I wanted to pass on some information I think you guys might find interesting. I've been told by a reliable source (he's a national recruiting analyst based on the East coast) the following in regards to the recruitment of 2017 SF Kimani Lawrence:

• It's essentially a 3-team race between ASU, USC and Pitt for Lawrence.

• He expects Lawrence to make an announcement shortly after his visit to Pitt. As of now, Lawrence is scheduled to visit USC this weekend -- and Pitt next weekend. I'm not sure if that visit schedule is set in stone though.

• When asked where ASU currently stands in the race, my source said he thinks "ASU is the clear leader."

For what it's worth, this same source was spot-on in his prediction of the Jordan Usher recruitment...and played out exactly how he said it would.

Now having said all of this, things can certainly change if/when Lawrence visits these other schools. But as of now, ASU is sitting in a good position.

Solid interview here by Justin Toscano with the wide receiver who's coming off a good showing in the Washington State game

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Ralph Amsden, Brett Quintyne and Chilly talk about Arizona State's 37-32 loss to Washington State, as well as Todd Graham's confrontation with Mike Leach afterward.

Brett interviews Pac 12 Network TV Analyst Anthony Herron about what he saw from this Sun Devils team.

The guys preview and make predictions about Arizona State's trip to take on 2-5 Oregon.

DevilsDigest.com ‏@DevilsDigest 56m56 minutes ago
DevilsDigest.com Retweeted Howard Balzer

Former ASU QB .@MikeBerco getting a tryout with the Arizona Cardinals who after the draft sought him out as a free agent



Howard Balzer‏@HBalzer721
Cardinals tryouts: QB Mike Bercovici, WRs Aaron Dobson, Jonathan Krause; LB Zaviar Gooden.

Here is a transcription of Chip Lindsey's post-practice comments from today:

Quarterback situation wearing down on him:

"No not at all. I'm fortunate to do what I do and I'm excited to be here at Arizona State. You just put the best plan together that you can to give our kids the best chance to win. We've had a good week, it's been fun to go out to practice with these guys. I've said that all along, I really like these guys, they're really fun to be around and we're just trying to put in a good day's work every day and take it one day at a time."

On DSC:

"I thought as the game went on, he got more and more comfortable. What's odd is that the things I thought he'd do really, really well, he didn't do so well in. The things that I thought he'd struggle at, he did pretty well in. So you just never know. At the end of the day, he put in the time last week to prepare himself to play and I thought that showed as the game went on, he got more comfortable. I thought he's done the same thing this week getting himself ready to play. If his number is called, I hope he does better than he did last week."

Expanding on last answer:

"The things you think are easy throws to get guys going maybe aren't easy throws. And the things you think are downfield and the coverage could be different, those are another thing. Sometimes it's harder when a guy goes in for a few plays. That's why I'm not a big fan of alternating series because it's hard for a guy to establish a rhythm. At the same time, Dillon's never flinched and it's been good seeing the job he can do, and I think he'll continue to do that."

On Tyler McClure:

"I was really proud of Tyler, I thought he did an outstanding job. For a guy to come in and handle the cadence and the fronts he's going to see, I think it tells you how well he prepared and the great job (offensive line coach) Chris Thomsen did. To be honest with you, I almost forgot he was in there at times, he did such a great job and I'm really proud of him."

On N'Keal Harry:

"N'Keal has played well all year. He's played with some bumps and bruises all year. I've said all along, Dillon's a great practice player. He doesn't say much, always pushes himself, and never pulls himself out, and I think that showed Saturday night."
expanding.....
"Dillon made some nice throws, N'Keal made some nice plays. to bail him out, so that was good."

Oregon mixing up fronts...

"The odd front, it makes you want to get in certain sets. At the end of the day, you have to be able to execute. People mix up the fronts as well as Oregon does. We have played four-fronts. We prepared for a team with an odd front and they came out all even. At the end of the day, you have to be able to handle it all and have answers for all that, and hopefully your guys will be able to execute."

Running backs communicating to help DSC:

"We kind of talked to those two running backs about when you have a young quarterback, he's going to look around when the bullets start flying and you need to be that calming factor and I think those two guys have really brought into that and I think that's helped us transition all the guys that have played this year."

On Manny:

"He's doing everything he can to do be ready just like he did last week. He'll get himself ready and be available, that's what we're hoping.

On Kyle Williams playing offense:

"Kyle is real intelligent. He did real well for us before going and playing defense, and we were in a bind there. I think he did a great job there too, but where we are depth wise, I think he's needed back on offense. Kyle is very bright, I think he'll do well."

Even during a down year this is a group that has been plenty explosive. Here's Fabian Ardaya's analysis

ATTIRE: Helmets and Pads

LOCATION: Kajikawa Practice Fields

MEDIA AVAILABILITY: About 20 minutes

SPECIAL GUESTS: A scout from the Raiders was at practice

EN VERDE (in green, no contact): LB Marcus Ball (practiced in the team session), RB Demario Richard (practiced in the team session), CB Bryson Echols

TOWELS AND SUNSCREEN: DB Armand Perry, LB Christian Sam, WR Cam Smith (stretched, then jogged on muscle beach), OL Tyson Rising, DB James Johnson, OL Sam Jones

EXTRA PERSONNEL NOTES: -WR Tim White was at practice but didn't participate during media viewing
-I did not see C AJ McCollum out there
-Salamo Fiso walked into the facility, but I didn't see him during media viewing. He did not practice with the team.

ASU started practice with tackling drills again. Did not get a video this time as I was focused on finding the guys in green and those on muscle beach to give you guys updates on them.

TEAM SESSION: ASU ran an 11-on-11 team session on Wednesday. Here's what I got for the teams...

First team offense: QB Dillon Sterling-Cole, RB Demario Richard (green), WRs N'Keal Harry/Fred Gammage (slot)/Jalen Harvey, TE Raymond Epps, LT Evan Goodman, LG Stephon McCray, C Tyler McClure, RG Quinn Bailey, RT Zach Robertson

Second team offense: QB Jack Smith, RB Nick Ralston, WRs Terrell Chatman/Ryan Jenkins (slot)/Ellis Jefferson, TE Raymond Epps, LT Cohl Cabral, LG Steven Miller, Scout team C, Alex Losoya, Scout team RG

First team defense: Tashon Smallwood, Ami Latu, Renell Wren, JoJo Wicker, Koron Crump, DJ Calhoun, Laiu Moeakiola, Marcus Ball (bandit), J'Marcus Rhodes (FS), Gump Hayes (FC), Maurice Chandler (BC)

Second team: George Lea, Edmond Boateng, Malik Lawal, Khaylan Thomas, Jason Lewis (yes, the RB. He was playing WILL I believe), Tyler Whiley, Das Tautalatasi, Bryson Echols, Robbie Robinson, Chad Adams

Media viewing ended after the team session. As always, if you have questions, feel free to ask. Lewis played defense yesterday — not sure if it's just an experiment or if he may help add some depth if necessary. On Monday, Graham talked about needing other options with Sam and Fiso out.

ATTIRE: Helmet and pads
LOCATION: Kajikawa Practice Fields
MEDIA AVAILABILITY: ~ 15 minutes

EN VERDE (non-contact): RB Demario Richard, DB Bryson Echols

LIMITED: WR Tim White, LB Christian Sam, LB Salamo Fiso, OL Tyson Rising, OL Cade Cote, WR Cam Smith, DB Armand Perry, DB James Johnson, OL Sam Jones

ABSENT: C AJ McCollum, DB Marcus Ball

NOTES: Both Richard and Echols still participated in team drills. White wore a sleeve on his left leg and walked with a slight limp during stretch lines. Sam was wearing tennis shoes instead of cleats, and worked at Muscle Beach. Fiso wore a bulky brace on his left knee. Rising and Cote each went inside the bubble before returning and working at Muscle Beach. Smith walked during stretch and was at Muscle Beach. Perry stretched, but was working on the exercise bike on Muscle Beach. Johnson arrived with a large brace on his right knee, but left practice shortly after arriving with a trainer and with sunglasses on. Jones wore a boot on his right foot, and hung out at Muscle Beach.

PERSONNEL NOTES: Kyle Williams worked in a maroon offensive jersey. Jason Lewis worked with the pass rushers on defense.

TACKLING:

ASU worked more on positioning for tackling today, including the defensive line working on get-off.

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TEAM TEMPO:

FIRST-TEAM OFFENSE: Dillon Sterling-Cole (QB), Nick Ralston (RB), N'Keal Harry (WR), Jalen Harvey (WR), Fred Gammage (WR-slot), Raymond Epps (TE - lined up in the slot), Evan Goodman (LT), Stephon McCray (LG), Tyler McClure (C), Quinn Bailey (RG), Zach Robertson (RT)

FIRST-TEAM DEFENSE (Nickel package): Tashon Smallwood (TIGER), George Lea (NOSE), JoJo Wicker (END), Koron Crump (DEVIL), DJ Calhoun (WILL), Carlos Mendoza (SAM), Laiu Moeakiola (SPUR), Gump Hayes (BC), Maurice Chandler (FC), Das Tautalatasi (Bandit), J'Marcus Rhodes (FS)

Jack Smith ran the second-team offense.

Notables on second-team defense: Bryson Echols was at BC, Robbie Robinson at FC, Chad Adams at FS, Tyler Whiley at SPUR, Malik Lawal at WILL, Carlos Mendoza at SAM.

The second-team possession ended quickly on a Jack Smith pass that was intercepted by Echols.

As always, let me know of any questions, comments or concerns.

Just saw this article on ABC (sorry if it's not allowed Hod and feel free to take down the thread if need be) that talks about a petition circulating Notre Dame Prep to have the head coach fired for recruiting violations and illegal summer workouts. For those of you that don't know ND created a summer class for football conditioning and had players in full pads making contact which is a big no-no with the AIA. ND was ultimately banned from the postseason by AIA as a result.

Curious to hear the input of some of the guys here that cover/watch valley HS football closely. @Ralph Amsden really curious for your thoughts. Is the punishment warranted? Does Nolan deserve to be fired? Will the AIA even consider lifting the probation if he is?

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Tim White talks about his punt return, Oregon & more. Thanks to NBC Radio AM 1060 for the assist

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DucksSportsAuthority.com Publisher, A.J. Jacobson answers your questions on the factors that have caused Oregon's struggles and their effect on Saturday's game.


Know Your Foe: Oregon

Yesterday this article I wrote popped into my head. I essentially defined what I thought made an elite team and what makes teams looking outside from being elite. I expanded on that today by making ten groups that I think you can fit every single team in the FBS into one of them.

That got me thinking....college football is essentially one big caste system. Teams hope they can do good enough to move up but it's theoretically impossible to move into the top castes by "mere mortals". Teams however can move down in castes. Which castes teams can move into depends on what happens with their programs. Sometimes lowly teams become good teams. Sometimes low teams become mid major which then become power 5 teams. Sometimes mid tier power five teams become great and sometimes once elite schools fall from grace.

It's all here. Feel free to check it out. I'll re-post the group definitions below

(click the image to enlarge)



Group 1. Currently there are only a very small handful of schools could be truly considered "elite" based on criteria I'll list below:

-Alabama
-Ohio State
-Michigan

Group 2. Schools with the "pedigree" to be elite but just are currently lacking in some areas. These are the types of programs where you conceivably could just bring in the right coach and get back to being elite:

-LSU
-Texas
-USC
-Florida State
-Auburn
-Florida
-Georgia
-Tennessee
-Oklahoma
-Notre Dame

Group 3. The "New Kids on the Block." Programs that have been consistently performing at a high level for the last decade or so but just really lack that pedigree that would ever truly make them an "elite" school.

-Michigan State
-Wisconsin
-Oregon (up until this season)
-Stanford (up until this season)
-TCU
-Baylor (We'll see what happens with Briles gone in the coming years)
-Louisville
-Clemson

Group 4. Programs that were once elite but just seem too far removed from ever realistically being seen to be back there:

-Nebraska
-Miami
-Penn State

Group 5. Programs that despite so many natural advantages, just seem to do less with more:

-Ole Miss
-Arkansas
-Texas A&M
-Oklahoma State
-UCLA
-Washington (up until this year of course)

Group 6 "Always the Bridesmaid and Never the Bride". This is the group of constant mid-tier Power-5 teams that have decent years pretty much every year but then just can't maintain that constant success to put them in Group 3. Unlike Group 5 however, these schools don't have the built-in advantages that many of them do have yet on average do about the same as those in Group 5 on a consistent basis. For them however a second to third tier bowl game is pretty much a yearly thing. It's not to say that Group 6 schools don't have incredible years every so often, but they're generally about 5, 7, sometimes 10 years apart. (Any of this sound familiar?) Example of such schools of course would be:

Arizona State (duh)
Cal
Virginia Tech
West Virginia
Georgia Tech
South Carolina (a case could be made they may also belong in Group 4...especially during the Spurrier years)
Kansas State
Iowa
Mizzou
Utah (Only recently but graduated from Group 7 and avoided Group 9 with their play recently.....see below)

Group 7 "The Overachieving Mid-Major". These are the non-Power 5 teams that routinely destroy their weak conferences (if applicable) on an almost yearly basis and make big bowl games every few years possibly even upsetting their opponents. Examples include:

Boise State
Houston
BYU
Nevada
Fresno State
Practically any of the directional schools in Michigan
Memphis (a recent addition)
Navy
South Florida

Group 8 "Basketball Schools". These are universities that don't often, but sometimes can field good football teams that will always take a back seat to their school's over the top basketball program. Louisville's continued success expelled them from this group to Group 3. Examples include:

au (duh)
Duke
North Carolina
Kentucky
Maryland
Kansas
Syracuse
Indiana

Group 9 "Power 5 basement dwellers". These are the forgotten realms of the Power-5 conferences. The only thing these teams have in common with the Group 6, 5, 3, 2, & 1 schools is that they...share a conference. These programs generally are in bad locations, suffer from sub-par facilities, have little brand recognition, and are often after thoughts to their larger conference kin. It's not to say these teams don't occasionally enjoy success...but as a whole they're forgotten. These are the teams that if they were a foreign soccer club, would be constantly facing relegation every year. Examples include:

Washington State (yes they're having a good year)
Colorado (ditto)
Oregon State
Iowa State
Mississippi State (despite their great run over the last few years)
Minnesota
Purdue
Rutgers
Vanderbilt
Illinois
Northwestern
Boston College

Group 10 "The Thursday/Friday Night Specials." These are pretty much the rest of the teams in the FBS. These comprise mostly of non-Power 5 teams, directional schools, new schools to the FBS, etc. These are the schools you watch out of the corner of your eye while out on the town with friends and family at a bar or restaurant. These are the guys who aren't consistently good/recognized enough to make it into Group 7.

What Makes a School Elite?

-Large amounts of tradition built upon generations and generations of excellence
-National brand recognition that anyone would instant recognize
-Amazing current state of the program including a coach that constantly has his team in the playoff picture
-Vast amounts of money from boosters with very deep pockets never hesitating to open up their wallets
-High end recruiting on both a regional and national level
-Top of the line facilities
-A resume of national titles, conference titles, Heisman winners, All Americans
-A great track record of putting players into the NFL in the early rounds of the draft leading to long careers in the league

On the whole....teams can't move into Groups 1 and 2. In very rare circumstances with a few national titles and generations upon generations of strong tradition, Group 3 teams could potentially breathe the same air as Group 2. The only school to ever do this in my opinion is Florida State.

As the NBA season nears opening tip tonight, Eric Bossi looks back at top 10 players when they were high school stars, James Harden comes in at no. 5

Top 10 NBA players as HS prospects

...but today's news could still have an impact a few weeks from now


David Kelly ‏@DavidKellyTNN 37m37 minutes ago
#ArizonaWildcats RB #NickWilson's injury is LONG term according to #RichRod. Long enough that he's been taken off the depth chart.

This team did not quit. Wow. Talk about flying by the seat of your pants and making something happen with your fourth string running back.

Difference in the game was not kicking it out of the end zone. Gave wazzu all the momentum in the world.

Refs were terrible, but we still could have won.

TONS of young guys getting experience in our rebuilding year. This is critical. Tough stuff with the injuries, but boy do those guys fight.

Got so many thoughts and just feel like venting. Sorry in advance for blowing up the boards:

I alluded in my last dissertation (as @SolDevil so eloquently and accurately put it) that ASU IMHO will never be an elite program. What is an "elite" program? I'd categorize an elite program having ALL of the following:

-Large amounts of tradition built upon generations and generations of excellence
-National brand recognition that anyone would instant recognize
-Amazing current state of the program including a coach that constantly has his team in the playoff picture
-Vast amounts of money from boosters with very deep pockets never hesitating to open up their wallets
-High end recruiting on both a regional and national level
-Top of the line facilities
-A resume of national titles, conference titles, Heisman winners, All Americans
-A great track record of putting players into the NFL in the early rounds of the draft leading to long careers in the league

1. Based on this criteria, i think only a small handful of schools could be truly considered "elite" in all areas at the moment. Those would be only:

-Alabama
-Ohio State
-Michigan

2. Then you have the other schools that have the "pedigree" to be elite but just are lacking in some areas. These are the types of programs where you conceivably could just bring in the right coach and get back to being elite:

-LSU
-Texas
-USC
-Florida State
-Auburn
-Florida
-Georgia
-Tennessee
-Oklahoma

3. Then you have some programs that have been consistently performing at a high level for years but just really lack that pedigree that would ever truly make them an "elite" school like:

-Michigan State
-Wisconsin
-Oregon (up until this season)
-Stanford (up until this season)
-TCU
-Baylor (We'll see what happens with Briles gone in the coming years)
-Louisville
-Clemson

4. You also have some programs that despite so many natural advantages, just seem to do less with more like:

-Ole Miss
-Arkansas
-Texas A&M
-Oklahoma State
-UCLA
-Washington (up until this year of course)

5. Then you have some programs that once were elite but just seem too far removed from ever realistically being seen to be back there like:

-Nebraska
-Miami
-Penn State

I think realistically I could see ASU being in group number three somewhere down the road but don't ever see them being in group #1 or #2. Granted I'd be thrilled to be mentioned in with those in group #3 which is not only attainable but I think it could be conceivable with the right trajectory and consistency.

What do you think?

Confirmed with Graham an earlier report that he will take an official visit to ASU this weekend. He did visit Arizona this past weekend.

Player page

ASU's top target in the 2017 class, SF Kimani Lawrence, will announce his college choice on Saturday. As we've discussed in the Huddle, this is an extremely important recruit for ASU and coach Hurley. As of now, ASU appears to be in very good shape. If I hear anything, I'll be sure to pass along the info.

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Also another ASU target, post Garrison Brooks, will also announce in the near future. However, as Hod has indicated on numerous occasions, it is unlikely he picks the Devils.

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Justin Toscano's story from today's press conference

Lots of discussion on this topic.
Want to Start back in December of 1996. I was listening to one of Snyder's assistance on the radio and he was asked about how going to the Rose Bowl would improve the next class. His
answer was it would not, but would for the 1998 class.( cant find that 1998 class anywhere) (Bruce should have had the staff out trying to turn as many kids as possible) This may have been the beginning of the end for Bruce
The next question he was asked was JC or HS kids. His response was that wanted the best football players they could get. (Makes sense to me, more on JC kids next)

In reading all of the posts on all of the boards it seems to be a general feelings ASU will never be a year in year out power.

JC kids appear to understand that for them playing time is of the highest importance and will go where they think they can get the most playing time
Yes the big time JC kids in are most likely to go to the power houses

A big time HS kid thinks at worse they will be a 2nd string as a FR and then start the next year, (no matter what school they go to) they almost never think about red shirting ( A QB may be the exception to this)

Chantel JenningsVerified account‏@ChantelJennings
Pac-12 trivia: ASU has led the P12 in blitzes in every season since Graham became HC, but this season 2 teams have blitzed more—Which teams?

Chantel JenningsVerified account‏@ChantelJennings

Answer: Oregon and Arizona.