Arizona State, Arizona football near bottom of 2023 Pac-12 preseason media poll

The Pac-12 preseason media poll for football dropped on Friday. The Arizona Wildcats and Arizona State Sun Devils came in eighth and 10th, respectively.

The Sun Devils enter 2023 looking to change the narrative surrounding the program under first-year head coach and local product Kenny Dillingham. The Wildcats meanwhile hope to continue the positive trajectory the football team is on under head coach Jedd Fisch, who enters Year 3 on the job.

A full look at the 2023 poll:

2023 Pac-12 preseason media poll

1. USC (25 first-place votes)
2. Washington (four)
3. Utah (six)
4. Oregon (one)
5. Oregon State
6. UCLA
7. Washington State
8. Arizona
9. California
10. Arizona State
11. Colorado
12. Stanford

Arizona State Sun Devils

With the Herm Edwards era and a 3-9 finish in 2022 a thing of the past, the Sun Devils turn the page with Dillingham and Co. leading the charge.

But while the direction of ASU has changed, there still is clearly work to be done if the Sun Devils want to return to relevancy sooner than later.

Among the biggest question marks surrounding the team centers around who will get the starting nod at quarterback.

As of Friday, that competition includes Trenton Bourguet, Drew Pyne, Jacob Conover and Jaden Rashada, who heads to Tempe as the seventh-ranked QB recruit in the nation for 2023.

Rashada is highly touted, but it’s Bourguet who brings familiarity to the position having played the past three seasons for ASU. Last season was by far his best showing as a Sun Devil behind 1,490 passing yards and 11 touchdowns on 71.4% passing.

During the spring game this offseason, Bourguet was one of the top ASU standouts.

Conover and Pyne are also in the mix following their transfers from BYU and Notre Dame, respectively.

Arizona Wildcats

After beginning the Fisch era with a 1-11 record in Year 1, the Wildcats responded with a four-win improvement (5-7) last season.

And unlike the Sun Devils, the Wildcats have a good idea of who is getting the ball at quarterback in Jayden de Laura.

De Laura enters his second year in Tucson after completing 62.5% of his passes for 3,685 yards and 25 touchdowns to 13 interceptions.

And on the other side of de Laura’s passes more times than not will be wide receiver and local product Jacob Cowing, who is coming off a 1,000-yard season and seven scores in 2022.

Cowing was not only named an All-Pac-12 Conference Second Teamer for offense, he cracked the second team for special team specialists.

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