(Photo: Susan Wong/WCSN)
Arizona State Football offensive coordinator Zak Hill isn’t uncertain about his offense, which is why he made it clear on Sunday that his playbook is wide open.
“We’re not gonna hold back,” Hill said. “Every game we want to be explosive and we want to have fun and be creative.”
The second-year assistant to head coach Herm Edwards got a first-hand look last year at just how explosive his unit could be. In a measly four games, the Sun Devils averaged over 450 yards of offense per game, pairing it with an average of over 40 points per game.
ASU’s personnel alone is enough of a reason for him to have that much confidence – the unit is led by junior quarterback Jayden Daniels and an athletic, big-bodied wide receiver core that features redshirt freshmen LV Bunkley-Shelton and Johnny Wilson, among others. But perhaps no group helps instill more trust in the offense as a whole than the Sun Devils’ running backs.
“You utilize the talents of your guys,” Hill said at Sunday’s media availability. “The running back combo we feel really good about, with [redshirt senior] Rachaad [White] and [sophomore] DeaMonte [Trayanum] being different styles of backs and [redshirt freshman] Daniyel Ngata, who’s a very versatile option too.”
The trio of White, Trayanum and Ngata could be among the best backfields in the Pac-12 Conference this season, as the group posted 818 combined rushing yards and 11 total touchdowns in four games in 2020.
Off the field, it’s always been a close group, and that bond has gotten tighter throughout camp. According to ASU running backs coach Shaun Aguano, the trio reached the point of subbing in and out for each other based on who suits a particular situation best.
It’s just another reason why Hill remains so confident in his willingness to expand his play-calling this season.
“That’s the mentality of the team: ‘You’re only as strong as your weakest link,’” White said. “Not to say anyone is weak, but that saying goes a long way. If one eats, we all eat, you get pushed by those guys all the time.”
White in particular led the charge out of the backfield in 2020, providing a valuable boost as a pass-catcher in addition to running the ball. Both Trayanum and Ngata have been focused on reaching a similar echelon, but the group as a whole has grown stronger and smarter together for the second season in a row.
“I feel like we are older and wiser but we still have the mentality of newcomers because we’ve only played four games,” White said. “We have learned a lot and we have gotten stronger in that room.”
The success of any good run game only expands the horizons of what a play-caller like Hill can do over the course of a given game, and it could take pressure off of others who are also expected to make plays. Hill’s offense hopes to possess that exact trait, posing a potentially large threat to anyone tasked with stopping the Sun Devils.
“I want Coach Hill to call whatever plays he wants to,” White said. “We just have to capitalize and make plays.”
