Aside from my own observations in practice wanted to give you some more information about the team since I'm obviously not able to attend each and every spring practice, but did talk to some individuals within the team.
The coaches, like myself, have been very impressed with QB Finn Collins. While there is no doubt that Daylin McLemore has shown improvement from last year and was able to gain some necessary weight, there's also no denying that Collins, in comparison, has really hit the ground running. After the first spring practice, my assertion that Collins could be the favorite to win the no. 2 quarterback job has been confirmed with folks who are close to the situation. Besides being able to effectively grasp the scheme better than expected this early in his ASU career and display an impressive arm talent for such a young signal-caller, Collins' athleticism is really what's allowing him to shine. Movement in the pocket and getting out of jams with his feet if needed are abilities Collins displays at a better than expected level. It's not that a Zak Hill scheme necessarily does heavily lean on a very mobile quarterback, but it's certainly a trait that can only enhance your overall abilities to run this offense, and this was one trait that was (and no longer is) a question mark with Collins when you compare him to McLemore. I still want to be cautious and not paint a picture stating that Macklemore has no chance whatsoever to be the no. 2 quarterback. But one thing I can say for sure is that the overall talent in the quarterback room is more impressive than this time last year, and that's significant in the most important two-deep position on the team.
The move of Dohnovan West to center has been going well so far. I would be cautious about etching it in stone at this point as the season opening starter because there's certainly a chance that Ben Scott will still be tried at center as well, but as long as the snap exchange Daniels is going smoothly for the most part that is certainly a good sign. The ball's not hitting in the ground, which is really paramount for obvious reasons in those exchanges, but keeping the snaps lower on average is something West will still have to work on, although it's not as if I would characterize that as a dire factor in need of repair.
LaDarius Henderson's play at left guard, West's position last year, and one that earned him All Pac-12 honors has naturally allowed West's shift to center. For such a young player, it seems like Henderson has had some sharp peaks and valleys, starting nearly his entire freshman year at left tackle, a move that's really unheard of among the vast majority of Power 5 programs then the following year, he loses his starting position altogether with the emergence of Ben Scott occupying the right tackle position and obviously the arrival of Texas A&M transfer Kellen Diesch who has been a godsend at left tackle.
And it goes without saying that when you move such a young player between different positions (remember, at times, he played both right tackle and right guard last year) that in some ways, you are doing a disservice to him. I'm not implying the coaches were careless or incompetent in this regard; it's just the unfortunate circumstances where there are better options ahead of Henderson on the offensive line, which necessitated all these position moves for him. He's the norm not being able to handle all these transitions seamlessly, and West being successful in that regard as an underclassman is an exception.
It certainly not out of the question for Henderson to settle at left guard, but this will depend not only on his own showing in spring practice but also on assuming that West has settled himself on the center position and ultimately does present the best option in that role. I don't know if enigma is too strong of a word to describe North Carolina transfer Triston Miller who, by the way, could end up being a swing tackle himself, but I don't believe I'm in the minority thinking that he's one newcomer you probably expected a stronger first week of spring practice from. It will be interesting to see if he can change the narrative these next couple of weeks.
A newcomer on the offensive line that has been a pleasant surprise early on is local Queen Creek product Isaia (pronounced eye-sa-ya) Glass. His athleticism was a known commodity but still has been encouraging to see how well it's serving him at the next level for such an inexperienced player. He's on the third team these days but knocking pretty loudly on the second team door.
Prior to spring practice, I mentioned the fact that ASU was in a two-tight end sets 57% of the time. There's no reason to see that figure significantly diminish in 2021, and that's not to say it would significantly increase either, but the bigger question is, what is the exact personnel we'll see in those alignments. Curtis Hodges and Case Hatch right now are the preferable tandem in that regard. So what about Oklahoma transfer Jalin Conyers and his prospects in a two-tight end set? Well, this ties into his abilities of being a blocking tight end. The jury is still out on whether he can develop as one, but I do get the sense that the coaches will not rush that aspect and really have him shine the best he can as a receiving tight end. So Hodges and Conyers on the field at the same time is going to be work in progress, but something I believe we will definitely see at times during the season and with Conyers' development rate determining their frequency of his presence in that alignment.
I'll preface my next paragraph saying that I don't think any sirens or red flags should go off concerning the defensive line, but it's fair to say that you really have an incomplete picture with the absences of Jermayne Lole and Tyler Johnson and due to injury not be able to have younger players such as Stephon Wright and Amiri Johnson develop and put themselves in the position to be contributors to this group. Stanley Lambert has been another pleasant surprise early on, but generally speaking, I see the overall pass rush capabilities, at least in this juncture with the currently available personnel, as an unknown. LSU transfer Travez Moore has come in here with tempered expectations, and I can't say I'm surprised that even in a situation where he could really assert himself by default as a veteran player hasn't taken place yet. Like any newcomer, even though he's a senior, there is an acclimation process you just have to go through, and some newcomers have an easier time than others, and the fact that you're a freshman or grad transfer will not always determine the rate of success. I'm very curious to see how this defensive line is going to look at the conclusion of spring practice. Again I'm very cautious of being over critical over here with so many players missing from spring practice, but at the same time, this is one unit that really could use more shining moments, if you will, during the spring just to come into Fall camp with some more swagger knowing that seldom used and newcomer players have really made their mark in the spring enhancing the competition and the overall quality of the front four when those aforementioned absent players are back in the fold in August.
I'll be happy to answer any questions you have about these takeaways or any other player or positions that I did not mention.
The coaches, like myself, have been very impressed with QB Finn Collins. While there is no doubt that Daylin McLemore has shown improvement from last year and was able to gain some necessary weight, there's also no denying that Collins, in comparison, has really hit the ground running. After the first spring practice, my assertion that Collins could be the favorite to win the no. 2 quarterback job has been confirmed with folks who are close to the situation. Besides being able to effectively grasp the scheme better than expected this early in his ASU career and display an impressive arm talent for such a young signal-caller, Collins' athleticism is really what's allowing him to shine. Movement in the pocket and getting out of jams with his feet if needed are abilities Collins displays at a better than expected level. It's not that a Zak Hill scheme necessarily does heavily lean on a very mobile quarterback, but it's certainly a trait that can only enhance your overall abilities to run this offense, and this was one trait that was (and no longer is) a question mark with Collins when you compare him to McLemore. I still want to be cautious and not paint a picture stating that Macklemore has no chance whatsoever to be the no. 2 quarterback. But one thing I can say for sure is that the overall talent in the quarterback room is more impressive than this time last year, and that's significant in the most important two-deep position on the team.
The move of Dohnovan West to center has been going well so far. I would be cautious about etching it in stone at this point as the season opening starter because there's certainly a chance that Ben Scott will still be tried at center as well, but as long as the snap exchange Daniels is going smoothly for the most part that is certainly a good sign. The ball's not hitting in the ground, which is really paramount for obvious reasons in those exchanges, but keeping the snaps lower on average is something West will still have to work on, although it's not as if I would characterize that as a dire factor in need of repair.
LaDarius Henderson's play at left guard, West's position last year, and one that earned him All Pac-12 honors has naturally allowed West's shift to center. For such a young player, it seems like Henderson has had some sharp peaks and valleys, starting nearly his entire freshman year at left tackle, a move that's really unheard of among the vast majority of Power 5 programs then the following year, he loses his starting position altogether with the emergence of Ben Scott occupying the right tackle position and obviously the arrival of Texas A&M transfer Kellen Diesch who has been a godsend at left tackle.
And it goes without saying that when you move such a young player between different positions (remember, at times, he played both right tackle and right guard last year) that in some ways, you are doing a disservice to him. I'm not implying the coaches were careless or incompetent in this regard; it's just the unfortunate circumstances where there are better options ahead of Henderson on the offensive line, which necessitated all these position moves for him. He's the norm not being able to handle all these transitions seamlessly, and West being successful in that regard as an underclassman is an exception.
It certainly not out of the question for Henderson to settle at left guard, but this will depend not only on his own showing in spring practice but also on assuming that West has settled himself on the center position and ultimately does present the best option in that role. I don't know if enigma is too strong of a word to describe North Carolina transfer Triston Miller who, by the way, could end up being a swing tackle himself, but I don't believe I'm in the minority thinking that he's one newcomer you probably expected a stronger first week of spring practice from. It will be interesting to see if he can change the narrative these next couple of weeks.
A newcomer on the offensive line that has been a pleasant surprise early on is local Queen Creek product Isaia (pronounced eye-sa-ya) Glass. His athleticism was a known commodity but still has been encouraging to see how well it's serving him at the next level for such an inexperienced player. He's on the third team these days but knocking pretty loudly on the second team door.
Prior to spring practice, I mentioned the fact that ASU was in a two-tight end sets 57% of the time. There's no reason to see that figure significantly diminish in 2021, and that's not to say it would significantly increase either, but the bigger question is, what is the exact personnel we'll see in those alignments. Curtis Hodges and Case Hatch right now are the preferable tandem in that regard. So what about Oklahoma transfer Jalin Conyers and his prospects in a two-tight end set? Well, this ties into his abilities of being a blocking tight end. The jury is still out on whether he can develop as one, but I do get the sense that the coaches will not rush that aspect and really have him shine the best he can as a receiving tight end. So Hodges and Conyers on the field at the same time is going to be work in progress, but something I believe we will definitely see at times during the season and with Conyers' development rate determining their frequency of his presence in that alignment.
I'll preface my next paragraph saying that I don't think any sirens or red flags should go off concerning the defensive line, but it's fair to say that you really have an incomplete picture with the absences of Jermayne Lole and Tyler Johnson and due to injury not be able to have younger players such as Stephon Wright and Amiri Johnson develop and put themselves in the position to be contributors to this group. Stanley Lambert has been another pleasant surprise early on, but generally speaking, I see the overall pass rush capabilities, at least in this juncture with the currently available personnel, as an unknown. LSU transfer Travez Moore has come in here with tempered expectations, and I can't say I'm surprised that even in a situation where he could really assert himself by default as a veteran player hasn't taken place yet. Like any newcomer, even though he's a senior, there is an acclimation process you just have to go through, and some newcomers have an easier time than others, and the fact that you're a freshman or grad transfer will not always determine the rate of success. I'm very curious to see how this defensive line is going to look at the conclusion of spring practice. Again I'm very cautious of being over critical over here with so many players missing from spring practice, but at the same time, this is one unit that really could use more shining moments, if you will, during the spring just to come into Fall camp with some more swagger knowing that seldom used and newcomer players have really made their mark in the spring enhancing the competition and the overall quality of the front four when those aforementioned absent players are back in the fold in August.
I'll be happy to answer any questions you have about these takeaways or any other player or positions that I did not mention.
