Jesús Gómez, the kicker who once helped defeat Arizona State in Tempe, now looks to be its solution in 2025 as an incoming transfer. (Photo by Alika Jenner/Getty Images)
TEMPE – On Sept. 17, 2022, Jesús Gómez’s left foot forever altered the course of Arizona State’s football program
The freshman kicker from Mexico City sealed Eastern Michigan’s 30-21 upset win over the Sun Devils with a 20-yard field goal, his second of the day.
Within 24 hours, Arizona State parted ways with coach Herm Edwards.
Fast forward to March, and Gómez, who will be a fifth-year senior next season, has a chance to alter ASU’s trajectory once again – this time while wearing ASU’s maroon and gold.
In 2024, kicking was an Achilles heel for ASU, which used a combination of kickers but converted only 11 of 20 field goal attempts. The frustrations hit a high following a 24-14 loss to Cincinnati. Kicker Ian Hershey went 0-2 on the day, missing from 48 and 41 yards.
“We got to find somebody who can make a field goal,” coach Kenny Dillingham said following the loss. “So, if you can kick and you’re at Arizona State, email me. We’re going to have kicking tryouts on Monday, so bring it on.”
Dillingham ended up sticking with his kickers but plucked Gómez out of the transfer portal to address the problem in the offseason.
Coach Kenny Dillingham has transformed Arizona State’s football culture – and now, with Jesús Gómez, he’s aiming for even more success. (File photo by Brendon Pricco/Cronkite News)
During three seasons at Eastern Michigan, Gomez made 46 of 58 field goal attempts, including six from 50 or more yards. His 57-yard field goal against Washington last season is an EMU record.
He joined an ASU team not far removed from back-to-back 3-9 campaigns in 2022 and 2023. Still, when asked to describe Arizona State football in one word, ASU’s new kicker kept it simple:
“Success.”
His response underscores the football program’s transformation in two seasons under the 34-year-old Dillingham. The last time Gómez visited Tempe, words such as “disappointing,” “undisciplined” and “scandal”’ defined the program.
Entering spring camp, the narrative shift is palpable – and the team’s new identity revolves around Dillingham’s youthful energy, enthusiasm and passion.
And winning.
“They had a taste of success last year, but they want more,” Gómez said. “We want more.”
In fact, Dillingham has compared ASU’s aspirations to the rise of other successful programs in recent history.
“Every decade there’s a team,” Dillingham told Front Office Sports. “2000-2010, Oregon showed up. 2011 to 2020, Clemson showed up. People look at those teams as blue bloods now… Who’s going to be the team from 2020 to 2030? Who’s going to be this era of team that shows up and the next generation of kids looks at them differently?
“I really think we can do that here.”
For Dillingham’s blue-blood vision of his program to come to fruition, the 2024 season that included a Big 12 Championship and a thrilling College Football Playoff performance can’t be lightning in a Gatorade bottle.
While ASU football has enjoyed a fair share of highs, only the lows have been sustained. In 2007, the Sun Devils won 10 games in coach Dennis Erickson’s first season. He won more than six games only once in his next five seasons with ASU.
In 2013 and 2014, the Sun Devils had their best two-season stretch since the 1970s, notching back-to-back 10-win seasons under coach Todd Graham. The next three seasons under Graham consisted of two losing seasons and a peak of seven wins before Edwards took the helm in 2018.
Edwards never won more than eight games, had a 1-2 record in second-tier bowl games and left the program in a lurch with the NCAA.
Last season, Dillingham’s second, the Sun Devils were picked to finish last in the Big 12 preseason poll in their first season in the conference. Instead, ASU shocked the naysayers with 11 wins.
Building on that success will be an even taller task.
“Just don’t lose that hunger now that we’ve won something,” offensive lineman Ben Coleman said. “It’s super hard to win things back to back. But I think it should be a challenge.”
Coleman, who joined ASU in December 2022, after beginning his career at California, has witnessed the Sun Devils’ turnaround from 2023. Entering a season with high expectations comes at a cost – but he believes ASU is primed to live up to the hype.
“I think it should be a challenge, right?” Coleman said. “It should be a challenge for everyone in this building. Now there’s not a surprise … Teams didn’t really think we were that good (last year).
“So I think it’s really important for guys to understand, from a preparation standpoint, I think we have to prepare even more.”
Moving forward
ASU safety Xavion Alford returns to the Sun Devils this season with an increased hunger to build on last season’s success. (File photo by Spencer Barnes/Cronkite News)
The 2024 season will likely stick with Sun Devil fans for years to come, but the players are only focused on 2025.
“I think we’re in a great spot,” said returning safety Xavion Alford, who was a member of the Pat Tillman Leadership Council of team leaders last season. “We got our quarterback back (Sam Leavitt), top receiver back (Jordyn Tyson), things of that nature.
“We’re just going to try to hit the ground running, just build off what we did, and become elite. Not just good. Become elite.”
While ASU loses multiple key players, including star running back Cam Skattebo and standout safety Shamari Simmons, they return several key pieces. ASU brings back Sam Leavitt, who threw for over 3,000 total yards and 29 touchdowns last year, and Jordyn Tyson, who caught 75 receptions for 1,101 yards in 2024, and most of the defense. Of the 13 players who accumulated more than 25 total tackles last season, ASU returns 11 of them.
“It gives us a jump start,” linebacker Keyshaun Elliott said. “Last year we were staying in our base cover-three defense all through the winter. Now we’re installing more and more … a lot of stuff now is player-led because there’s so many guys that know the defense.”
ASU’s goal isn’t just to be a lightning strike, but a storm that shakes up college football.
“Starting next week, all that stuff’s in the rearview mirror, and it’s time to start focusing on the 2025 season,” said Justin Wodtly, a fifth-year senior defensive lineman.
And if Gomez has anything to say about it, ASU’s kicking game problems will be in the rearview mirror, too.
“My first career field goal my whole life, it was here,” Gómez said as he sat in ASU’s football dining hall, nodding toward Frank Kush Field.
“And hopefully, my last field goal is here.”