"I’m going to tell you that you s*ck" - Kenny Dillingham gets real on keeping Sam Leavitt in check amid hype around Arizona State QB

Arizona State coach Kenny Dillingham has rolled out his plan to keep his quarterback, Sam Leavitt's head, in the game amidst all the noise. The Sun Devils’ quarterback has been getting a lot of hype following an incredible performance last season.

Addressing this at the Big 12 media day, Dillingham explained how he will keep the quarterback focused on the season. He said:

“We’ve had conversations. I said, ‘Don’t worry, everybody else will tell you you’re good. I’m going to tell you that you suck. We can be transparent there. I’ll be the one to humble you.’”

The coach continued:

“But no, in all fairness, Sam has such big dreams and goals for himself that anything he reads about isn’t as big as the goals and dreams he has for himself. I think that’s what drives him. He wants to be the best.”

Kenny Dillingham led the Sun Devils to an 11-3 finish last season, with Sam Leavitt a massive contributor all year long. There are great expectations for the program to replicate the performance this season, with many hyping Leavitt to win the Heisman.

Dillingham added that Leavitt’s dreams are much bigger than whatever expectations the fans and media may have created around him. He further pointed out, however, that these dreams are hinged on the collective performance of the team around the sophomore quarterback. He said:

“I know that the press clippings aren’t going to be relevant to what he wants to accomplish. He’s definitely somebody that we can get behind and make that push. At the end of the day, we have a lot of guys on our football individual awards. The only way you win an individual award is through team success. That’s why football is so great. It’s the ultimate definition of you pouring into other people, and those other people lift you up higher than you ever could by yourself.”

Kenny Dillingham praises Coach Prime

Ahead of their Nov. 22 meeting, Kenny Dillingham heaped praises on Colorado’s Deion “Coach Prime” Sanders. Speaking at the Big 12 media day, Dillingham said:

“He’s Deion Sanders. He’s unique, of course. He’s one of the best people at branding. He’s one of the smartest, in my opinion, coaches in branding.”

Dillingham’s Arizona State fell to a narrow 27-24 defeat the last time it faced Sanders’ Colorado in 2023. The two will meet again at Folsom Field in a marquee Big 12 matchup this season.