It’s that time of year again.
Arizona State football made the trek to the mountains and kicked off Camp Tontozona on Wednesday.
It was an intense practice, and while the work on the field is important, the bonding away from the field is the priority.
This Camp T will be slightly different from past experiences under Dillingham. Unlike 2023 & 2024 – where a majority of the roster was new to Tempe – the bulk of the roster has already spent a season, and Camp Tontozona session, already.
Kenny Dillingham believes having so many returners can lead to deeper conversations and stronger bonds among the roster.
A big part of building that trust and culture comes from players being able to share their “why”: Why do you go through all the blood, sweat and tears? Why are you driven each day?
So can they use the individual whys and the accolades that may come with that to work toward a collective goal? The Sun Devils did in 2024. Can they do that in 2025?
Dillingham recently said that the 2024 Camp Tontozona team photo is among his favorite photos ever. For a guy who describes himself as not sentimental, that photo and these experiences at Camp Tontozona hold a lot of weight with him.
The Sun Devils are in a different place than the last time they went to Camp Tontozona.
Sam Leavitt is also in a very different place.
This time last year, Leavitt was battling for the QB1 spot against veteran Jeff Sims. Last year’s Camp Tontozona was a week where Leavitt started to separate himself on the path to getting the starting nod.
Now, the term “Sam Leavitt: Heisman Candidate” is thrown around regularly. He’s the Big 12 Preseason Offensive Player of the Year. Getting back to camp gave Leavitt a chance to reflect on the last year and where he could go in a year’s time moving forward.
One of the most competitive position battles is the backfield. Kyson Brown was a reliable back-up to Cam Skattebo last year and is looking to see his role continue expand. Army transfer Kanye Udoh is coming off a 1,100-yard, 10-touchdown season before heading to Tempe. Raleek Brown is one of the most explosive players on the roster but was limited due to injury last year.
It’s a pretty good group if this is the year Arizona State goes “by committee,” though Shaun Aguano’s tenure has included the featured back every time. How the snaps shake out is one of the big questions remaining for this offense.
Despite it being competitive, Kyson Brown has said the group has pushed each other and they understand that they each bring something unique to the table. He gave high praise to running back Shaun Aguano for building a room where the competition is healthy and not contentious.
Day one is in the books, and there’s a lot ahead of this team as they continue to bond on and off the field.
The post Camp T Video Notebook: Enhancing Trust, RB Room Building Competition, Culture first appeared on Sports360AZ.
