ASU offensive practice report April 4
Arizona State practiced on the Bill Kajikawa practice fields Monday morning in shells – helmets and shoulder pads – under blue skies with temperatures in the 70s. The offensive side of the all was only missing a few players. After missing Saturday’s practice, wide receiver LV Bunkley-Shelton returned but remained limited during drills. Fullback Case Hatch returned from his honeymoon and dressed but did not participate in position drills and offensive linemen Ben Bray (street clothes) and Des Holmes (excused non-football absence) did not participate.
First Team
QB Trenton Bourguet or Paul Tyson
RB Xazavian Valladay or Daniyel Ngata
WR Ricky Pearsall
WR Bryan Thompson or Andre Johnson
WR Elijah Badger
TE Messiah Swinson or Jalin Conyers
LT Emmitt Bohle
LG LaDarius Henderson
C Ben Scott
RG Spencer Lovell or Chris Martinez
RT Isaia Glass
When ASU went to 12 personnel, both Conyers and Swinson play with Bryan Thompson usually the odd receiver out amongst the trio listed above.
Second Team
QB Trenton Bourguet or Paul Tyson or Daylin McLemore
RB George Hart III
WR Andre Johnson or Shawn Charles
WR Giovanni Sanders
WR Chad Johnson Jr.
TE Jalin Conyers or Bryce Pierre
OL from left to right: Austin Barry, Armon Bethea, Ezra Dotson-Oyetade, Spencer Lovell or Chris Martinez, Sione Veikoso
While the kick return period for special teams occurred, offensive line coach Mike Cavanaugh stood and monitored the ASU offensive tackles, letting out a loud “Nice!” after one rep from Sione Veikoso. Later, when his group was together as a whole, Cavanaugh lit into them with some passion.
When positional drills began, tight ends coach Juston Wood and his players went to work with the offensive tackles. As that drill played out and the Sun Devils practiced an outside zone run scheme, Wood instructed the ASU tight ends to be vertical with their jab steps. Wood was impressed by what he saw from Missouri transfer Messiah Swinson, saying “That’s it right there, Messiah!” after one rep. Moments later he was less-than-thrilled with another rep. “We don’t understand s--- if we’re still doing this a third time,” he told the group following a poor rep.
With offensive analyst Brian Billick quietly observing, ASU’s quarterbacks and wide receivers ran routes on air. One pass from Bourguet to Bryan Thompson hit the receiver right in the hands in front of his face and fell to the turf. As routes-on-air played out, freshman quarterback Bennett Meredith threw passes to the flat and on wheel routes to the running backs, who looked fluid under the watch of coach Shaun Aguano. One of Bourguet’s back-shoulder throws was extremely impressive, hitting Javen Jacobs on a nice connection.
In the longest period of 11-on-11 we’ve seen this spring, media was able to see nearly 10 plays. With as much information observed as possible here’s what we saw. The first four reps were run with Alabama transfer Paul Tyson running with the first team.
Special Teams:
Early in the practice proceeding, freshman kicker Jace Feely walked toward the south end of the practice fields and met briefly with his father and former NFL kicker Jay Feely. The elder statesmen stood and watched the Sun Devils practice, eyeing ASU’s special teams unit as the team worked in its 11-on-11 period and the specialists went off on their own. When special teams coach Shawn Slocum walked onto the west field and set up kickoff returns, ASU rotated through five kick returners. The five returners were DJ Taylor, Elijhah Badger, Daniyel Ngata, Giovanni Sanders and Javen Jacobs. On one of his returns, DJ Taylor was so quick after the catch he ran out of his left shoe, losing it as he started running at the 5-yard line.
When Feely and the ASU kickoff coverage group practiced onside kicks, a few of the balls sent in the direction of the Sun Devil return group were bobbled. ASU was practicing the surprise onside kick and not out with their hands team, but offensive lineman Ben Scott was less than impressed. “I honestly think I have more natural hands than half the guys out there,” he remarked to other linemen after watching one rep.
Reply with any offensive questions if you've got any.
Arizona State practiced on the Bill Kajikawa practice fields Monday morning in shells – helmets and shoulder pads – under blue skies with temperatures in the 70s. The offensive side of the all was only missing a few players. After missing Saturday’s practice, wide receiver LV Bunkley-Shelton returned but remained limited during drills. Fullback Case Hatch returned from his honeymoon and dressed but did not participate in position drills and offensive linemen Ben Bray (street clothes) and Des Holmes (excused non-football absence) did not participate.
First Team
QB Trenton Bourguet or Paul Tyson
RB Xazavian Valladay or Daniyel Ngata
WR Ricky Pearsall
WR Bryan Thompson or Andre Johnson
WR Elijah Badger
TE Messiah Swinson or Jalin Conyers
LT Emmitt Bohle
LG LaDarius Henderson
C Ben Scott
RG Spencer Lovell or Chris Martinez
RT Isaia Glass
When ASU went to 12 personnel, both Conyers and Swinson play with Bryan Thompson usually the odd receiver out amongst the trio listed above.
Second Team
QB Trenton Bourguet or Paul Tyson or Daylin McLemore
RB George Hart III
WR Andre Johnson or Shawn Charles
WR Giovanni Sanders
WR Chad Johnson Jr.
TE Jalin Conyers or Bryce Pierre
OL from left to right: Austin Barry, Armon Bethea, Ezra Dotson-Oyetade, Spencer Lovell or Chris Martinez, Sione Veikoso
While the kick return period for special teams occurred, offensive line coach Mike Cavanaugh stood and monitored the ASU offensive tackles, letting out a loud “Nice!” after one rep from Sione Veikoso. Later, when his group was together as a whole, Cavanaugh lit into them with some passion.
When positional drills began, tight ends coach Juston Wood and his players went to work with the offensive tackles. As that drill played out and the Sun Devils practiced an outside zone run scheme, Wood instructed the ASU tight ends to be vertical with their jab steps. Wood was impressed by what he saw from Missouri transfer Messiah Swinson, saying “That’s it right there, Messiah!” after one rep. Moments later he was less-than-thrilled with another rep. “We don’t understand s--- if we’re still doing this a third time,” he told the group following a poor rep.
With offensive analyst Brian Billick quietly observing, ASU’s quarterbacks and wide receivers ran routes on air. One pass from Bourguet to Bryan Thompson hit the receiver right in the hands in front of his face and fell to the turf. As routes-on-air played out, freshman quarterback Bennett Meredith threw passes to the flat and on wheel routes to the running backs, who looked fluid under the watch of coach Shaun Aguano. One of Bourguet’s back-shoulder throws was extremely impressive, hitting Javen Jacobs on a nice connection.
In the longest period of 11-on-11 we’ve seen this spring, media was able to see nearly 10 plays. With as much information observed as possible here’s what we saw. The first four reps were run with Alabama transfer Paul Tyson running with the first team.
- Play 1: 11 personnel with Thompson, Pearsall, Badger, Conyers and Valladay in the formation. Tyson completed a slant pass over the middle to Pearsall, but the play likely would’ve been broken up or Pearsall would’ve been lit up by a defender in full contact mode.
- Play 2: 11 personnel. Chris Martinez takes Spencer Martinez’s spot at right guard. ASU runs right and Xazavian Valladay is stopped at the line of scrimmage.
- Play 3: Ngata replaces Valladay. Tyson nicely steps up and to the right in the pocket, buying time for himself to find a streaking Elijhah Badger over the middle for what would have gone for a significant gain.
- Play 4: Andre Johnson replaces Thompson and Badger replaced as well. Tyson gets pressured and checks down to Ngata to his right. The pass one-hops Ngata and falls incomplete.
- Play 5: 11 personnel with Bryce Pierre in at tight end. Second team offensive line in with Austin Barry at left tackle, Armon Bethea at left guard, Ezra Dotson-Oyetade at center, Lovell at right guard and Sione Veikoso at right tackle. Hart is given a handoff to his left which is strung out and goes for no gain.
- Play 6: McLemore throws incomplete on a spring out to the left toward the sideline. Ball misses high and left.
- Play 7: Comeback route to Chad Johnson Jr. goes for gain of 8-10 yards.
- Play 8: McLemore completes to Giovanni Sanders on a shallow cross.
Special Teams:
Early in the practice proceeding, freshman kicker Jace Feely walked toward the south end of the practice fields and met briefly with his father and former NFL kicker Jay Feely. The elder statesmen stood and watched the Sun Devils practice, eyeing ASU’s special teams unit as the team worked in its 11-on-11 period and the specialists went off on their own. When special teams coach Shawn Slocum walked onto the west field and set up kickoff returns, ASU rotated through five kick returners. The five returners were DJ Taylor, Elijhah Badger, Daniyel Ngata, Giovanni Sanders and Javen Jacobs. On one of his returns, DJ Taylor was so quick after the catch he ran out of his left shoe, losing it as he started running at the 5-yard line.
When Feely and the ASU kickoff coverage group practiced onside kicks, a few of the balls sent in the direction of the Sun Devil return group were bobbled. ASU was practicing the surprise onside kick and not out with their hands team, but offensive lineman Ben Scott was less than impressed. “I honestly think I have more natural hands than half the guys out there,” he remarked to other linemen after watching one rep.
Reply with any offensive questions if you've got any.
