ASU Football: Breaking down probable depth chart through coaches’ words

(Photo: Nicholas Badders/WCSN)

With the start of the 2017 Arizona State football season exactly one week away, the Sun Devils’ opening night depth chart has appeared to take shape. With the two-deep roster looking set for next Thursday’s opener against New Mexico State, we break down who will be playing, and what the coaching staff has said about them during this preseason.

Note: This is a predicted depth chart based on where players have lined up in practice during the preseason.

Quarterbacks

Starter: Manny Wilkins (Redshirt junior; 2016 stats: 2329 passing yards, 12 TD, 9 INT, 246 rushing yards, 5 Rushing TD)

Coach’s View: “Manny is a winner. He is a guy who has had a tough life, been through a lot of challenges, and things like that, but he’s a winner.” –Head coach Todd Graham, August 22

Backup: Blake Barnett (Redshirt sophomore; 2016 stats with Alabama: 219 passing yards, 2 TD)

Coach’s View: “He’s a quality young man with great character. He understands the team concept. He’s been through these situations in the past. He’s got three years to play.” –Offensive coordinator Billy Napier, to AZCental, August 23

Coach’s View On Position: “We’ve got three quality young men there (including the injured Brady White) that have the ability to affect people, have the ability to reinforce the coaches’ message and try to model the things we believe in and the way we should be going about our business as players. I think it’s a positive that we have multiple guys that can do that.” –Napier, August 5

Running Backs

Starter: Kalen Ballage (Senior; 2016 stats: 536 rushing yards, 14 TD, 469 receiving yards, 1 receiving TD)

Coach’s View: “He’s an elite skills player, I think he is one of the best skill players in the entire country. He’s another guy who has come into his own; he’s recognized the level of work it requires to be exceptional.” –Napier, to AZCentral, August 16

Starter: Demario Richard (Senior; 2016 stats: 593 rushing yards, 3 TD, 136 receiving yards)

Coach’s View: “Most people don’t realize about Demario, he’s a really good receiver…He’s really just very technique sound when he splits out wide. He can actually move out and do some things.” –Graham, August 3

Backup: Eno Benjamin (True freshman)

Coach’s View: “I think you can see he is very productive. He has got great instincts. One of the things I’ve always believed about running backs is when you put on that high school film, if a guy can run the ball sometimes it’s natural. He certainly has got instincts and natural abilities with the ball. We need to work on his ball security but overall I think he’s one of the players we will try to get the ball to.” –Napier, August 5

Wide Receivers

Starter: N’Keal Harry (Sophomore; 2016 stats: 659 receiving yards, 5 TD, 69 rushing yards, 2 rushing TD)

Coach’s View: “He’s one of the hardest working guys; for a highly-recruited guy, he really works hard…He was not in shape the way he is in shape this year. He struggled a little bit, because it was his freshman year and he just didn’t understand how fast it was going to be in the training. Obviously he did a good job for us (last year), but I look for him to be much improved because (he’s) just maturing.” –Graham, July 30

Starter: John Humphrey (Redshirt sophomore; 2016 stats: Ineligible due to transfer rules)

Coach’s View: “You’ve got to have guys like John, who right off the bat can prove (to the defense) we can run right by you.” – Wide receiver coach Rob Likens, August 24

Starter: Jalen Harvey (Redshirt junior; 2016 stats: 330 receiving yards)

Coach’s View: “He’ll never admit if there’s anything wrong with him, and I think that’s good to have a guy like that at the wide receiver position…He’s like a linebacker type mentality in a receiver’s body.” –Likens, August 24

Backup: Kyle Williams (Sophomore; 2016 stats: 56 receiving yards)

Coach’s View: “He’s going to play a lot for us…I can’t even say enough about the guy. He’s got a combination of everything. He can be a guy that has a running back type body (and) mentality, but he also can play outside receiver for you, and he can be an inside receiver for you.” –Likens, August 24

Backup: Ryan Newsome (Redshirt sophomore; 2016 stats: Ineligible due to transfer rules)

Coach’s View: “I like him more for side-to-side deeper routes, cross routes, where he can use his lateral movements, and you can get his quickness going and speed across the field.” –Likens, August 24

Backup: Frank Darby (Redshirt freshman, 2016 stats: Redshirted)

Coach’s View: “Frank Darby is a deep threat. He can flat run and knock the top off a (defense)…He’s got a lot of work to do to refine his skills as a receiver.” –Graham, August 22

Tight Ends

Starter: Jay Jay Wilson (Junior; 2016 stats: 81 receiving yards)

Coach’s View: “He’s a jack of all trades. He can run, he’s strong, you can do so many things with him.” –Graduate Assistant Brandon Blackmon, to AZCentral, August 7

Backup: Tommy Hudson (Redshirt sophomore; 2016 stats: 1 game played)

Coach’s View: “A guy who keeps coming on for us that I’m excited about is Tommy Hudson. Tommy is really becoming a physical blocker, and becoming technique-sound. He’s got a lot of improvement to make, but he’s really coming along.” –Graham, August 8

Offensive Line

Coach’s View on Position: “We got a lot of competition going on (the offensive line…I think there are 10 guys that we feel really good about, so that’s another area we have had zero depth in (the past), that we have got more depth in.” –Graham, August 3

Starters: Cohl Cabral (sophomore), Sam Jones (redshirt junior), A.J. McCollum (senior), Steven Miller (redshirt sophomore), Quinn Bailey (redshirt junior)

Backups: Zach Robertson (redshirt sophomore), Connor Humphreys (redshirt junior), Tyler McClure (redshirt senior), Alex Losoya (redshirt junior), Mason Walter (redshirt sophomore)

Defensive Line

Starter: JoJo Wicker (Junior; 2016 stats: 39 tackles, 11.5 TFL, 2.5 sacks)

Coach’s View: “JoJo is one of the hardest working guys we have on our defensive line, and a guy that is capable of a complete different level. We are just trying to push the bar upward.” –Graham, August 10

Starter: Tashon Smallwood (Senior; 2016 stats: 28 tackles, 9 TFL, 2.5 sacks)

Coach’s View: “I think the most disruptive guy we have up front is (Smallwood). He’s had an unbelievable camp. We’re adapting and letting him turn loose on some things.” –Graham, August 10

Starter: Alani Latu (Redshirt senior; 2016 stats: 22 tackles, 1.5 TFL)

Coach’s View: “(He) is playing lights out.” –Defensive coordinator Phil Bennett, to Devils Digest, August 23

Backup: Shannon Forman (True freshman)

Coach’s View: “He’s got this suddenness off the ball. He plays very strong at the point of attack, and he’s smart, instinctive.” –Graham, August 8

Backup: Renell Wren (Redshirt junior; 2016 stats: 16 tackles, 6 TFL, 1.5 sacks)

Backup: Doug Subtyl (Redshirt junior; 2016 stats: Ineligible due to transfer rules)

Coach’s View on Position: “Nobody’s spot is safe…You take one lazy step and somebody is right behind you trying to get your reps. That’s what we want to create. It’s competitive.” –Defensive Line coach Michael Slater, to House of Sparky, August 11

Linebackers

Starter: Koron Crump (Senior; 2016 stats: 37 tackles, 10.5 TFL, 9 sacks)

Coach’s View: “Crump is tremendous. He might be as fast as any edge guy in the country, and he’s improved his physicality.” –Graham, August 10

Starter: Christian Sam (Redshirt junior; 2016 stats: Suffered season-ending injury in season opener)

Coach’s View: “Solid. Very solid…Christian is extremely talented. All of our players, we have challenged to a different level of toughness and discipline and I think we’ve made great progress.” –Graham, August 8

Starter: DJ Calhoun (Senior; 2016 stats: 77 tackles, 11.5 TFL, 4.5 sack)

Coach’s View: “He’s just a steady-eddy. He’s a guy who has played a lot of football…He leads, he’s tough, and he’s improved dramatically in coverage…He has made leaps and bounds in his coverage.” –Bennett, August 15

Backup: Abraham Thompson (Junior; 2016 stats: Ineligible due to transfer rules)

Coach’s View: “He’s raw, he’s got a lot to learn; there’s so much of the volume that you have to know, but what’s impressed me is his heart. Every day I see the kid he (says), ‘Man Coach, I’m living the dream. I’m living the dream.’ I love his attitude, I think he is a guy that can really help us on special teams, and a guy that as he learns and develops can be a really good linebacker.” –Graham, August 3

Backup: Khaylan Thomas (Redshirt sophomore; 2016 stats: 1 game played)

Coach’s View: “One play he looks like an All-American. The next play (he doesn’t) look like the same guy.” –Bennett, August 15

Backup: Deion Guignard (Junior; 2016 stats: 5 tackles)

Coach’s View: “We’ve got to develop (and) I think Deion Guignard has continued to develop.” –Graham, August 3

SPUR

Starter: J’Marcus Rhodes (Senior; 30 tackles, 1 TFL)

Coach’s View: “He’s playing well. I’m just very pleased with J’Marcus right now as a person too. He’s got his personality, his personal business in order, and he is playing very well. He is very important to us.” –Bennett, August 15

Backup: Marcus Ball (Redshirt Senior; 64 tackles, 3 TFL, 1 sack)

Coach’s View: “He’s a good football player…I don’t see him being an every-down guy but he can definitely be a guy that helps us.” –Bennett, to AZCentral, August 17

Cornerback

Starter: Joey Bryant (Redshirt junior; 2016 stats: Did not play; ran track and field)

Coach’s View: “Joey Bryant has had an outstanding camp (after) I moved him to the boundary.” –Bennett, August 15

Starter: Kobe Williams (Sophomore; 2016 stats: Did not play, JUCO transfer)

Coach’s View: “I love Kobe Williams, he’s an upgrade immensely. He’s smart, he’s headsy, he’s talented, he’s just one of those guys always on the ball.” –Bennett, August 8

Backup: Chase Lucas (Redshirt Freshman)

Coach’s View: “Lucas was demoted (to the second team), is coming back, pressing for a position.” –Bennett, August 15

Backup: Darien Cornay (Sophomore; 2016 stats: Did not play, JUCO transfer)

Coach’s View: “(We have) Cornay, so I think we might have five (reliable) corners.” –Bennett, August 15

Safety

Starter: Dasmond Tautalatasi (Redshirt junior; 2016 stats: 1 tackle)

Coach’s View: “He strikers, he definitely shows up physical. I like that everybody says (he’s the hardest hitter on the team) …You know whenever you’ve been hit by him, so I love it.” –Defensive backs coach TJ Rushing, August 24

Starter: Chad Adams (Senior; 2016 stats: 19 tackles)

Coach’s View: “He’s embraced (being a leader). He’s taken ownership of the group and looking forward to seeing how he progresses even further.” –Rushing, August 24

Backup: Langston Frederick (True Freshman)

Coach’s View: “All the young guys we recruited (like Frederick), we told them come in here, and who cares what you’ve done before you got here. It’s all about what you do whenever you show up, and he’s shown up every day and is working hard and getting better.” –Rushing, August 24

Backup: Demonte King (Junior; 2016 stats: Did not play, JUCO transfer)

Coach’s View: “We think King will be eventually one of our best safeties…He can play either (safety position).” –Bennett, August 8

Special Teams

Coach’s View of Position: “We just replaced the two best (kickers) I’ve coached, and possibly the best that’s played the game. In saying that, I think we owe a great deal of gratitude to those two guys because we have two very good guys behind them.” –Graham, August 10

Kicker: Brandon Ruiz (True freshman)

Punter: Michael Sleep-Dalton (Redshirt sophomore; 2016 stats: redshirted)

Long Snapper: Mitchell Fraboni (Senior)