Since Kenny Dillingham’s hire last November, nearly 50 scholarship newcomers have joined the ranks in Tempe. It only stands to reason that those additions were made with the intent that most of these players assume key roles in ASU’s 2023 roster. Here’s how we see the Sun Devils’ two-deep ahead of preseason practices.
Note: This depth chart projection won’t list each and every scholarship player on the team, but rather the players I do expect to be in the two-deep and see a meaningful number of snaps in at least some of the games.
Quarterback
Trenton Bourguet
Drew Pyne
Jaden Rashada
Jacob Conover
Analysis: It’s understandable why Dillingham would not announce a starter at the most visible position following spring practice. But anyone who not only saw all 15 sessions but was also privy to the cumulative spring ball stats I posted knows that Bourguet, the returning starter is the favorite to win this job, and I expect him to get the majority of first-team reps until such an announcement is made.
Pyne, would not only need a significantly better performance in Fall Camp to give himself a chance at QB1 but would also need Bourguet to regress quite a bit from his spring performance. It’s not something I do see as a likely scenario, and again Bourguet would have to make sure that he builds on the foundation he laid in the Spring.
The third string niche here is clearer as Rashada improved more and more each week in Spring, while Conover was struggling in the vast majority of practices. Preserving the redshirt of a true freshman such as Rashada will naturally be the prudent avenue to take.
Running back
Cameron Skattebo
Tevin White OR DeCarlos Brooks, OR Javen Jacobs
George Hart
Kyson Brown
Analysis: The list of first-year players who made their presence known in the Spring is a long one, and Skattebo is easily at the top of that last list. The injury to White midway through Spring didn’t allow us to see how much he can challenge Skattebo for a starting job or at least be the 1B to Skattebo’s 1A status.
But White will certainly have to hold off Brooks and Jacobs, who both finished Spring on a high note and definitely figure to be part of the rotation. Hart was injured around the same time White was, so it’s hard to evaluate his position in the pecking order, but if he’s 100 percent healthy through camp, he could make things interesting. Brown is one of the more intriguing true freshmen on the team but still an unknown because he was a summer arrival. This may be nothing more than a gut feeling, and I still fully expect to see him preserve his redshirt, but he may surprise and get more than a couple of reps in those four games, or less he’ll see action in.
Wide Receiver
X-wide receiver: Elijhah Badger, Troy Omeire OR Andre Johnson, Korbin Hendrix
H-wide receiver: Gio Sanders OR Melquan Stovall OR Coben Bourguet
Z-wide receiver: Xavier Guillory, Jake Smith
Analysis: Badger and Guillory established as starters is a no-brainer. But at the slot role, we are headed into a heated battle. Sanders is the returning starter who flourished ever since Trenton Bourguet assumed the QB1 role last season. But with limited Spring duty due to injury and especially under a first-year staff, he may be starting all over again to determine his position. And the other suitors for this role, Stovall and Coben Bourguet, undoubtedly shined for considerable stretches in the Spring. Andre Johnson will have his hands full with Omeire vying to be Badger’s backup. True Freshman Hendrix and his 6-3 frame are much like Kyson Brown, destined to redshirt but with the chance to see the field more than a token game day rep or two. Jake Smith was another player who was limited by injury in the Spring, but late into Spring ball, showed that he had a chance to round back into form when he was a freshman at Texas. Colorado transfer Jordan Tyson’s availability and whether he will be limited or not in Fall Camp is still unknown as he rehabs from an ACL injury suffered late last season, which is why I’m not listing him now in the depth chart and will have to evaluate that more as we get deeper into camp.
Tight end
Jalin Conyers
Messiah Swinson
Bryce Pierre
Ryan Morgan
Analysis: Another obvious starter here in Conyers, but what’s less apparent is whether Swinson can prevent Pierre from being the backup or the second player in any two-tight end sets (something we’ll see quite a bit, in my opinion). File this one as another closely contested position battle in camp. Morgan is likely to be hard pressed to find many reps through the year, but there are three very talented players in his position group.
Offensive line
Left tackle: Isaia Glass, Bram Walden
Left guard: Sione Finau, Cade Briggs, Max Iheanachor (Ben Coleman injured)
Center: Leif Fautanu, Ben Bray
Right guard: Joey Ramos, Cade Briggs, Kyle Scott
Right tackle: Aaron Frost, Emmit Bohle
Analysis: It would be unexpected development not to see this starting five listed here line up in the August 31 season opener. We saw Glass, Fautanu, and Ramos all Spring long. Coleman’s pre-spring Achilles injury that may have him only fully healthy in mid-October or later forced ASU to get spring portal addition in Finau and Briggs, with the former probably the clubhouse favorite to be the starter. Frost, another portal addition, missed all Spring due to injury but is expected to be fully healthy for camp. Briggs is a good veteran backup option at either guard position, and Bohle saw a lot of playing time last year at ASU. Bray is entrenched as the backup center. Scott, a summer arrival and junior college transfer, will be expected to be a depth player.
Note: This depth chart projection won’t list each and every scholarship player on the team, but rather the players I do expect to be in the two-deep and see a meaningful number of snaps in at least some of the games.
Quarterback
Trenton Bourguet
Drew Pyne
Jaden Rashada
Jacob Conover
Analysis: It’s understandable why Dillingham would not announce a starter at the most visible position following spring practice. But anyone who not only saw all 15 sessions but was also privy to the cumulative spring ball stats I posted knows that Bourguet, the returning starter is the favorite to win this job, and I expect him to get the majority of first-team reps until such an announcement is made.
Pyne, would not only need a significantly better performance in Fall Camp to give himself a chance at QB1 but would also need Bourguet to regress quite a bit from his spring performance. It’s not something I do see as a likely scenario, and again Bourguet would have to make sure that he builds on the foundation he laid in the Spring.
The third string niche here is clearer as Rashada improved more and more each week in Spring, while Conover was struggling in the vast majority of practices. Preserving the redshirt of a true freshman such as Rashada will naturally be the prudent avenue to take.
Running back
Cameron Skattebo
Tevin White OR DeCarlos Brooks, OR Javen Jacobs
George Hart
Kyson Brown
Analysis: The list of first-year players who made their presence known in the Spring is a long one, and Skattebo is easily at the top of that last list. The injury to White midway through Spring didn’t allow us to see how much he can challenge Skattebo for a starting job or at least be the 1B to Skattebo’s 1A status.
But White will certainly have to hold off Brooks and Jacobs, who both finished Spring on a high note and definitely figure to be part of the rotation. Hart was injured around the same time White was, so it’s hard to evaluate his position in the pecking order, but if he’s 100 percent healthy through camp, he could make things interesting. Brown is one of the more intriguing true freshmen on the team but still an unknown because he was a summer arrival. This may be nothing more than a gut feeling, and I still fully expect to see him preserve his redshirt, but he may surprise and get more than a couple of reps in those four games, or less he’ll see action in.
Wide Receiver
X-wide receiver: Elijhah Badger, Troy Omeire OR Andre Johnson, Korbin Hendrix
H-wide receiver: Gio Sanders OR Melquan Stovall OR Coben Bourguet
Z-wide receiver: Xavier Guillory, Jake Smith
Analysis: Badger and Guillory established as starters is a no-brainer. But at the slot role, we are headed into a heated battle. Sanders is the returning starter who flourished ever since Trenton Bourguet assumed the QB1 role last season. But with limited Spring duty due to injury and especially under a first-year staff, he may be starting all over again to determine his position. And the other suitors for this role, Stovall and Coben Bourguet, undoubtedly shined for considerable stretches in the Spring. Andre Johnson will have his hands full with Omeire vying to be Badger’s backup. True Freshman Hendrix and his 6-3 frame are much like Kyson Brown, destined to redshirt but with the chance to see the field more than a token game day rep or two. Jake Smith was another player who was limited by injury in the Spring, but late into Spring ball, showed that he had a chance to round back into form when he was a freshman at Texas. Colorado transfer Jordan Tyson’s availability and whether he will be limited or not in Fall Camp is still unknown as he rehabs from an ACL injury suffered late last season, which is why I’m not listing him now in the depth chart and will have to evaluate that more as we get deeper into camp.
Tight end
Jalin Conyers
Messiah Swinson
Bryce Pierre
Ryan Morgan
Analysis: Another obvious starter here in Conyers, but what’s less apparent is whether Swinson can prevent Pierre from being the backup or the second player in any two-tight end sets (something we’ll see quite a bit, in my opinion). File this one as another closely contested position battle in camp. Morgan is likely to be hard pressed to find many reps through the year, but there are three very talented players in his position group.
Offensive line
Left tackle: Isaia Glass, Bram Walden
Left guard: Sione Finau, Cade Briggs, Max Iheanachor (Ben Coleman injured)
Center: Leif Fautanu, Ben Bray
Right guard: Joey Ramos, Cade Briggs, Kyle Scott
Right tackle: Aaron Frost, Emmit Bohle
Analysis: It would be unexpected development not to see this starting five listed here line up in the August 31 season opener. We saw Glass, Fautanu, and Ramos all Spring long. Coleman’s pre-spring Achilles injury that may have him only fully healthy in mid-October or later forced ASU to get spring portal addition in Finau and Briggs, with the former probably the clubhouse favorite to be the starter. Frost, another portal addition, missed all Spring due to injury but is expected to be fully healthy for camp. Briggs is a good veteran backup option at either guard position, and Bohle saw a lot of playing time last year at ASU. Bray is entrenched as the backup center. Scott, a summer arrival and junior college transfer, will be expected to be a depth player.
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