A year ago, it was all anyone talked about when it came to how to improve the team.
In 2024, the Sun Devils surprised everyone by winning the Big 12 after being picked to finish last in the preseason media poll. A combination of stout defense and an offense led by superstar Cam Skatebo paved the way, but one glaring issue was present in all their losses: special teams.
And so Kenny Dillingham set out to fix that phase in the offseason. He revealed at the Big 12 Football Media Days that he was getting more involved in coaching up that side, something he'd never done before. It meant more time with special teams coordinator Charlie Ragle, who was Dillingham's biggest coaching mentor.
That wasn't all, though. Arizona State also added Jack Nudo as their assistant special teams coordinator. He had spent the 2024 season coordinating special teams at FCS Austin Peay; before that, he was a special teams assistant at UCLA and East Carolina.
Nudo's hiring at Arizona State was a homecoming of sorts, as his father was once the general manager for the Arizona Rattlers of the Arena Football League. As such, Nudo spent a considerable amount of time growing up in the Valley and, as a result, watching a lot of Sun Devil football.
As excited as Nudo was to be a Sun Devil, it didn't necessarily carry over to the special teams. Arizona State continued to struggle in kick and punt coverage, even as transfer kicker Jesus Gomez proved to be a massive upgrade over last year's unpredictable triumvirate of kickers.
Amidst the struggles, Ragle made the surprising decision to step down from the team due to health concerns. That sudden departure led to Nudo being named the interim special teams coordinator. Not long after the season ended, Nudo was officially named the permanent coordinator.
It's hard for any coach to make wholesale changes during the middle of the year, but Nudo did seem to have a tangible impact. Arizona State got a bit more creative in terms of game planning, with a couple trick plays and some surprise onside kicks, even though some struggles remained.
Now, though, Nudo has a full offseason to implement his vision.
He's already gotten started, too. Carson Smith transferred in to replace the graduating Gomez. Smith comes from Austin Peay, where he was just named the conference's Specialist of the Year. He initially transferred to Austin Peay ahead of the 2024 season, when Nudo was there. He transferred from East Carolina, where Nudo had been on staff two years prior, when Smith was initially recruited there.
Smith is very clearly someone Nudo knows well, but that's not all. Nudo secured transfer commitments from punter Nick McLarty and long snapper Grayson Curtis, as well.
McLarty is a physically imposing punter, standing at 6'7" and 255 pounds. The Australian was at Ohio State the last two years and punted just three times, so it's unclear how much McLarty will play in 2026. But Nudo sees at least some potential here.
Curtis, meanwhile, started every game for New Mexico last season after playing for Central Michigan before that. Curtis has been a very reliable and consistent long snapper, something that's been an issue for Arizona State the last two years.
Fixing this special teams unit will take more than bringing in new specialists, though. Nudo will need to instill better discipline and schemes in his coverage units to truly shore things up. It's something he showed an ability to do well at Austin Peay, but he's never done it on this level before.
Heading into next season, Arizona State needs more than just improved special teams play. But if Nudo can succeed where Ragle didn't, that would go a long way towards improving this team.