Success stories always sound sweet until you are the one facing it. Ask Kenny Dillingham’s star defensive back, Xavion Alford. The game he loved the most? Taken from him. The man was out for 1,005 days, two seasons from the football field.

What went wrong? It all began with a promise when Alford, a highly acclaimed Texan, started his journey in Texas before transferring to USC in search of better opportunities. However, fate had other plans for him. An injury in 2022 sidelined him for the entire season, and NCAA transfer regulations, which are now null and void, kept him out again in 2023. But now, he’s making a strong comeback. But now? He’s back, leaving dark days behind him for a full-throttle comeback at Arizona State for his last year.

So, there’s a saying that goes, ‘Blessing in disguise, ‘ and that’s exactly what Xavion Alford’s football journey says. Now that he is making a comeback with the Sun Devils this year rather than going for NIL, no one is more satisfied than his HC. Kenny Dillingham was talking about it on the Sun Devil Source video Youtube channel. He says, “Super competitive. If you follow his Instagram story, you know that. Like, you know he has a drive about him. He has a purpose every single morning, and I think that’s what, you know, got him to persevere through all the time that he had to not play—was he got put himself in a place where it was him versus him.” 

Now, despite a short run last season, Xavion Alford is one of the strongest players on the roster. Alford now plays as a free safety for ASU and is considered one of the top players in the NCAA. Leading up to the game against Texas in the College Football Playoff quarterfinals, Alford had only allowed 8 receptions, the third-lowest in the country, while also ranking 13th in total snaps played. He had given up just 90 yards in coverage this season, the fourth-lowest in the nation.

On top of that, Alford is second on the team in tackles at 85. Imagine what he would have done if he had played for all these years. But now that he is making a much stronger return this season, nothing can break or stop his run. As Kenny Dillingham puts it out clearly, saying, “When you don’t play for so long, you have to find that place. And I think that’s, you know, during when he was going through that process, I think it was, you know, a horrible experience for him. But I think it was now his greatest strength because now he can go to a place where it’s only him versus him. And not everybody can find that.” His presence only makes their roster stronger.

With Alford back, only two starters from last season—nickel Shamari Simmons and linebacker Caleb McCullough—have exhausted their eligibility. The rest of the team is still on board. Linebacker Keyshaun Elliott and DB Javan Robinson have already announced their return. Thanks to the NCAA’s new juco waiver, players like DE Clayton Smith can play for another year. ASU is not rebuilding; they are entering 2025 with most of their defensive core still intact and ready to go. But Xavion’s presence is not the only thing that’s making buzz.

Denny Dillingham’s $700k price weapon

Well, with Xavion Alford already backing the defense, there’s another guy, Kenny Dillingham got to save his offense. But who? In 2018, Trenton Bourguet walked on at Arizona State after an impressive high school career at Marana. He threw for 7,612 yards and 86 touchdowns in high school. Bourguet earned a scholarship in 2020 and debuted during ASU’s 70-7 win over Arizona, assisting Jackson He in scoring the first touchdown by a Chinese-born player in FBS history.

In 2022, Bourguet returned to Tucson and threw for 376 yards and three touchdowns against Arizona. His final appearance in the Territorial Cup was in 2024, where he completed a pass to his brother, Coben Bourguet, for his first career reception in ASU’s 49-7 victory. Bourguet made appearances in the 2024 Big 12 Championship Game and the Peach Bowl.

These games took place in stadiums where he had previously secured 7-on-7 national championships with Tucson Turf Elite, including one with Bijan Robinson. Concluding his ASU career with 11 starts, he has now signed a $700k deal with a team as a running back coach.

And no one’s more excited than Kenny Dellingham as he says, “Yeah, it’s great. Great, having him in the running back’s room, being able to say, ‘Hey this option route, we anticipate you to sit.’ Or just the communication from the quarterback’s side of that room in terms of what the quarterback sees. So I think it’s a huge advantage, and he’s a smart guy. I mean, he’s super smart.” The best part is Kenny already sees him as an HC of ASU in the future as he says, “Like I told him, maybe he’ll—hopefully he’ll be the next head coach here in about 20 years.”

Now, let’s see how this season turns out for them.