and precise execution. “You can’t just avoid the punt and let it roll out—you actually have to field it because it’s live,” Dillingham commented. “We tried to simulate those things, and I think our guys did a really nice job.”

Ultimately, the conclusion of fall camp and the concentration on NAU and the August 30 game left Dillingham and his staff confident in their preparation and approach heading into the opener. The team has displayed the focus, discipline, and mental toughness throughout spring and fall camp, all in the hopes of those preparations manifesting in an effective level of play against Northern Arizona. It’s a notion that wasn’t necessarily there approximately a year ago today, when the Sun Devils were preparing to embark on the 2024 season.

“I feel more prepared for sure,” Dillingham admitted, “Our guys know how to practice. They know what to do. It’s hard to play this game with an immense amount of passion consistently. You don’t find that out until Saturday … but I think we had that, and I’m hoping we still have it. They’re hoping we have a little bit more.”