Jake Plummer: ASU’s success is about Kenny Dillingham recruiting the right players

Jake Plummer knows what it’s like as a high school football recruit being sold something genuine.

For him, it was then-Arizona State coach Bruce Snyder telling Plummer to pick the Sun Devils to chase a national championship. That goal and that reality played out during ASU’s 11-1 season in 1996, which ended with a Rose Bowl loss.

Take it for what it’s worth, but Plummer can see good things in Year 2 of head coach Kenny Dillingham. He sees Dillingham selling lofty goals, sure. ASU has seemingly found some traction in the NIL game as well.

But to Plummer, it comes down to Dillingham’s consistency and ability to land the right players.

“It’s hard to say (in the past if ASU was) hiring the right or wrong guy,” Plummer told Arizona Sports’ Bickley & Marotta on Monday. “You got to get the right players. Coaches bring in the right guys that are tone-setters.”

Arizona State running back Cam Skattebo is Plummer’s Exhibit A.

The former ASU quarterback remembers taking in a spring practice where the running back room was hit with injuries except for the Sacramento State transfer.

“(Skattebo) took every single rep in practice and on special teams,” Plummer said. “This kid would not get tired. You could see him that he was (tired), but he would not quit. He kept coming back to the huddle. I remember I went up and told him, ‘Man, that’s impressive to watch someone like you practice like that.’ That’s a tone-setter right there.”

Plummer has his own story of helping the Sun Devils build a winner in the 1990s, and he believes that could be happening once again. There are signs ASU is at least on the right path.

A win against Kansas two weekends ago was a big one. Plummer was in attendance and waited to tell Dillingham afterward that the atmosphere felt different in a good way.

Following that up with a Friday victory over then-No. 16 Utah only pushed Arizona State more into the national picture.

ASU is three spots out of The Associated Press top 25 rankings.

“I’m always keeping a thumb or little radar of what’s going on there as I like to see ASU succeed,” Plummer said. “What I see from Kenny is a lot of great energy, consistency. The guys, the players, they seem to care more. They seem to have a little bit more passion and heart of getting out there and making it happen.

“I love it. I love seeing the postgame interview (by Dillingham). It was fantastic. You don’t see a lot of coaches — a lot of them are pissed off after a win with that stern looking … ‘the team made five errors here and there.’ Kenny was bouncing around and laughing and enjoying what he’s been trying to build there and what’s been lacking for years, some energy.”

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