After the Thrilling Sun Devils 28-23 win over BYU Saturday – a victory that put his team on the brink of a unlikely spot in Big 12 championship game — Dillingham reiterated this message.

“I wore this jersey today, right? For the Sun Angel Collective, for a purpose. If you had fun watching (Cam Skattebo) play and making those plays, he was there all night…because it’s a different day and age in college football,” Dillingham said during the postgame press conference.

“And if that’s something we want to keep doing, then what does that mean? Pay the man his money, right? Isn’t that a saying? Pay the man his money. Pay these guys what they deserve to be paid because right now our team is underpaid. We’re doing more with guys who just came out of the dirt, but ultimately. , you should get what you deserve. guys deserve more and that’s why I wore this.

Skattebo, Arizona State’s do-it-all running back, was masterful against BYU. He dominated the first half, rushing for 96 yards and scoring three touchdowns to give the Sun Devils a 21-3 lead. He finished with 28 carries for 147 yards and is second in the nation in all-purpose yards per game with 167.

Leavitt and Tyson will command big money

Skattebo will likely make the NFL roster next season, but quarterback Sam Leavitt and receiver Jordyn Tyson have at least two years of college eligibility remaining. And Dillingham knows Leavitt and Tyson will have to be paid to stay in Tempe.

Leavitt, a redshirt freshman, has developed into one of the best young quarterbacks in the country. His NIL value has skyrocketed this season and On3 now ranks him among the top 60 NIL earners in college football with a valuation over $600,000.

Tyson, a sophomore, has arguably been the best receiver in the Big 12 this season. In eight conference games, he totaled 55 receptions for 782 yards and 8 touchdowns. BYU’s defense tried to neutralize him as a deep threat and he still caught 9 passes for 125 yards. Last week, he torched the Kansas State secondary for 12 catches, 176 yards and 2 touchdowns.

Dillingham knows deep-pocketed football programs will go after its best players in the offseason. Look no further than what happened last year to former Pac-12 foe Washington State. Cougars quarterback Cam Ward had a huge year, then jumped into the transfer portal to cash in on his value. He now has a NIL valuation of over $2 million with Miami.

“The fact that this guy (Leavitt) has three years left makes every business in the state should be calling him for a lousy deal,” Dillingham said earlier this season. “People should throw cars at him, they should throw condos at him, they should throw everything they can at him to be excited about the fact that you have an NFL-level player in your state, at the flagship school, in the city, for another three years.

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