Lady Devils up 39 -33 on #1USC

Porter was the only present player going into junior day that had an Arizona State offer.

Link: https://arizonastate.rivals.com/new...eordon-porter-the-vip-treatment-on-junior-day

We've previously talked about the TGen project ASU has been involved in a few years ago, here's an article talking about the value of its findings

And it began last week. In the Pac12 semi versus UCLA Ball, their best player, injured his thump on an errant air ball as it was travelling out of bounds. In the final last night they faced Oregon without its best defender and center after he blew out his ACL the night before versus Cal. And as is the case every stinkin March, the committee not only kept them in the West but places them in the easiest bracket by far. They, once again, have a cake walk to the Elite 8.

Don't be shocked if they set a tourney record for attempted FTs. Remember when they beat Kentucky for the title and scored all its points in OT from the line, and almost half its total points from it? Nothing can shock me at this point.

God I hate that school with an unhealthy passion.

Mornin Mates...

Today's Topic = Intensity and Depth

Intensity is a word I keep hearing about so far in spring practice, especially as it applies to the new assistant coaches that Graham has hired recently and I'm wondering if this is a good or bad thing..??

Personally, I like intensity because I don't think you can reach your full potential unless you have that sort of sense of urgency that any competition demands but what do you all think..??

I also think there is a fine line between having just the right amount of intensity versus too much, where you are pressing and not keeping the necessary amount of composure in place during sporting events...

That said, I like that the new OC - Billy Napier - is being described as intense and that he will bring a new perspective to our offense...one that flirts with a pro-style offensive approach ala Stanford, where QBs take snaps under center and use 5-7 step drops, and use tight ends more in passing situations than just as another blocking lineman...

Of course, with Manny Wilkins being a spread type QB you have to wonder how he will do in a more pro-style offensive approach versus the new guy from Alabama in Blake Barnett...

I would never count out Manny but it will be interesting to see who emerges from spring ball as the odds on favorite to be our starting QB next season...

Then you have to ask yourself if the OL is going to be good enough to run a more pro-style offense and it looks to me that the raw material is there but can the new coach - Rob Sale - turn them into a cohesive and tough enough unit to have success in the PAC..??

Intensity is the term that perhaps best describes Rob Sale from what I can tell and that seems to be in stark contrast to former coach Chris Thomsen, who I don't think could be described as intense in the way he coached our line the past several years....

We have the RBs, WRs and TEs to have a very good offense, in my opinion, if both the QB position and OL unit find the right guys to make it hum...

Turning to the defense, both the new DC and DL coaches are also described as pretty intense, which has me wondering if that approach will pay dividends next season, especially since there are some real depth concerns at many defensive positions...

I keep hearing about the emphasis being placed on how to tackle well and use the best pursuit angles to make open field tackles but, based on the past two seasons, I really wonder about how well many get it on our defense...

We all know that if we can cut down on giving up all those big plays to opponents that we should be good enough offensively to win a majority of our games...

So, I'm hopeful that with a simplified approach from Phil Bennett and with Todd Graham stepping aside that the defense will be much better in that regard but we won't know until next season...

I think our first string talent can compete on an equal footing with just about any other team in the PAC but depth is still a significant issue and, therefore, if we have a lot of injuries again, the season could again head south but if we stay pretty injure free, we could have a stellar season...

What do you all think about the new intensity and whether that will help bring about more wins next season..??

Also, do you think we have enough depth, especially on defense, to make it through next season with a decent defense or not..??

On a different note, good luck to our lady Sun Devils today as they face South Carolina and with a win would advance to the Sweet 16...Charli and the women got to 20 wins for the season with their impressive win against Mich St on Friday...

Unfortunately, our baseball team is a different story entirely...

G'day Mates and Go Devils!!!

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In this 59-minute episode of the Devil's Junkie Podcast Ralph Amsden gets into the first few practices of the 2017 spring session. Does this Arizona State team have an identity? How are the new coaches faring? Which players have made strides forward? How should fans approach 2017 knowing that it's likely make or break for this staff? We get into all that in this episode, as well as conversations with senior running backs Kalen Ballage and Demario Richard. Devils Digest staff writer Fabian Ardaya talks about the Sun Devils' offense and the quarterback battle, while Devils Digest publisher talks about the defense, Todd Graham's evolution as a coach, and the message board community Rabino has helped foster over the last two decades. Finally, Ralph Amsden answers questions from Devils Digest subscribers.

Intro

What have spring practices looked like? How should fans view this 2017 team?

Interview with Kalen Ballage (18:40)

Ballage had an opportunity to pursue an NFL career- instead, he returned for his senior season. He reflects on his evolution as a person and player heading into his final set of spring practices.

Interview with Demario Richard (21:00)

Demario Richard has come to be viewed by the younger players and potential recruits as someone they can trust and look to for honest feedback. He talks about his philosophy on honesty and the legacy he hopes to leave behind in Tempe."You come here to leave a stamp on your legacy... make sure people remember you."

Devils Digest Staff Writer Fabian Ardaya (25:15)

Ardaya talks about how the Sun Devils' offense has looked under Billy Napier, and comments on the quarterback competition.

Devils Digest Publisher Hod Rabino (34:15)

Hod Rabino talks about the Sun Devils'' defense under new coordinator Phil Bennett, Todd Graham's evolution and flexibility as a head coach, and how he's been able to help craft a message board community over the last 17 years.

Q & A (49:35)

What are my main takeaways from spring practice so far, and what should subscribers be looking to see from this point on?

Did Robbie Robinson get a fair shot?

Fabian's interview with the defenisve lineman who's seeking consistency and to maximize his potential.

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Saturday, March 18th was Arizona State's 2017 Spring Junior Day. Some of the best and brightest of the class of 2018 made the trip to Sun Devil Stadium to from all over the southwest, where they observed practice, met with coaches, and sat through presentations on the future of Sun Devil football. On this special episode of The Devil's Junkie Podcast, I talk to 13 players that visited the campus for Junior Day, and get their feedback on what they saw.

Chandler (AZ) Hamilton QB Tyler Shough (1:00)

Gilbert (AZ) Perry QB Brock Purdy (6:35)

Scottsdale (AZ) Notre Dame Prep ATH Cole Fisher (10:10)

Phoenix (AZ) Mountain Pointe S Kenny Churchwell (13:55)

Scottsdale (AZ) Saguaro ATH Giovanni Miranda (20:50)

Safford (AZ) OT Ralph Frias (25:30)

Phoenix (AZ) Pinnacle OT Ben Fox (30:30)

Chandler (AZ) Hamilton DE/OLB Brayden Flynn (37:20)

Phoenix (AZ) Mountain Pointe RB Gary Bragg (42:55)

San Bernardino (CA) Aquinas RB Branden Rankins (46:50)

Manvel (TX) CB Kameron Pedesleaux (51:30)

Newbury Park (CA) DT Kamakani Crosby (54:50)

Mission Viejo (CA) ATH Christian LaValle (1:00:20)

Thanks to Bruce and Paul who were out at practice today!

Photo gallery

Hey all, here's today's practice report. I have the defense, and Justin will have the offense:

ATTIRE: Today was the first day of pads.

LOCATION: Sun Devil Stadium

OUT: J'Marcus Rhodes (was at practice), Cam Smith (was at practice), Zach Robertson, Jalen Bates, Eno Benjamin, Marcus Ball, I didn't see N'Keal Harry out there.

LIMITED: Cade Cote, Kareem Orr, Bryce Perkins, Brady White, Dasmond Tautalatasi

GUEST: Today was Junior Day for HS prospects, also former safety Jordan Simone was there

QUOTE OF THE DAY: "We're out here looking for perfection" - Phil Bennett

TEAM: We got a very limited team look, but it was the first time we'd really seen the full first- and second-team units. They ran against a single ballcarrier, who took them to the sideline. The defensive coaching staff was keying a lot on angles and cutting off ballcarriers today, and this played into that.

Here's what I saw from each unit:

FIRST TEAM: Tashon Smallwood (TIGER), Corey Smith (NOSE), JoJo Wicker (END), Koron Crump (DEVIL), DJ Calhoun (SAM), Christian Sam (WILL), Tyler Whiley (SPUR), Kareem Orr (BC), Chase Lucas (FC), Ty Thomas (BS), Chad Adams (FS)

SECOND TEAM: Renell Wren (TIGER), DJ Davidson (NOSE), Dougladson Subtyl (END), Christian Hill (END), AJ Latu (DEVIL), Deion Guignard (WILL), Malik Lawal (SAM), couldn't identify the SPUR, Maurice Chandler (BC), Jeremy Smith (FC), Owen Rogers (safety)

POSITION GROUPS

Defensive line

Michael Slater is really making an impression on me with his coaching style. Todd Graham stopped by and made some observations, but didn't really say much. He's been somewhat quiet on the practice field this season, working more as an overseer.

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Slater really seems to be working DJ Davidson and Dougladson Subtyl the hardest this spring, which makes sense since at least one, if not both will be counted on to get reps this year. He said he wanted to work Davidson today until he was fatigued to see a breaking point, then see if he can still put together quality reps. He worked a bunch with Subtyl on alignment issues, and also pointed out that he strictly goes upfield on drills when he's not supposed to. They want to work on his lateral movement. Slater also spent some time working with Renell Wren on pad level. Jordan Hoyt has stood out to me with the quality of some of his reps.

Linebackers

I didn't really get to see much of them today since they were on the far end of the field. From what I saw, Keith Patterson's biggest focus was on cutting off angles for the ballcarrier. ASU struggled a lot in this aspect last season, which was a big reason for so many missed tackles. They emphasized using tighter angles and forcing the ballcarrier to the sideline.

Phil Bennett also worked a bit with them on their drops into coverage and burst out of it. He took time to call out Malik Lawal and praise his level of burst coming out of his break.

Defensive backs

Phil Bennett was again active with this unit alongside TJ Rushing. Like he did with the linebackers, Bennett wanted to reinforce how they dropped into coverage and then burst out to make a play on the ball. In this face, he stood about a yard or less away from them and fired balls at them as they came out of their burst, such as to mimic jumping a route. If the DB dropped the interception, they did up-downs. I noticed that Chase Lucas probably did the most of the group. Bennett called out Maurice Chandler for one particular rep, gleefully saying,"Well, that's not what we saw on film!"

As always, let me know if you have any questions. Now, here's Justin with the offense.

This is a name we have been mentioning for a while now in the Huddle as ans ASU prospect. The 6-10 center discussed his recent official visit to Tempe and his recruiting process.

Saturday's practice at Sun Devil Stadium was Arizona State's first in full pads, and it also coincided with Junior day, where aome of the top 2018 prospects from around the region get check out the facilities.

The visiting juniors checked in on the west side of the Carson Center, and were prompty measured by members of the ASU staff. Players often have coached fib about their size on Maxpreps rosters, so it's helpful to get an accurate measurement. Many of the players invites were essentially to allow ASU to be good ambassadors to the high school local high school community, and to give kids they'd like to see in person a chance to fund their own unofficial visit to the campus. Several players from out of state were among the attendees on Saturday, but only one up until this point, WR Geordon Porter, has an ASU offer. Some local targets who may ultimately end up with an ASU offer are Hamilton ATH Jahwar Jordan, Safford OT Ralph Frias, and Mountain Pointe DB Kenny Churchwell. All three were in attendance. I saw recruiting coordinator Donnie Yantis spending a bit of extra time with Jordan during the drills.

The steel beams are in place, or more accurately, are in the process of being put into place, to hold the video board that's being installed in the north end zone at Sun Devil Stadium. I learned that ASU was given two options- a small crane inside the stadium to put the board together, or a large crane outside the stadium to do the job. ASU went with the large crane because the first option would have precluded them from having the spring game in Sun Devil Stadium.

After the team stretch, which took a little bit more time than the media was anticipating (I won't blame Manny Wilkins for forgetting his helmet in the locker room- that only added 30 seconds to our wait time, tops), the team broke out into position specific drills. Defensive line coach Michael Slater and Defensive Coordinator Phil Bennett continue to be an interesting contrast from their predecessors. Slater especially, doesn't let a rep go by without without attending to every fundamental issue of a player's stance, approach and attack. Hod Rabino managed to capture some video of him giving instruction, I recommend checking it out in The Huddle. Defensive linemen are typically a level-headed bunch, and if they've been around more than a couple of years, they're used to getting yelled at, so it's hard to tell if any of the players are either motivated or put off by Slater's style. From observation, it's clear that Slater is an equal-opportunity critic, as walk-on transfer Jordan Hoyt to prized JuCo addition Doug Subtyl all received the same level of instruction.

The line of the day had to belong to Phil Bennett, who said to his group of safeties and cornerbacks "We are going to tackle." The simple drill of having his players wrap up a ballcarrier at an angle revealed plenty worth coaching, and Bennett wasn't shy about offering his advice. The newcomers to the position, Frank Darby and Jeremy Smith (both Redshirt WRs last year) both earned scorn from Bennett during the drill. Darby for not using the sideline to his advantage, and Smith for being a little too "soft." Bennett never waits to address issues, if a drill is run unsatisfactorily, the player runs it again immediately. Bennett made sure than any DB acting as a ballcarrier never gave the tackler an easy rep, and he forced freshman Ty Thomas to repeat reps on both sides of the ball. "You're not a senior yet," Bennett would bark at Thomas when he felt he took rep off- ironic given the fact that Ty Thomas is indeed a senior... in high school. Thomas graduated early so he could join the Devils in the spring.

In attendance were 2015 Sun Devil graduates Jordan Simone and Mike Bercovici. Simone got to have a close up look at the player that Todd Graham has been comparing Ty Thomas him to (which Graham did again, in the media session following Saturday's practice). Another player that Todd Graham mentioned was redshirt freshman Chase Lucas, and it's become increasingly clear that the staff sees something in Lucas that could lead to a starting spot at corner on opening day. During the angle-tackling drill (something we've seen run in all three practices now), Lucas ran first team ahead of Maurice Chandler. Lucas had two interceptions in practice on Thursday, and told Fabian Ardaya that he has set his sights on a total of 10 interceptions during the spring period.

Shawn Slocum continued to coach his small group of devilbackers, who each get an excessive amount of reps due to low numbers. On Tuesday it was Koron Krump and AJ Latu, On Thursday it was Latu and Malik Lawal, and on Saturday, all three players took turns knocking pads out of the way and practicing speed rush moves. Slocum would come up with moves off the top of his head to mix things up, and the players would oblige. Physically, Crump looks as promising as of a player as ASU had ever hoped to make Bo Wallace, Ismael Murphy-Richardson or Davon Durant- three players who all left the team before they had a chance to meet their potential. Their loss has become Krump's gain.

The absence of Todd Graham's voice echoing all over the field is the continued storyline of spring as far as 'sounds' go. In three practices, I've heard him talk as much to those in charge of practice procedure as I have giving commands to actual players during media availability. The only thing he said today involved prompting Mitch Fraboni to have more of a sense of urgency in practicing long snaps- something I might not have even recalled had Graham not called him FRAM-boni.

Incoming freshman OT Corey Stephens made an appearance at practice, as did a few fans that garnered attention from ASU's players.

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After practice I talked with Kalen Ballage and Demario Richard. I tried to get them to reveal who might be looking good in practice that the media hasn't caught onto yet. They both politely told me that was my job to figure out. I also noticed Ryan Newsome and John Humphrey hanging bakc, waiting to be interviewed SB Nation and the Republic. I asked them if their time at ASU was really as good as they've made it out to be on social media, or if they're just posturing for the fans. They made it pretty clear that while a different pace than they'd been used to, Tempe is the place where they feel they're meant to be, and are enjoying every minute of it.
Speaking of posturing, right about now is when you'll see the high school kids who made the trip out to Sun Devil Stadium start to post pictures in Sun Devils gear on their Twitter and Instagram accounts. 99% of these kids will never suit up in Tempe, either because ASU didn't pursue it as a possibility, or because the player found a better fit elsewhere- but there's always that chance that you'll be getting a sneak preview of a Sun Devil legend of the future. Just go to the Instagram/Twitter search bar, type in #ForksUp, and take a look at what could be the future.

Exclusive to the Huddle: Great video here showing the teaching methodology of Phil Bennett and Michael Slater

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I saw a few junior day attendees that I feel ASU could be close to extending an offer to, or at least will use today to determine if further recruitment is appropriate.

WR Geordon Porter was here from Etiwanda High in CA. He has an ASU offer already (his first), and I believe him to be very interested. I'll have an update from him later.

ATH Jawhar Jordan from Hamilton was here. He reached out to me the other day to ask why I keep calling him an athlete when he's only ever played RB. Lo and behold, ASU want him as a DB. They haven't offered yet but I believe they will.

DB Kenny Churchwell was in attendance (Mountain Pointe), and I believe ASU is close to offering him as well.

Ralph Frias (Safford) made the drive. He's 6-7, 300 and this is his third time at ASU, but forst time meeting Rob Sale. I'll make sure to catch him on the drive hime and let you know what he thought.

Kai Golden is an intruiging prospect with borderline Pac-12 size on the defensive line. He plays for Marana Mountain View.

Also saw massive 6-7, 300 lb OL Jasper Friis from Aquinas in San Bernardino, CA. He had probably five of his high school coaches out here with him.

Some of the rest- Brock Purdy, Perry QB, Brayden Flynn, Hamilton DE, Fayetteville Indiana QB Zac Montgomery, and I may have seen Louisiana LB Chris Lewis- I'll have to double check. I'll add more relevant names and quotes as I get them.

Also out at ASU's practice, but on Thursday, was Horizon OT Isaiah Mursalat. He's 6-4, 280 and is a rising prospect headed into his senior season.

I have left Las Cruces, NM and moved to Boulder, CO. I was sad to learn that my username is locked.

Is there any way to change my username from NMDevilPablo to
CoHippySmokinDevil?
or FeastingOnRoastedRalphieDevil?
Or BoulderCoedsDontShaveButIdontMind?

Please help make my username great again!

Lady Devils up big on MSU 42-20 at Halftime.

Recruiting Analyst Adam Gorney mentions Christian Kirk and ASU among others in this article