Arizona State head coach Kenny Dillingham speaks during Big 12 Media Days in Las Vegas on July 9. Lucas Peltier, Associated Press Body of drowned angler recovered downstream of Lake Waco dam after extensive search His pitch to Texas-based recruits is simple: Tempe might be a little hot and dry, but the campus atmosphere is great and it has mountains. And it’s a less than three-hour flight from most big Texas airports, shorter than most point-to-point drives in Texas. “Now we’re going to play games in your hometown,” Dillingham said. Doesn’t sound too bad, does it? Arizona State defensive back Xavion Alford answers questions from the media during Big 12 Media Days in Las Vegas on July 9. Alford, a native of Pearland, is one of 22 players on the Arizona State roster who hail from Texas. Lucas Peltier, Associated Press It certainly sounded good to redshirt junior defensive back Xavion Alford, a former four-star recruit who transferred to Arizona State after playing minimally during his time at Texas and USC, and who played high school football at Shadow Creek in Pearland, Texas. He didn’t play for the Sun Devils last year due to the NCAA’s rule on two-time transfers — a rule that was eventually ended — but he’s determined to make an impact this season. “It’s been a process,” Alford said. “Looking back at last year, it happened for a reason. I feel like God led me to Arizona State and I’m thankful to my teammates and Coach Dillingham for the support. It’s time to repay everybody.” The kind of pitch that worked on Alford is going to have to work if Dillingham wants to turn the program around sooner rather than later. He was already behind the eight ball ahead of his first season in charge last year when Arizona State dished out a self-imposed one-year postseason ban for recruiting violations during COVID-19 by former head coach Herm Edwards. Arizona State will be on probation for the next three years, according to the NCAA. “We have three things that we look for other than the physical skills,” Dillingham said. “We want good people. We want people who bring joy; either you’re going to be a multiplier in our program or a divider, and I don’t want dividers. And honesty in the recruitment process.” Injuries caught up to Arizona State late in the season last year, and the Sun Devils struggled mostly on offense, ranking last in the Pac-12 in points per game (17.8) and total yards per game (322.3). They were picked to finish last in the preseason media poll in their first year in the Big 12. “You have to learn how to win,” Dillingham said. “I think learning how to win, you never know when it’s going to happen. It’s very, very difficult. Our guys have to learn how to win in the biggest moments. It’s just about the next play.” Kenny Dillingham talks joining the Big 12 at Big 12 Media Days // via BYU Sports Nation on YouTube The biggest question for the Sun Devils this season is a quarterback. Arizona State is down to Michigan State transfer Sam Leavitt, who was in a quarterback rotation with the Spartans last year, and journeyman Jeff Sims, who had up-and-down seasons at Georgia Tech and Nebraska. But developing quarterbacks is what Dillingham is best at. As offensive coordinator at Auburn in 2019, he helped Bo Nix become the SEC Freshman of the Year. In his two seasons at Florida State, he helped turn Jordan Travis into a top-tier starting quarterback. “He’s young, but he’s got a lot of wisdom,” UCF head coach Gus Malzahn, who hired Dillingham at Auburn, said. “He’s got his own (approach), too. Nowadays in college football, the guys that are true to themselves and the way they go about it, they’re going to have an advantage.” Having never played a snap of college football, Dillingham’s coaching journey is different from many of his peers. He suffered a knee injury as a senior in high school and started coaching the junior varsity team as an 18-year-old. He continued to coach high school football while earning his degree from Arizona State and quickly rose through the college coaching ranks. He’s the first Arizona State alum to coach the Sun Devils, and, at 34 years old, is the youngest coach in the Big 12. If coaching doesn’t work out, he’s apparently got the skills to run a restaurant, too. “I have to trust if I ask someone to make Italian food and he makes chicken parmesan, that I’m going to like the chicken parmesan,” Dillingham said. “If I wanted him to make meatballs, I should have told him to make meatballs. “After all those years, you become a head coach and you just want to watch football, and you don’t just get to just watch football anymore. The biggest thing I learned is I’m not the smartest guy in the room and to trust people.” SUN DEVILS AT A GLANCE 2023 record: 3-9 (2-7 Pac-12) Head coach: Kenny Dillingham (second season: 3-9) Last bowl game: 2021 Las Vegas Bowl Stadium: Sun Devil Stadium (71,706) Top player: RB Cam Skattebo Predicted 2024 record: 3-9 (1-8)