The offense went through a normal day of spring practice Saturday, with most rostered players in attendance and suited up. During the media open portion of practice, position groups drilled individually and in team period.
Wide Receiver LV Bunkley Shelton and offensive lineman Ralph Frias were in uniform but sidelined, with Bunkley-Shelton participating in team stretches.
First-team offense:
QB - Paul Tyson/Trenton Bourguet
RB - Daniyel Ngata
TE - Jalin Conyers
WR - Elijah Badger
WR - Bryan Thompson
WR - Ricky Pearsall
OL from left to right: Isaia Glass, LaDarius Henderson, Ben Scott, Spencer Lovell, Des Holmes.
Second-team offense:
QB - Finn Collins/Bennet Meredith
RB - Xazavian Valladay
TE - Messiah Swinson
WR - Andre Johnson
WR - Chad Johnson Jr.
WR - Giovanni Sanders
OL from left to right: Emmit Bohle, Armon Bethea, Ezra Dotson-Oyetade, Chris Martinez, Sione Veikoso.
The quarterback work was split relatively evenly throughout the open portion of the workouts. Paul Tyson and Trenton Bourguet have the opening reps. On Thursday, it was Bourguet who saw the first few snaps. Today, Tyson took two before Bourguet worked in. Offensive coordinator Glenn Thomas indicated on Thursday that the reps are even for the most part, as he and the rest of the staff continue to identify which signal-callers will separate themselves. Finn Collins and Bennet Meredith worked with the second team.
Following stretches, all five QBs worked on their three and five-step drops before throwing to a designated lineman. The throws were all crisp, with the low stakes drill providing an opportunity for each candidate to refine their mechanics.
The most impressive play of the viewing portion came in the team period portion when the offense and defense meet in a low-contact 11 on 11 set. Paul Tyson rifled a slant over the middle, and second-team wide receiver Giovanni Sanders snagged it with one hand before cradling the ball and turning upfield. The impressive grab earned ooh’s and ahh’s from his contemporaries as well as the spectators.
Never one to be shy, offensive line coach Mike Cavanaugh ran a tight ship Saturday morning. His unit worked hard on hand technique. Players took turns practicing defending slaps and arm moves that are put on them by defensive linemen. Cavanaugh barked at his linemen to “be violent!” The group seemed to respond during the team period, eager to put their hands on someone other than themselves.
The receivers worked mostly on the far side of the field, with everyone dressed. LV Bunkley-Shelton didn’t wear pads or cleats and didn’t participate in the high octane drills. Bryan Thompson, Ricky Pearsall, and Elijah Badger got first-team reps, with Chad Johnson Jr. working in as well. Pearsall was vocal all morning long. The group went through quick catch drills, where they caught short passes before turning upfield and running through a gauntlet of pads and poles to improve ball security.
When the offense was set up against air, they implemented a two-tight end set. Jalin Conyers was joined on the left side by Messiah Swinson. Running backs Daniyel Ngata and Xazavian Valladay worked in the backfield. When the running backs worked with the offensive lineman, coach Shaun Aguano was very vocal with both his guys and the big men.
Herm Edwards spent more time than usual on the offensive side of the field. He watched the running backs for about 15 minutes before spending time with Cavanaugh watching the offensive linemen work. Glenn Thomas worked with the quarterbacks as well as running the offensive operations during team period.
Defense
Based on our preliminary observations during positional drills and team period, here is what we expect the initial two-deep to be:
First-team defense
Left DE Michael Matus
3-technique Omarr Norman-Lott
Nose TJ Pesefea
Right DE Anthonie Cooper
SAM Merlin Robertson
MIKE Kyle Soelle
WILL Eric Gentry
FS Alijah Gammage
TILL Kejuan Markham
CB Timarcus Davis
CB Keon Markham
Second-team defense
Left DE Stanley Lambert
3-technique B’Ahmad Miller
Nose Robbie Harrison
Right DE Joe Moore
SAM Caleb McCullough
MIKE Will Shaffer
WILL Connor Soelle
FS DJ Taylor
TILL Jordan Clark
CB Macen Williams
CB Ed Woods
In nickel packages, Jordan Clark bumped from the Tillman role down to cover the slot receiver. Merlin Robertson would sub out in order to allow the extra defensive back on the field. On the second team, Conner Lewis came in for nickel looks and replaced Conor Soelle.
Attendance
3-tech Jermayne Lole was at practice but entered the bubble for personal workouts as he continues to rehab his right triceps injury suffered in fall camp. BJ Green warmed up with the team and was present for the install at the beginning of practice but did not practice with the group.
DE Travez Moore was also at practice but not dressed. Amiri Johnson, also believed to be recovering from injury, was missing again.
Miami transfer nose tackle Nesta Jade Silvera was at practice and dressed but did not participate in positional drills for the third straight day.
Linebacker Jacob Jornadal, who suffered a leg injury last November, was not here today.
Defensive back RJ Regan was at practice, but his absence from the last two days was explained by the cast on his right leg as he watched practice from the sideline on a scooter. Safety T Lee was not observed for the third consecutive day.
Positional Drills
Set to attack the third day of spring practice installs underneath a cloudy and cool sky, the Arizona State football team was lighthearted and jovial to begin weekend workouts.
Senior wideout Ricky Pearsall jokingly reminded us to spend less time on Twitter. Jalin Conyers showed off a pair of cleats that incorporated landmarks of his hometown amongst the ASU color palette. 3-tech Omarr Norman-Lott pranced across the practice field, exclaiming, “we bring the energy all day!”
Some players got some extra work in before padded practice officially began at 10:30 am. Defensive end Joe Moore and Stanley Lambert picked up some pass-rushing tips and snatch move pointers from coach Robert Rodriguez. MIKE linebacker Will Shaffer was observed by position coach Chris Claiborne as he improved his dropback. Cornerback Timarcus Davis prayed in the south end zone before galloping over to the other side to mingle with the other defensive backs.
The linebackers began the day with pursuit angle drills where each player stood in single-file for their chance to close the gap to a ball carrier and extend their arms like they were going to wrap up. The group transitioned to work on dropbacks into the hook, curl, and middle hole zones. In this area, Claiborne advised his players to play heads-up football and be aware of the entire play and not just the task at hand.
“When you drive back, take a look at where else you can run,” Claiborne said.
After the individual linebacker drills were complete, Claiborne’s crew joined forces with Aaron Fletcher and the defensive backs for joint coverage work. Jordan Clark flirted between the nickel and Tillman safety. Shaffer was encouraged to be more vocal in the middle linebacker role and promptly communicated with players around him.
It was a day to pay attention to detail. Rodriguez was critical of his linemen’s stance and approach, which the group had spent the last two days drilling. He wanted an instant explosion from a perfectly level upper body. “You have got to be like a plane taking off the runway,” Rodriguez boomed.
The group started with the get-off drill before discussing each player’s lineup in different pass rush stunts using five yellow buckets to designate the offensive line. In this area, defensive end Michael Matus offered insight to the rest of the group on different tendencies he noticed executing the maneuvers last season. Rodriguez made every player repeat their assignment back to him before giving the go-ahead to begin the play.
Next, the group did a series of engage drills where strike accuracy and hand placement were prioritized. Head coach Herm Edwards watched nearby. “Make sure we keep our hands off their faces,” Edwards offered in reflection of the facemask penalties that occurred on multiple occasions last season.
Graduate assistant and former ASU nose tackle Shannon Forman worked with freshman defensive lineman Robby Harrison for most of the practice. Harrison is steadily improving his stance and how to best leverage his power and weight from the get-off. Forman made a few tweaks to the placement on Harrison’s left ankle, opening him up into a wider and balanced position.
During this period, defensive end Travez Moore lurked nearby like a caged lion. Moore, who suffered a torn ACL in last season’s game against BYU, looked like he was itching to get back in the flow of things as he continues to rehab his right knee.
Team period was brief, but the players were plenty motivated to make their mark. NFL Draft hopeful Tyler Johnson, who watched practice from the sideline, told Norman-Lott that LaDarius Henderson said he was going to pancake somebody today. Later, Anthonie Cooper forced Trenton Bourguet to scramble while providing pressure on second down.
As always, please ask any questions you may have
Wide Receiver LV Bunkley Shelton and offensive lineman Ralph Frias were in uniform but sidelined, with Bunkley-Shelton participating in team stretches.
First-team offense:
QB - Paul Tyson/Trenton Bourguet
RB - Daniyel Ngata
TE - Jalin Conyers
WR - Elijah Badger
WR - Bryan Thompson
WR - Ricky Pearsall
OL from left to right: Isaia Glass, LaDarius Henderson, Ben Scott, Spencer Lovell, Des Holmes.
Second-team offense:
QB - Finn Collins/Bennet Meredith
RB - Xazavian Valladay
TE - Messiah Swinson
WR - Andre Johnson
WR - Chad Johnson Jr.
WR - Giovanni Sanders
OL from left to right: Emmit Bohle, Armon Bethea, Ezra Dotson-Oyetade, Chris Martinez, Sione Veikoso.
The quarterback work was split relatively evenly throughout the open portion of the workouts. Paul Tyson and Trenton Bourguet have the opening reps. On Thursday, it was Bourguet who saw the first few snaps. Today, Tyson took two before Bourguet worked in. Offensive coordinator Glenn Thomas indicated on Thursday that the reps are even for the most part, as he and the rest of the staff continue to identify which signal-callers will separate themselves. Finn Collins and Bennet Meredith worked with the second team.
Following stretches, all five QBs worked on their three and five-step drops before throwing to a designated lineman. The throws were all crisp, with the low stakes drill providing an opportunity for each candidate to refine their mechanics.
The most impressive play of the viewing portion came in the team period portion when the offense and defense meet in a low-contact 11 on 11 set. Paul Tyson rifled a slant over the middle, and second-team wide receiver Giovanni Sanders snagged it with one hand before cradling the ball and turning upfield. The impressive grab earned ooh’s and ahh’s from his contemporaries as well as the spectators.
Never one to be shy, offensive line coach Mike Cavanaugh ran a tight ship Saturday morning. His unit worked hard on hand technique. Players took turns practicing defending slaps and arm moves that are put on them by defensive linemen. Cavanaugh barked at his linemen to “be violent!” The group seemed to respond during the team period, eager to put their hands on someone other than themselves.
The receivers worked mostly on the far side of the field, with everyone dressed. LV Bunkley-Shelton didn’t wear pads or cleats and didn’t participate in the high octane drills. Bryan Thompson, Ricky Pearsall, and Elijah Badger got first-team reps, with Chad Johnson Jr. working in as well. Pearsall was vocal all morning long. The group went through quick catch drills, where they caught short passes before turning upfield and running through a gauntlet of pads and poles to improve ball security.
When the offense was set up against air, they implemented a two-tight end set. Jalin Conyers was joined on the left side by Messiah Swinson. Running backs Daniyel Ngata and Xazavian Valladay worked in the backfield. When the running backs worked with the offensive lineman, coach Shaun Aguano was very vocal with both his guys and the big men.
Herm Edwards spent more time than usual on the offensive side of the field. He watched the running backs for about 15 minutes before spending time with Cavanaugh watching the offensive linemen work. Glenn Thomas worked with the quarterbacks as well as running the offensive operations during team period.
Defense
Based on our preliminary observations during positional drills and team period, here is what we expect the initial two-deep to be:
First-team defense
Left DE Michael Matus
3-technique Omarr Norman-Lott
Nose TJ Pesefea
Right DE Anthonie Cooper
SAM Merlin Robertson
MIKE Kyle Soelle
WILL Eric Gentry
FS Alijah Gammage
TILL Kejuan Markham
CB Timarcus Davis
CB Keon Markham
Second-team defense
Left DE Stanley Lambert
3-technique B’Ahmad Miller
Nose Robbie Harrison
Right DE Joe Moore
SAM Caleb McCullough
MIKE Will Shaffer
WILL Connor Soelle
FS DJ Taylor
TILL Jordan Clark
CB Macen Williams
CB Ed Woods
In nickel packages, Jordan Clark bumped from the Tillman role down to cover the slot receiver. Merlin Robertson would sub out in order to allow the extra defensive back on the field. On the second team, Conner Lewis came in for nickel looks and replaced Conor Soelle.
Attendance
3-tech Jermayne Lole was at practice but entered the bubble for personal workouts as he continues to rehab his right triceps injury suffered in fall camp. BJ Green warmed up with the team and was present for the install at the beginning of practice but did not practice with the group.
DE Travez Moore was also at practice but not dressed. Amiri Johnson, also believed to be recovering from injury, was missing again.
Miami transfer nose tackle Nesta Jade Silvera was at practice and dressed but did not participate in positional drills for the third straight day.
Linebacker Jacob Jornadal, who suffered a leg injury last November, was not here today.
Defensive back RJ Regan was at practice, but his absence from the last two days was explained by the cast on his right leg as he watched practice from the sideline on a scooter. Safety T Lee was not observed for the third consecutive day.
Positional Drills
Set to attack the third day of spring practice installs underneath a cloudy and cool sky, the Arizona State football team was lighthearted and jovial to begin weekend workouts.
Senior wideout Ricky Pearsall jokingly reminded us to spend less time on Twitter. Jalin Conyers showed off a pair of cleats that incorporated landmarks of his hometown amongst the ASU color palette. 3-tech Omarr Norman-Lott pranced across the practice field, exclaiming, “we bring the energy all day!”
Some players got some extra work in before padded practice officially began at 10:30 am. Defensive end Joe Moore and Stanley Lambert picked up some pass-rushing tips and snatch move pointers from coach Robert Rodriguez. MIKE linebacker Will Shaffer was observed by position coach Chris Claiborne as he improved his dropback. Cornerback Timarcus Davis prayed in the south end zone before galloping over to the other side to mingle with the other defensive backs.
The linebackers began the day with pursuit angle drills where each player stood in single-file for their chance to close the gap to a ball carrier and extend their arms like they were going to wrap up. The group transitioned to work on dropbacks into the hook, curl, and middle hole zones. In this area, Claiborne advised his players to play heads-up football and be aware of the entire play and not just the task at hand.
“When you drive back, take a look at where else you can run,” Claiborne said.
After the individual linebacker drills were complete, Claiborne’s crew joined forces with Aaron Fletcher and the defensive backs for joint coverage work. Jordan Clark flirted between the nickel and Tillman safety. Shaffer was encouraged to be more vocal in the middle linebacker role and promptly communicated with players around him.
It was a day to pay attention to detail. Rodriguez was critical of his linemen’s stance and approach, which the group had spent the last two days drilling. He wanted an instant explosion from a perfectly level upper body. “You have got to be like a plane taking off the runway,” Rodriguez boomed.
The group started with the get-off drill before discussing each player’s lineup in different pass rush stunts using five yellow buckets to designate the offensive line. In this area, defensive end Michael Matus offered insight to the rest of the group on different tendencies he noticed executing the maneuvers last season. Rodriguez made every player repeat their assignment back to him before giving the go-ahead to begin the play.
Next, the group did a series of engage drills where strike accuracy and hand placement were prioritized. Head coach Herm Edwards watched nearby. “Make sure we keep our hands off their faces,” Edwards offered in reflection of the facemask penalties that occurred on multiple occasions last season.
Graduate assistant and former ASU nose tackle Shannon Forman worked with freshman defensive lineman Robby Harrison for most of the practice. Harrison is steadily improving his stance and how to best leverage his power and weight from the get-off. Forman made a few tweaks to the placement on Harrison’s left ankle, opening him up into a wider and balanced position.
During this period, defensive end Travez Moore lurked nearby like a caged lion. Moore, who suffered a torn ACL in last season’s game against BYU, looked like he was itching to get back in the flow of things as he continues to rehab his right knee.
Team period was brief, but the players were plenty motivated to make their mark. NFL Draft hopeful Tyler Johnson, who watched practice from the sideline, told Norman-Lott that LaDarius Henderson said he was going to pancake somebody today. Later, Anthonie Cooper forced Trenton Bourguet to scramble while providing pressure on second down.
As always, please ask any questions you may have
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