ASU Football: Spring game sets expectations, shows strides from skill players

(Photo Courtsey Sun Devil Athletics)

Four years ago, Herm Edwards was introduced as the new face of Arizona State Football. A talented player, analyst and coach were all a part of the three-in-one package that the new Sun Devils head coach brought to the table. Edwards packed his NFL pedigree and intricate web of contacts on his trip to the desert, quickly dubbing his rebuild as “the NFL model.”

Since that day, Edwards has been relentless in his quest for NFL-quality recruits, coaches and schemes. From players to coaching hirings to play-calling, it seems like all things in the realm of Sun Devil Football have a tie or two to the big leagues.

Assistant coach Marvin Lewis (former Cincinnati Bengals head coach), defensive coordinator Antonio Pierce (former NFL veteran and Super Bowl Champion), defensive analyst Marcus Lewis (son of Marvin and former Bengals defensive assistant), linebackers coach Chris Claiborne (former 1st round NFL draft pick) and offensive line coach Mike Cavanaugh (former San Diego Chargers assistant) are all coaches with close propinquities to the league.

Edwards’ rebuild also called for revamped recruiting efforts. In the last two years, ASU’s recruiting classes have been ranked in the top 25 nationally according to 24/7 Sports. Heading into 2021, ASU technically has 44 true freshmen, after 2020’s four game snippet of a season. Youthful faces such as wide receiver Johnny Wilson, running back Chip Trayanum and center/guard Ezra Dotson-Oyetade are a few slated to have an impact early in the year.

Second generation stars also litter the Sun Devils’ roster. Freshman wideout Chad Johnson Jr. (son of former NFL All-Pro Chad Johnson), redshirt freshman cornerback Jordan Clark (son of former NFL All-Pro safety Ryan Clark), freshman kicker Jace Feely (son of former NFL Pro-Bowl kicker Jay Feely) and senior defensive back Deandre Pierce (son of Antonio Pierce) are all sons of quality NFL players.

Equal with the strength of ASU’s youth is its retained experience and depth. The Sun Devils are returning 14 seniors, as the COVID-19 pandemic drastically affected the draft process for many players.

“The players that have been here from the beginning – three years in this system going on four – they remind the [younger] players how it works,” Edwards said. “[They understand] what this thing is all about.”

So, as a socially distanced crowd of 5,200 gathered inside of Sun Devil Stadium on Sunday for the annual Maroon and Gold Game and watched sophomore quarterback Jayden Daniels begin his third season behind an improving offensive line and a veteran defense, the hype for a momentous and decorated season where the Sun Devils could be seen as early favorites in the Pac-12 South began to form.

For senior cornerback Chase Lucas, expressing “what this thing is all about” is important. Lucas, as a team captain, plays with the same passion and confidence he uses to lead teammates off the field. On Sunday, those traits, and ASU’s expectations for itself, were displayed in real-time.

“We got a whole year to win a Rose Bowl, we got a whole year to win the Pac-12 Championship, let’s start it here!” Lucas screamed into the huddle ahead of the scrimmage.

Offensive coordinator Zak Hill’s group led by Daniels looked on par with pro-level concepts. Zone reads, RPOs, under center play-action sets and a dizzying amount of pre-snap motions were all ran seemingly. The offense shuffled through a few drastic formations, teasing new play-calling ideas with new talent.

“I compare it to last spring where we only had the seven practices and everything we did was on Zoom,” Edwards said. “We actually couldn’t meet in the building. [Now] we are much further ahead.”

Daniels agreed with his head coach’s view of the learning curve.

“I feel very comfortable, I feel like you guys can tell out there on the field that everybody on the offense is looking more comfortable than we did last year,” Daniels said. “Repping it over and over in-person – just diving more into the playbook. Coach Hill is making it real easy for us [to] go out there and play fast. If we play fast, we are playing confident.”

ASU’s young skill players made their presence known. Freshman running back Chip Trayanum, junior running back Rachaad White and freshman running back Daniyel Ngata each flashed their unique ability out of the backfield. White took reps with the first team, Trayanum with the second and Ngata with the third. The trio is expected to split carries in the backfield come fall.

As for the Sun Devils’ wide receivers, freshman Elijhah Badger made a slew of impressive catches in the scrimmage, with his best grab coming toward the end of the game. Badger hauled in a 40-yard bomb after quickly releasing to the right sideline and stacking his trailing defender. Wilson and freshman wide receiver LV Bunkley-Shelton also sprinkled in a few plays during their first team reps.

“All the receivers played well, LV [Bunkley-Shelton], Johnny [Wilson], [redshirt freshman] Andre [Johnson], [Elijhah] Badger made some plays,” Daniels said. “Jalin Conyers stepped up a little bit today. You even saw [sophomore H-back/fullback] Case Hatch get involved and score a touchdown. So it was a good day.”

Conyers, a redshirt freshman pass-catcher, was a standout in Sunday’s practice session. The 6’4′, 249-pound transfer from Oklahoma was a match-up nightmare, offering the route running and ball skills of a wideout in a large frame. He had two touchdowns on the day and flashed his ability to body secondary players while zooming past linebackers on option routes. While Conyers may not be the starter with 6’7” senior tight end Curtis Hodges returning, he does offer a skill set that could be useful in Hill’s system

“Jalin is very talented,” Edwards said. “The tight end in our system is going to be a big factor.”

With ASU’s offense seemingly improving and the fire burning hot with confidence and talent elsewhere on the roster, does a real strength exsist?

“I would probably say the defense, because there are so many guys who have played together,” Edwards said. “You are talking about a linebacker group that has been here that started as freshmen – two of them [junior Merlin Robertson and junior Darien Butler]. You are talking about a secondary that has been together three seasons, going on four. The defensive line is somewhat [as experienced, with], [redshirt junior] Tyler Johnson, [redshirt junior] D.J. [Davidson], [junior Jermayne] Lole, [junior Tautala] Pesefea. We’ve got some guys that have played football together so I would say that would be the strength.”

The defensive coaching staff will have their hands full as the unit converts to a more traditional 4-3 defense after running a 3-3-5 base formation in the past.

Daniels, like Lucas, has high expectations for 2021. ASU’s coaching staff will have to maximize the talent the Sun Devils possess while meshing the youth and experience of the roster if they’d like to meet them.

“I want to leave a legacy,” Daniels said. “I want to be the quarterback that won a Rose Bowl. The fans deserve that, this team deserves it. That’s what we have been working for everyday.”