Offensive practice report by Jack Loder:
When Kenny Dillingham talks about the weather and climate at ASU as a potential recruiting tool, he’s talking about days like Thursday. ASU took the field for spring practice under sunny skies, with a light breeze and 70-degree temperatures. The pristine conditions were certainly a factor in an action-packed, fully padded day of March football.
Each day there’s an element of specific competition, where two players are highlighted to compete against each other. Usually, it’s a position-specific drill. Today, not so much. After some intense reps between OL Isaia Glass and DE Anthonie Cooper, Dillingham called on the duo to compete in a field goal-kicking competition. Cooper, apparently watching too much Charlie Brown Christmas of late, almost completely whiffed on his attempt. Then Glass stepped up and booted his attempt straight through the uprights with authority. It was just the latest exhibition of fun, public competition from Kenny Dillingham.
He then called upon offensive lineman Leif Fautanu and defensive end Clayton Smith to compete. Again it was the offensive line prevailing. Fautanu booted his kick straight through while Smith shanked it wide to the left.
It wasn’t just players who got in on the fun. Defensive line coach Vince Amey and tight ends coach Jason Mohns each were successful in their short field goal attempts. Amey was mobbed by his defensive pupils while Mohns walked it off, expressing how easy the task was. Last week it was basketball; this week it’s out of position field goal kicking. It’s clear there will be no shortage of fun at any Dillingham-led ASU football practices.
Here’s how the offense lined up. As a disclaimer, this is not a two-deep assessment. Starters can be loosely predicted based on this, but the groups vary considerably in spring practice, so don’t read too much into where guys are within these two groups.
Group one:
Offensive line from left to right: Bram Walden, Ralph Frias, Ben Bray, Thomas LeBoucher, Emmit Bohle.
QB Trenton Bourguet
RB Tevin White
TE Jalin Conyers
WR Elijhah Badger
WR Xavier Guillory
WR Melquan Stovall
Trenton Bourguet and Elijhah Badger have the most experience together, and it showed in the early portion of team drills on Thursday. First, Badger and the receivers took reps cutting inside and catching passes over the middle on crossing routes. Bourguet dotted Badger on three consecutive reps, each executed with flawless detail. Burguwt was also able to find Guillory on these simple routes. Guillory provided an easy target for the veteran signal-caller with his elite quickness, separating from the defender with relative ease each time off the line.
Bourguet fired two nice balls to the deep right corner of the end zone during 11 on 11. One was a touch late, and Andre Johnson failed to highpoint the ball. Just as he made the catch, the outstretched arm of Ro Torrence was able to poke it away. “That’s a heck of a play Ro! Way to go Ro!!!” Kenny Dillingham shouted at his triumphant defensive back.
Bourguet got his revenge on the next rep, as he found Badger just inside the back line. Elijhah made a nice snag and dragged his feet inside the paint for the impressive score. A jubilant Jalin Conyers congratulated Badger passionately in the end zone.
Messiah Swinson was the beneficiary of a Bourguet touchdown pass as well; he shed his man at the line of scrimmage and sprinted on a short post toward the middle of the end zone. Bourguet pivoted and fired, hitting Swinson between the 8 and 0 on his maroon jersey. Swinson completed the catch in the end zone before the ball was popped loose, and a dog pile of prospective handlers ensued. But make no mistake; the play was called a touchdown before the scrum.
Group two:
Offensive line from left to right: Isaia Glass, Danny Valenzuela, Ben Bray, Thomas Leboucher, Max Ilheanachor
QB Drew Pyne
RB Decarlos Brooks/Cameron Skattebo
TE Messiah Swinson
WR Chad Johnson Jr
WR Javen Jacobs
WR Gio Sanders
WR Troy Omeire
After a slow start in the first week of spring ball, Drew Pyne bounced back nicely on Thursday. He delivered pretty balls to Javen Jacobs down the sideline on back-to-back reps in QB and receiver drills, and found Badger on a slick stop and go route later on. Pyne was consistent in his managing of run plays, and looked in control of the offense for the vast majority of the session.
The highlight of Pyne’s day came in 11 on 11, when Dillingham shouted into the microphone that the offense needed chunk yards on the next play to get from midfield to field goal range. Pyne lofted a pass to a streaking Guillory, who ran under the ball leaving his defender in the dust. Guillory accelerated past the secondary and scored without being touched.
Jalin Conyers was on the receiving end of another impressive throw from Pyne. He made a highlight reel juggling grab in the back left corner of the end zone, with a defender draped all over him. Pyne’s progression over five spring practices.
DeCarlos Brooks got a lot of touches during the 11 on 11 period. On one simulated drive, he took a handoff, caught a pass, and then caught another pass on QB Bennet Meredith’s first competitive pass of the day. Brooks and fellow running back Cameron Skattebo have enjoyed an increased role over the last two practices.
Thursday was definitely a pass heavy day, with an emphasis on receivers and especially the deep ball. Jaden Rashada got limited work in 11 on 11, but was a focus point of many quarterback drills. He and Guillory showcased some impressive chemistry, with Guillory hauling in all five of the passes that came his way from Rashada in individual drills.
When Kenny Dillingham talks about the weather and climate at ASU as a potential recruiting tool, he’s talking about days like Thursday. ASU took the field for spring practice under sunny skies, with a light breeze and 70-degree temperatures. The pristine conditions were certainly a factor in an action-packed, fully padded day of March football.
Each day there’s an element of specific competition, where two players are highlighted to compete against each other. Usually, it’s a position-specific drill. Today, not so much. After some intense reps between OL Isaia Glass and DE Anthonie Cooper, Dillingham called on the duo to compete in a field goal-kicking competition. Cooper, apparently watching too much Charlie Brown Christmas of late, almost completely whiffed on his attempt. Then Glass stepped up and booted his attempt straight through the uprights with authority. It was just the latest exhibition of fun, public competition from Kenny Dillingham.
He then called upon offensive lineman Leif Fautanu and defensive end Clayton Smith to compete. Again it was the offensive line prevailing. Fautanu booted his kick straight through while Smith shanked it wide to the left.
It wasn’t just players who got in on the fun. Defensive line coach Vince Amey and tight ends coach Jason Mohns each were successful in their short field goal attempts. Amey was mobbed by his defensive pupils while Mohns walked it off, expressing how easy the task was. Last week it was basketball; this week it’s out of position field goal kicking. It’s clear there will be no shortage of fun at any Dillingham-led ASU football practices.
Here’s how the offense lined up. As a disclaimer, this is not a two-deep assessment. Starters can be loosely predicted based on this, but the groups vary considerably in spring practice, so don’t read too much into where guys are within these two groups.
Group one:
Offensive line from left to right: Bram Walden, Ralph Frias, Ben Bray, Thomas LeBoucher, Emmit Bohle.
QB Trenton Bourguet
RB Tevin White
TE Jalin Conyers
WR Elijhah Badger
WR Xavier Guillory
WR Melquan Stovall
Trenton Bourguet and Elijhah Badger have the most experience together, and it showed in the early portion of team drills on Thursday. First, Badger and the receivers took reps cutting inside and catching passes over the middle on crossing routes. Bourguet dotted Badger on three consecutive reps, each executed with flawless detail. Burguwt was also able to find Guillory on these simple routes. Guillory provided an easy target for the veteran signal-caller with his elite quickness, separating from the defender with relative ease each time off the line.
Bourguet fired two nice balls to the deep right corner of the end zone during 11 on 11. One was a touch late, and Andre Johnson failed to highpoint the ball. Just as he made the catch, the outstretched arm of Ro Torrence was able to poke it away. “That’s a heck of a play Ro! Way to go Ro!!!” Kenny Dillingham shouted at his triumphant defensive back.
Bourguet got his revenge on the next rep, as he found Badger just inside the back line. Elijhah made a nice snag and dragged his feet inside the paint for the impressive score. A jubilant Jalin Conyers congratulated Badger passionately in the end zone.
Messiah Swinson was the beneficiary of a Bourguet touchdown pass as well; he shed his man at the line of scrimmage and sprinted on a short post toward the middle of the end zone. Bourguet pivoted and fired, hitting Swinson between the 8 and 0 on his maroon jersey. Swinson completed the catch in the end zone before the ball was popped loose, and a dog pile of prospective handlers ensued. But make no mistake; the play was called a touchdown before the scrum.
Group two:
Offensive line from left to right: Isaia Glass, Danny Valenzuela, Ben Bray, Thomas Leboucher, Max Ilheanachor
QB Drew Pyne
RB Decarlos Brooks/Cameron Skattebo
TE Messiah Swinson
WR Chad Johnson Jr
WR Javen Jacobs
WR Gio Sanders
WR Troy Omeire
After a slow start in the first week of spring ball, Drew Pyne bounced back nicely on Thursday. He delivered pretty balls to Javen Jacobs down the sideline on back-to-back reps in QB and receiver drills, and found Badger on a slick stop and go route later on. Pyne was consistent in his managing of run plays, and looked in control of the offense for the vast majority of the session.
The highlight of Pyne’s day came in 11 on 11, when Dillingham shouted into the microphone that the offense needed chunk yards on the next play to get from midfield to field goal range. Pyne lofted a pass to a streaking Guillory, who ran under the ball leaving his defender in the dust. Guillory accelerated past the secondary and scored without being touched.
Jalin Conyers was on the receiving end of another impressive throw from Pyne. He made a highlight reel juggling grab in the back left corner of the end zone, with a defender draped all over him. Pyne’s progression over five spring practices.
DeCarlos Brooks got a lot of touches during the 11 on 11 period. On one simulated drive, he took a handoff, caught a pass, and then caught another pass on QB Bennet Meredith’s first competitive pass of the day. Brooks and fellow running back Cameron Skattebo have enjoyed an increased role over the last two practices.
Thursday was definitely a pass heavy day, with an emphasis on receivers and especially the deep ball. Jaden Rashada got limited work in 11 on 11, but was a focus point of many quarterback drills. He and Guillory showcased some impressive chemistry, with Guillory hauling in all five of the passes that came his way from Rashada in individual drills.
