"1 season proves nothing ": Hungry Kenny Dillingham clarifies ASU blue blood comment by calling it a 'marathon' after breakout year

After Kenny Dillingham got fired up and said the Arizona State Sun Devils could become a blue blood program, the head coach clarified that it's not something that happens overnight.

While Dillingham didn't walk back on comments made to On3's Steve Wiltfong, he went to social media, posting on X that while last season was important, this is a "marathon".

"Of course I should believe we can build something, so should every coach of a program. We are a LONG way away from this and the context was about why I want to be at ASU for the long haul. 1 season proves nothing. It’s a marathon not a race . #SunDevil4LIFE," Kenny Dillingham wrote.

The Sun Devils came out of nowhere to finish with an 11-3 record in 2024, barely falling against the heavily favored Texas Longhorns in overtime in the CFP. It was their first winning season since 2021 and the first time they won double-digit games since going 10-3 in 2014.

Kenny Dillingham and the Sun Devils will have to replace some important pieces, in particular running back Cam Skattebo, who ran for 1,711 yards and 21 touchdowns on the ground. The program got former Army Black Knights running back Kanye Udoh on the transfer portal. He will compete with Kyson Brown for the starting position.

But Arizona State will also benefit from Sam Leavitt having one more year of experience as a starting quarterback. He will also have leading receiver Jordyn Tyson back. Tyson missed the CFP with a collarbone injury. His connection with Leavitt could be vital for the team next season.

Could Kenny Dillingham and ASU be this decade's rising team?

In his interview with Steve Wiltfong, Kenny Dillingham mentioned that the Sun Devils could become the latest program to jump into the upper echelon of college football.

“You have Clemson this last cycle, from 2010 to 2020," Dillingham said. "They just showed up. People think they’ve been around forever. You have Oregon from 2000 to 2010. You can go back in history and figure out which teams have shown up in which era. There hasn’t been a team in this era, in the 2020s."

While Kenny Dillingham's words sound ambitious, a lot of it will come down to recruiting. Schools that compete consistently for the national title are usually among the best at recruiting. Clemson doesn't really use the transfer portal and Oregon is one of the most aggressive recruiting schools in the nation.

Other blue blood programs like Texas, Alabama, Georgia and Ohio State are usually among the top 10 recruiters. While the Sun Devils' 2025 draft class finished ranked No. 60, their 2026 class is at No. 12 according to 247 Sports.