Hey guys, ASU capped off its first fall practice of the season Friday night and already we’re noticing newcomers competing for starting spots.
LOCATION: Kajikawa Practice Fields
ATTIRE: Shorts
MEDIA AVAILABILITY: About an hour but we were allowed to stay for the practice’s entirety under the condition that we would not record configurations, trick plays, injuries, etc.
STRETCH MUSIC: Sicko Mode x Travis Scott, (My Shazam app didn’t pick up the second song, I’ll work on that tomorrow)
IN GREEN: None
PERSONNEL: Linebacker Koron Crump, who we reported will have a limited role this season after tearing his ACL last season, had a brace of his left knee and was limited in individual drills. Safety Jalen Harvey and linebacker Jay Jay Wilson were also limited, participating off and on throughout practice.
FIRST IMPRESSIONS: This is the first time that I saw a good number of the freshman in-person and just off the bat linebackers Merlin Robertson and Stanley Lambert pass the eye test. Lambert is tall and quick -- easy to spot with his blonde fohawk flowing over his headband. Robertson already has some of the biggest arms amongst the linebackers and surprisingly lined up at outside linebacker instead of in the middle.
One practice in and junior college transfer Brandon Aiyuk is already competing for playing time. He took second-team reps tonight and looked as fast as many hyped him up to be, including one play where he beat Paul Lucas on a double move during a one-on-one play. He did return punts at Sierra College but tonight Chase Lucas, Jalen Harvey and Ryan Newsome had those duties. Surprisingly, Aiyuk is already higher on the depth chart than freshman Geordon Porter, someone I expected to be with the second-teamers right away.
The incoming crop of running backs is a group I had my eye on Friday and will continue to watch throughout camp. A.J. Carter profiles as a power back and though we didn’t see him often, he looks every bit the 231-pounds he’s listed at. JUCO transfer Isaiah Floyd is almost the exact opposite of that. On one play Friday, he came around the edge all the sudden was in the endzone. “Man, that (No.) 31 guy, he’s hard to tackle,” Herm Edwards said to cornerbacks coach Tony White after Floyd’s 25-yard run.
The highest-touted incoming tailback, Brock Sturges, unsurprisingly was taking third-team reps Friday and was able to show off a part of his game that he didn’t fully showcase at Allen High School. “We never used him in the passing game,” Allen offensive coordinator Derek Alford said. “We probably should have thrown it to him more. He really does have great hands.” Friday, he showed that. He made one diving catch along the sideline that was ruled out of bounds and also caught a few quick out routes. Along with taking a fair share of carries, Sturges may be used in the passing game in a way I don’t think any other running back will. We’ll have a larger story about him out this week or next.
Herm Edwards wasn’t shy this spring about reminding his players about the 21 players arriving for the fall and tonight that was solidified.
11-on-11: ASU ran tempo and 11-on-11. Here is who I had out there:
First team offense:
QB Manny Wilkins
RB Eno Benjamin
WRs: N'Keal Harry, Kyle WIlliams, Terrell Chatman/Frank Darby
TE Ceejhay French-Love
OL: LT Casey Tucker, LG Alex Losoya, C Cohl Cabral, RG Steven Miller, RT Quinn Bailey
Second team offense:
QB: Dillion Sterling-Cole
RB: Trelon Smith
WRs: Curtis Hodges, Ryan Newsome, Brandon Aiyuk
TE: Jared Bubak
OL: LT Tyson Rising, LG Roy Hemsley, C Cade Cote, RG Jarrett Bell, RT Zach Robertson
First team defense:
D-Line: Jalen Bates, Renell Wren, Darius Slade
LB: Malik Lawal, Nick Ralston, Kyle Soelle
CBs: Chase Lucas, Kobe Williams
TILLMAN: Evan Fields
Safeties: Joey Bryant (field ranger), Demonte King (boundary ranger)
Second team defense:
D-Line: Doug Subtyl, George Lea, Shannon Foreman
LBs: Tyler Johnson, Khaylan Thomas, Merlin Robertson
TILLMAN: Tyler Whiley
CBs: Terin Adams, Darien Cornay
Safeties: Langston Frederick (field ranger), Dom Harrison (boundary ranger)
NOTES: ASU mixed up its defensive personnel constantly, rotating two or three times on each drive. The depth chart I provided is who I think was out with the respective group the most. Regardless, there were still some surprises.
QUOTE OF THE DAY: “Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh,” Chase Lucas yelled out the three times N’Keal Harry got the best of him during one-on-one drills Friday.
That's it for tonight’s report. Stay tuned for more coverage throughout the week. If you have any questions, feel free to ask.
LOCATION: Kajikawa Practice Fields
ATTIRE: Shorts
MEDIA AVAILABILITY: About an hour but we were allowed to stay for the practice’s entirety under the condition that we would not record configurations, trick plays, injuries, etc.
STRETCH MUSIC: Sicko Mode x Travis Scott, (My Shazam app didn’t pick up the second song, I’ll work on that tomorrow)
IN GREEN: None
PERSONNEL: Linebacker Koron Crump, who we reported will have a limited role this season after tearing his ACL last season, had a brace of his left knee and was limited in individual drills. Safety Jalen Harvey and linebacker Jay Jay Wilson were also limited, participating off and on throughout practice.
FIRST IMPRESSIONS: This is the first time that I saw a good number of the freshman in-person and just off the bat linebackers Merlin Robertson and Stanley Lambert pass the eye test. Lambert is tall and quick -- easy to spot with his blonde fohawk flowing over his headband. Robertson already has some of the biggest arms amongst the linebackers and surprisingly lined up at outside linebacker instead of in the middle.
One practice in and junior college transfer Brandon Aiyuk is already competing for playing time. He took second-team reps tonight and looked as fast as many hyped him up to be, including one play where he beat Paul Lucas on a double move during a one-on-one play. He did return punts at Sierra College but tonight Chase Lucas, Jalen Harvey and Ryan Newsome had those duties. Surprisingly, Aiyuk is already higher on the depth chart than freshman Geordon Porter, someone I expected to be with the second-teamers right away.
The incoming crop of running backs is a group I had my eye on Friday and will continue to watch throughout camp. A.J. Carter profiles as a power back and though we didn’t see him often, he looks every bit the 231-pounds he’s listed at. JUCO transfer Isaiah Floyd is almost the exact opposite of that. On one play Friday, he came around the edge all the sudden was in the endzone. “Man, that (No.) 31 guy, he’s hard to tackle,” Herm Edwards said to cornerbacks coach Tony White after Floyd’s 25-yard run.
The highest-touted incoming tailback, Brock Sturges, unsurprisingly was taking third-team reps Friday and was able to show off a part of his game that he didn’t fully showcase at Allen High School. “We never used him in the passing game,” Allen offensive coordinator Derek Alford said. “We probably should have thrown it to him more. He really does have great hands.” Friday, he showed that. He made one diving catch along the sideline that was ruled out of bounds and also caught a few quick out routes. Along with taking a fair share of carries, Sturges may be used in the passing game in a way I don’t think any other running back will. We’ll have a larger story about him out this week or next.
Herm Edwards wasn’t shy this spring about reminding his players about the 21 players arriving for the fall and tonight that was solidified.
11-on-11: ASU ran tempo and 11-on-11. Here is who I had out there:
First team offense:
QB Manny Wilkins
RB Eno Benjamin
WRs: N'Keal Harry, Kyle WIlliams, Terrell Chatman/Frank Darby
TE Ceejhay French-Love
OL: LT Casey Tucker, LG Alex Losoya, C Cohl Cabral, RG Steven Miller, RT Quinn Bailey
Second team offense:
QB: Dillion Sterling-Cole
RB: Trelon Smith
WRs: Curtis Hodges, Ryan Newsome, Brandon Aiyuk
TE: Jared Bubak
OL: LT Tyson Rising, LG Roy Hemsley, C Cade Cote, RG Jarrett Bell, RT Zach Robertson
First team defense:
D-Line: Jalen Bates, Renell Wren, Darius Slade
LB: Malik Lawal, Nick Ralston, Kyle Soelle
CBs: Chase Lucas, Kobe Williams
TILLMAN: Evan Fields
Safeties: Joey Bryant (field ranger), Demonte King (boundary ranger)
Second team defense:
D-Line: Doug Subtyl, George Lea, Shannon Foreman
LBs: Tyler Johnson, Khaylan Thomas, Merlin Robertson
TILLMAN: Tyler Whiley
CBs: Terin Adams, Darien Cornay
Safeties: Langston Frederick (field ranger), Dom Harrison (boundary ranger)
NOTES: ASU mixed up its defensive personnel constantly, rotating two or three times on each drive. The depth chart I provided is who I think was out with the respective group the most. Regardless, there were still some surprises.
- After he sustained an injury last season playing cornerback, Joey Bryant was on the field Friday as a field ranger safety. With Chase Lucas and Kobe Williams holding down the two corner spots, the move is the smartest for Bryant to get on the field while adding speed to ASU’s defense. Bryant looked like he dropped weight in the offseason and added definition to his arms.
- Evan Fields started the night at first-team TILLMAN but as the night went on redshirt senior Tyler Whiley took the majority of reps and honestly looked better. He had one amazing pass breakup on Wilkins where he bolted across the field to make the play. He brings amazing closing speed and intelligence to the position but I’m not sure if he’ll be able to beat out Fields.
- Alex Losoya’s phenomenal spring was rewarded with a spot at first-team left guard. He beat out the very highly-touted USC transfer Roy Hemsley, who appeared with the second-teamers.
- Frank Darby and Terrell Chatman, who will battle throughout the fall for the third receiver spot, flip-flopped on the first-team again Friday. Darby, though, look much more improved from the spring. I listed Darby as one of ASU’s X-Factors but said that he would need to improve upon his short to intermediate routes. With Sterling-Cole throwing to him, Darby caught two balls on quick curl routes -- the second with Lucas draped all over him.
- Tyler Johnson, who is listed as a defensive lineman, worked with the linebackers Friday. Could be an interesting move to keep an eye on.
QUOTE OF THE DAY: “Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh,” Chase Lucas yelled out the three times N’Keal Harry got the best of him during one-on-one drills Friday.
That's it for tonight’s report. Stay tuned for more coverage throughout the week. If you have any questions, feel free to ask.
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