Sun Devil Coaches, Skill Positions, Strive For Physicality On Offense

(Photo: Maya Diaz/WCSN)

Wide receivers and tight ends visualize making highlight-reel catches from a young age. After all, a pass catcher is remembered for a game-winning catch more often than a pancake block. While Arizona State football acknowledges these dreams, the program stresses blocking from skill position players as an offensive focal point.

Head coach Kenny Dillingham prioritized building an offensive staff that embodies this philosophy. The final addition to his initial staff was tight ends coach Jason Mohns, who brought a motto from Saguaro High School to ASU: ‘No block, no rock.’ In other words, a pass catcher won’t get receiving opportunities if they’re not willing to block.

Another coaching staff example is wide receivers coach Hines Ward, whom many Sun Devils knew of prior to his hiring last year. Ward played in the NFL from 1998 to 2011, spending his entire 14-year career with the Pittsburgh Steelers. Ward is remembered for his game-changing catches, including a touchdown in Super Bowl XL that earned him Super Bowl MVP honors.

Ward is also known for his physical style of play, which left a lasting impact on the game. His forceful approach led to the NFL’s implementation of the ‘Hines Ward Rule’ — a rule prohibiting blindside blocks involving a helmet, shoulder, or forearm to an opponent’s head or neck. Even with new rules for player safety in place, Ward harps on his position group doing the dirty work.

“A staple of his playing career was his physicality,” Mohns said. “When he told (ASU receivers), ‘This is how you play,’ he obviously had a resume that backed it up.”

Ward’s resume also boasts numerous box score achievements. He is the Steelers’ all-time leader in receptions, receiving yards, and receiving touchdowns. Inducted into the Pittsburgh Steelers Hall of Honor, Ward is regarded as royalty in the Steel City.

Fans across the Pittsburgh area own Ward jerseys, which have also been sold nationwide. In fact, Sun Devil redshirt sophomore receiver Noble Johnson’s first jersey purchase was a Ward jersey. Growing up in Rockwall, Texas, Ward was one of Johnson’s favorite players to watch. After transferring from Clemson this past December, Johnson is now coached by someone he idolized.

“I loved his game. His blocking, how physical he is,” Johnson said. “I want to model my blocking after him.”

Before reaching the professional level, Ward played college football at Georgia, earning First-team All-SEC honors in his senior year. When browsing the transfer portal, ASU does its due diligence on players nationwide — including those from the SEC. This includes redshirt freshman receiver Jaren Hamilton, who became a Sun Devil last January after two seasons at Alabama.

Hamilton has stood out in spring practices, lining up both inside as a slot receiver and outside on the boundary. With a high school track background and a listed height of 6-foot-1, he brings the potential for explosive plays. While some might view his skill set as tailored to big-play moments, Hamilton conveys confidence in his ability to deliver the physicality expected of him.

“At Bama we emphasized (blocking) a lot too,” Hamilton said. “You have to do that. And with (Ward), it’s just another reiteration that is the standard.”

ASU’s research on SEC skill position players isn’t limited to wide receivers. This past winter, the Sun Devils acquired junior tight end Khamari Anderson from the transfer portal. Anderson has flashed potential as a receiving option in spring practices. Namely, his ability to identify and exploit open spaces stands out when facing zone coverage.

With just six receptions in two years at Kentucky, how much Anderson contributes to the passing offense remains to be seen. However, it’s almost a certainty that he’ll contribute as a blocker. Anderson will receive guidance from coaches like Mohns in this area along with tips from his older brother Raheem, who currently plays on Western Michigan’s offensive line.

“He used to be in the backyard doing stuff all the time, so I definitely learned a lot,” Anderson said. “He definitely checks my film and stuff, makes sure I’m on point.”

With new additions like Anderson, Mohns is coaching a deeper tight end room this spring. This marks a significant shift from last year, when redshirt senior Chamon Metayer was the only tight end with a big role in the fall. According to Pro Football Focus (PFF), Metayer was the only ASU tight end to log more than 200 run-blocking snaps, finishing the season with 312.

But regardless of position, the coaching staff asks everyone on offense to be physical. From the tight ends to wide receivers, the Sun Devil offense is centered around doing the dirty work. Dillingham ensured his assistants would harp on physicality when he brought Ward and Mohns on board. Now, that vision is becoming ASU’s offensive identity.

“What we do, how we block, and all that stuff that’s regardless of who’s where,” Mohns said. “If you don’t strap up and bring it every day, you can’t play.”