ASU Football: Field Notes From Day 4 of Spring Practice

The fourth day of 15 Arizona State spring football practices took place Saturday at the Bill Kajikawa Practice Facility in Tempe. The practices, which are open to the general public and media, lasted one hour and 45 minutes. The players were in full pads and helmets for the first time this year. Here are a few quick field notes on the workout:

Frank Darby remains in boot with calf strain
Senior wide receiver Frank Darby was still wearing a walking boot on his left leg and did not suit up for today’s practice. 

Darby sustained a moderate calf strain on Thursday during the 11-on-11 session. 

Despite the injury, he remained vocal and energetic at practice. The receiver, nicknamed “Stupid Swole” by his teammates, broke into dance moves while Pop Smoke’s “Dior” played over the speakers during warmups. Darby also hollered words of encouragement from the sideline as the workouts began.

Darby is expected to return before ASU’s slate of spring practices conclude.

The 6’1” deep threat, who recorded 31 catches for 616 yards and eight touchdowns in 2019, aims to function as the primary target for the Sun Devils next season.

Trenton Bourguet sharp over first week
After working 1-on-1 for the majority of the first practice, redshirt freshman quarterback Trenton Bourguet rotated with Jayden Daniels during 11-on-11 work on Saturday. 

The 5-11, 175-pound passer served as the 2nd team’s primary passer, looking poised and comfortable in the pocket. He also showed off his dual-threat ability, slicing between defenders on bootleg runs. His best pass of the day was a perfectly-thrown dime to Jordan Kerley near the left sideline after extending the play with his legs.

Offered a preferred walk-on spot in 2019, Bourguet is a former standout quarterback from Marana, Arizona. Over his four years at Marana High School, he passed for 7,612 yards and 89 touchdowns, breaking the Arizona 5A state record in the latter category.

California wide receiver recruits arrive in Tempe
The incoming freshman receiving trio of Johnny Wilson, Chad Johnson Jr. and L.V. Bunkley-Shelton spent their morning observing practice from the sideline.

The three receivers, who all received four-star grades by various recruiting outlets, will look to make an immediate impact in the wake of Brandon Aiyuk’s departure to the 2020 NFL Draft.

Wilson, the No. 6 player in the state of California by ESPN, recorded 155 receptions for over 2,400 yards and 35 touchdowns through his time at Calabasas High School. After initially committing to Oregon, Wilson announced his decision to play under Herm Edwards last December. 

Johnson, who was tabbed as the No. 30 overall prospect in California by Rivals, finished his senior season at Cathedral High School with 51 receptions for 761 yards and five touchdowns. He is the son of former All-Pro wide receiver Chad “Ochocinco” Johnson, who played 11 seasons in the NFL for the Cincinnati Bengals and New England Patriots.

Bunkley-Shelton, a two-way player for Gardena High School and the No. 13 overall prospect in California by Rivals, accumulated 156 catches for 1,896 yards and 10 touchdowns on offense. On the other side of the ball, he racked up 76 tackles, six interceptions, and seven pass breakups as a defensive back during his senior year. He played in the 2020 Polynesian Bowl alongside Wilson in January.

Expect versatility from ASU’s defensive backs next season
In a post-practice interview, junior safety Aashari Crosswell said he will play a variety of roles for the Sun Devils on defense in 2020. 

The 6-0, 196-pound ballhawk from Long Beach, Calif., noted his assignment will depend on what personnel ASU runs and that he won’t be restricted to a specific area of the field. 

“You can’t just be that one guy that knows one position,” Crosswell said. ”The more I know, the better it will put me in a position to make plays.”

Crosswell has notched six career interceptions over his first two years with the Sun Devils. He had 50 tackles, 10 pass breakups and three forced fumbles as the team’s starting free safety in 2019.

Arizona State has 10 practices remaining before their Spring Game on March 28. Stay tuned to Cronkite Sports for continuing coverage.

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