Evans discusses the loss.

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Hurley's reaction to tonight's loss.

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I've seen Tyler Johnson in person a few times, and assigned both Chilly and Brett to cover him multiple times over the course of his high school career. Hopefully I can bring you a perspective on him and his ability that you wont be able to get anywhere else.

Strengths

He's comfortable with his size

Tyler Johnson is 6-4, 245, and has been 6-4, 245 since the end of his freshman year in high school. When you see him play, he's not confused about how to use his size to his advantage, because it's always been his advantage. Moreso because he played positions like returner and outside receiver, he often used his size to his advantage, bullying defensive backs and running through arm tackles instead of avoiding contact.

His hands

I've heard comparisons to JayJay Wilson, and while I think there are some very key differences in the ways they make use of their skillsets, one stark similarity is an excellent ability to bring the ball down in traffic. I think this is why Tyler Johnson fancied himself a receiver for such a long time, because if you took away the size and made him an average 6-0, 180 high school receiver, he'd still be top 10 in this class as far as receiving ability.

Speed

We talked a lot about this when we were debating whether Arizona State should have taken a commitment from Jack Smith last season- 4.6 speed is hard to ignore. There haven't been a lot of Arizona athletes that are pure burners. Paul Lucas might have been the fastest top speed player in the country when he came out, and Christian Kirk has that ability, but 4.6 is pretty much as good as you're going to get outside of that. I'd put Johnson's burst ability up there with guys like Chase Lucas and Jack Smith. Johnson's acceleration is great, but sustaining top speed can be difficult. I've seen him slow up dramatically after about 45-50 yards on big plays on multiple occasions.

Pursuit

I didn't get to see him in action as a linebacker/rush end until this season, but what jumped out to me is how easily he was able to convert the same things that made him a dangerous receiver and returner into his game as a passrusher. There's not much you can do to get away from him as a QB or RB due to his size and the length of his arms, so you have to have to try and shake him- but when he locks in, he locks in. On slow developing running plays Johnson could absolutely wreak havok in Arizona State's defense.

Opportunities

Durability

This year, wrist, neck and hamstring injuries kept him from finishing off his senior campaign. That I know of, their have been two times where Johnson has been removed from the field by ambulance, only to come back and play within days of that injury scare. Outside of injuries, however, is that Johnson has a history of getting fatigued in games. He told Chilly this year after breaking off a long TD was that all he could think about as he was entering the end zone was taking a nap. I'm sure he meant it as a joke, but it fits a long narrative I've heard, whether fair or unfair, for the better part of 3 years.

Structure

It's never any fun talking about the merits of staying true to your boundary or transferring in high school. The fact of the matter is that Austin Jackson, Tyler Johnson and many others dating back to Chans Cox, would have been better off as far as preparedness had they been in a more structured program with more coaches, more accountability, and more D1 talents to go against i practice day in and day out. Highland played good, not great, competition while Johnson was in high school, and only two of his teammates over the last three years displayed what I believed to be at least FBS level talent.

Maturity

I'm not going to dive too far into this, because it's an opportunity for nearly every high school player, but it's going to take some buy in and personal evolution for Johnson to achieve what he's capable of at the next level.

Overview

Tyler Johnson is an NFL level talent, as his father was. As someone who played alongside Terrell Suggs and Nick Johnson, Tyler Johnson is as close to that level of athlete that Arizona State has landed locally in a decade and a half. Tyler Johnson's ceiling is similar to Everson Griffin's, but as we've seen countless times with extremely talented Arizona high school prospects, not having the tools to succeed socially and academically can cripple those dreams. Kisima Jagne, Ismael Murphy-Richardson, Todd Peat, Jaxon Hood, Nick Johnson, the list goes on and on.

He wants to play as a true freshman, and I think that he'll have an opportunity to do so, despite being behind Crump and Subtyl as far as expected reps. At the very least, special teams is somewhere I can see him making an early impact.

I view Tyler Johnson much in the same way that I did N'Keal Harry as far as an athlete whose talents were never really appropriately used or catered to at the high school level, so it will be interesting to see how ASU's coaches make use of his combination of size and speed.

I caught up with 4-star DB K.J. Jarrell who said that he has three official visits set for the month of January. He also said that those three visits are the only three visits that he will take.

https://n.rivals.com/news/jarrell-will-be-pac12-bound

We shall see.

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I know I mentioned this the other day, but since the decision is coming today and after talking to sources both at ASU and Oklahoma I'm not expecting Broiles to flip his commitment and he will sign with Sooners today.

TEMPE, Ariz. - Arizona State University has signed a pair of student-athletes who will continue their athletic and academic pursuits with the Sun Devil Football program, as announced by head coach Todd Graham Wednesday afternoon.

Dougladson Subtyl (Bunnell, Fla.) joins the Devils after a two-year stint at Victor Valley College before spending the 2016 season completing his coursework at Eastern Arizona. The 6-4, 245 pound native of Haiti will look to add an immediate impact along the Sun Devils' defensive front. Blake Barnett (Corona, Calif.) will join the Sun Devils after a brief stop in Tuscaloosa and comes as possibly the most heralded quarterback recruit since recruiting services came to light and the first five-star quarterback in program history.

Dougladson Subtyl
DL // SR // 6-4 // 245
Bunnell, Fla. / Flagler-Palm Coast / Victor Valley College

Has a rare blend of speed, mobility and power...remains fluid and loose while utilizing his large frame and long arms...has great timing and utilizes a variety of pass rushing moves gives that him the ability to become a top pass rusher at the collegiate level...started playing football only a few years ago as a teenager after his family moved to the United States from Haiti...comes to ASU with two years to play two...spent 2016 completing coursework at Eastern Arizona College....was named First Team All-CCCAA as a defensive end in 2015...consensus four-star prospect among all the major recruiting services following the 2015 season...ESPN ranked him the No. 9 overall JUCO prospect and No. 2 JUCO defensive end prospect in the nation...listed by 24/7 as the No. 14 overall JUCO prospect and No. 1 JUCO weak-side defensive end prospect nationally...tabbed by Scout as the No. 15 overall JUCO prospect and No. 2 JUCO defensive end prospect in the country...rated by Rivals as the No. 21 overall JUCO prospect and No. 2 JUCO defensive end prospect in the country...received All-Southeast Region honors from PrepStar...led his team with 52 tackles, 22.5 tackles for loss and a CCCAA leading 18 sacks in just 11 games during his sophomore season in 2015...recorded 45 tackles, 16.5 tackles for loss and nine sacks in nine games during his freshman season in 2014...coached by Dave Hoover at Victor Valley College in California...coached by Tommy Moody at Flagler-Palm Coast High School in Florida.





Blake Barnett

QB // SO // 6-5 // 200
Corona, Calif. / Santiago / Alabama

A consensus five-star prospect out of high school who was the MVP of the 2014 Elite 11 Quarterback Competition and participated in Nike's "The Opening"...spent a portion of the 2016 season at Alabama...led his team to victory in the 2015 Under Armour All-America Game...the nation's No. 1-ranked quarterback as a pocket passer by ESPN.com and the top dual-threat signal-caller by Rivals.com...ranked second nationally by 247Sports and third by Scout.com...ranked 14th in the ESPN300, 21st in the Top247, 23rd in the 247Composite, 30th in the Scout.com 300 and ranked 41st in the Rivals100...listed as the No. 2 player in California and the West region by ESPN.com while ranking fourth in California by Rivals.com and fifth by 247Sports...member of the Prepstar Dream Team, ranking 41st nationally...threw for a career-high 3,404 yards in 11 games for head coach Jeff Steinberg at Santiago High School in 2014...recorded 23 touchdown passes while rushing for 479 yards and seven scores...passed for 2,332 yards in 10 games as a junior at Santiago High School with 22 touchdown passes and 695 yards rushing (7.6 yards per carry) and 13 scores ...

A Comprehensive breakdown of what's going on with the rest of the Pac-12 as we approach signing day 2017

Pac-12 Recruiting Roundup: December Edition

Between everything at Baylor, Lane Kiffin and Mike Stoops seemingly being indifferent toward their players hitting women, Minnesota players getting an "atta boy" from their coach for boycotting a bowl game because several of them (and a high school recruit) had group sex with a co-ed, which may not have been consensual (as many of them got caught lying about it), Nebraska giving a fourth chance to their WR coach despite him getting in a DUI accident, Nick Saban giving Sarkisian the Bama OC job after the irresponsibility he showed at Washington and USC, several teams, including slimy Louisville, taking info from Wake Forest that they shouldn't have... it really feels like there's a serious moral chasm in college football. Maybe it's just me. I know I usually side with Millennials in generational debates- but morality exists outside of any age window. Right is still right and wrong is still wrong- and coaches/administrators should know better. It really feels like more and more coaches just don't care, to the point where watching/covering the sport just isn't as fun.

Am I overrreacting?

Quick Story here

Just a couple of hours after he signed with ASU I talked to one of the newest members of ASU's 2017 recruiting class. Quite the life story.

In his own words: Doug Subtyl

Story by Fabian Ardaya

Here's a link to watch a replay of ASU signee Remy Martin score 22 points tonight in Sierra Canyon's win over national powerhouse prep program Oak Hill

Longtime Turner Sports broadcaster Craig Sager has died at the age of 65, the network confirmed in a statement.

"Craig Sager was a beloved member of the Turner family for more than three decades and he has been a true inspiration to all of us," Turner president David Levy said in a statement. "There will never be another Craig Sager. His incredible talent, tireless work ethic and commitment to his craft took him all over the world covering sports.

Just wanted to take a minute and remember one of the good guys.

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Brad Stewart: https://n.rivals.com/content/prospects/4637

Someone just posted a Demario Richard tweet about big news that aint about no recruits. Is he a goner too?

Why aren't Sublty and Barnett not on our 2107 recruiting list as a commitment?

That's one of the things Cowherd was tackling this morning after sports talk host Clay Travis on Fox Sports Radio was interviewing Colorado coach Mike MacIntyre and got around to asking him about his potential interest in other jobs now that he's a big shot and the questioning went something like this...

Travis to MacIntyre...coach have you or your agent been in contact with any other programs about potential jobs?

To which MacIntyre said he had "no comment" on that and abruptly hung up on Travis...

So, Cowherd felt that indicated that Coach Mac was looking around or he would've just said no to the question...

He went on to use the analogy that if a wife or husband asked their spouse if they were having an affair how would the spouse take a "no comment" replay...?

What do you think about Mac's reply and abrupt hang-up when asked that question..?

Go Devils!!!

Bradley's really a safety. He played all season in a cast. I'm a fan of his effort.

I was there for his first varsity TD

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And his breakout game against Serra

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A kid from Indiana just announced his commitment to Arizona State, or more accurately, University of Arizona State. He really framed it in such a way that makes it seem like he's been recruited.

No Hudl, no stats, no mentions of his in-game accomplishments outside of one catch on any social media search.

I have no idea how, nearing 2017, this stuff still happens. I honestly feel bad for him.

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TEMPE, Ariz. – The Tempe Sports Authority Foundation has announced the recipients of its 24thAnnual Courage Awards, including two Sun Devils in head men's tennis coach Matt Hill and football student-athlete Tim White. The Arizona Cardinals' Patrick Peterson is the third honoree for this year.

The Courage Awards celebrate those who have shown courage and heroism in circumstances of adversity.

Two words can be used to describe the Sun Devils' pair of honorees for this year: battle-tested and victorious.

Hill fought and defeated osteosarcoma, a common type of bone cancer, when he was just 19 years old, 16 years ago. Upon bravely winning his battle, life put into perspective, he decided to take his passion for tennis and turn it into a career and a way to help others.

Never having previously played tennis, he battled once again, this time onto the third doubles team at Ferris State University, one of a few schools in the country that offered a professional tennis management program.

From there, Hill worked his way to an assistant position at high-caliber SEC programs at Alabama and Mississippi State before earning his first head coaching opportunity at South Florida. This summer, he moved his family to Tempe to take over the reinstated Sun Devil men's tennis team.

White's battle came in the form of having eight brothers and sisters as part of a family that was often homeless and slept in a car or under a bridge for stretches of his youth. In his younger years, the family would go from hotels to homelessness as his parents fought for their children's safety and wellbeing and picked up what jobs they could find. Adding to the adversity, his only brother whom he considered his "mentor" was killed four years ago.

Not joining organized sports until high school, White competed in track and field, easily posting top times with no prior experience. A natural athlete, he first played football in junior college while running track in the offseason. His triple jump at the Pan American Junior Athletics Championships in 2013 would've been good enough for 12th place at the 2012 Olympics.

At ASU, White knew he could be successful in both track & field and football while also getting a quality education and he competes at the highest level on both teams. Most recently, he was named to the Pro Football Focus All-Pac-12 team, ranking third in the conference in punt returns and in the top-10 in punt return yards among all power-5 players this season. Academically, White also excels, tabbed Pac-12 All-Academic Honorable Mention in 2016.

A number of local charities benefit from money raised through table sales and the auction accompanying the event, with the Foundation raising over $1,000,000 to date, benefitting underprivileged children of the Tempe and surrounding communities.

Past recipients include Jim Abbott, Anthony Robles, Mike Utley, Tommy John, Cory Hahn, Amy van Dyken-Rouen, Joshua Sweeney, Sam Schmidt, John Wilhite, Eric LeGrande, Colonel Greg Gadson, Joe Brown, Mark Herzlich, Aaron Ralston, and Ron Santo, among others.

The awards celebration will take place on Monday, Mar. 20, 2017 at the Tempe Mission Palms in Tempe, Ariz. A no-host cocktail reception and silent auction (6 p.m.) precede the live auction, dinner, and awards ceremony at 7 p.m.

To reserve a table for the event, visit the event website HERE and click "Reserve Your Table Today" at the top left. For more information, contact Susan Brow at (480) 940-4039.

I threw some spaghetti against the wall. Let's see if any sticks. Hey, I called Chip Lindsey as an OC finalist. Maybe my luck will continue.

Story: https://arizonastate.rivals.com/news/examining-potential-replacements-for-jay-norvell#

ASU Football tweeted it out.

Bruce Feldman

✔@BruceFeldmanCFB
HUGE hire for #Oregon & Willie Taggart. The deal Jim Leavitt gets will make him the highest-paid coordinator in Pac-12 history, per source.

2:42 PM - 14 Dec 2016

• https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?in_reply_to=809151541164679169
  
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  151151 Retweets
  
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That's a huge get for them. and 4 years for a DC contract is nearly unheard of isn't it?

The National Letter of Intent period for the mid-year transfers begins on December 14th, 2016 and ends on January 15th, 2017. In actuality, high school mid-year transfers sign a Financial Aid Agreement form (aka Grant-in-Aid form) which binds the school but doesn't bind the prospect until they attend the first day of classes.

These prospects cannot be officially announced until the first day of classes at the earliest (a school may elect to just wait until February 1st's National Letter of Intent day to announce). So for example, if Loren Mondy signs tomorrow, ASU cannot officially announce it at least until January 9th, 2017.

This NCAA rule change that was enacted in August stems by the way from what LSU did this time a year ago, when they announced more than a handful of high school mid-year transfers signings and just two of them ended up enrolling and attending school.

We will obviously pass on any updates on Mondy and other high school mid-year transfers we hear that have signed with ASU.

To my knowledge, ASU currently is not pursuing any mid-year junior college transfers, aside from former signee Doug Subtyl. In the event that they did land such a prospect they could announce this once the prospect signs.

I hope this clarifies what we can expect for tomorrow and the rest of the National Letter of Intent period for the mid-year transfers. Please feel free to post any questions you have on this here on this thread.