Aguano sees running back competition challenging players each day

Although there will be several different aspects of Arizona State’s new offense under first-year offensive coordinator Zak Hill, one of the notable changes will be the multi-faceted rushing attack.

Last season, it seemed like the only time another running back would come in for Eno Benjamin was when the coaches wanted to give him a breather or make sure they weren’t running him into the ground, so to speak.

Now, running backs coach Shaun Aguano knows he has too many guys with a high ceiling in his position group to only use one as a workhorse, as they did with Benjamin in 2019. After all, this has been the approach Hill’s offenses of the past have used and found success with.

“We look to use multiple backs this year and not count on one of them,” Aguano said. “So who’s going to be in that mix? It all depends on who’s getting the most production in practice, and not turning over the football and not making mental mistakes.”

Aguano even admitted that the team could use multiple running backs on the same plays, especially now that they have a set fullback in sophomore Case Hatch.

“When coach gets to it, I think that you’ll see two-backfield sets,” Aguano said, “and maybe even a 22-set.”

For those unfamiliar, a 22-set means two guys are in the offensive backfield, and two tight ends and one wide receiver are also on the field.

But the installation of formations and expansion of the playbook is certainly something that kicks into gear around the summertime, much closer to the start of the season, while fundamentals are a main priority of Spring ball. For the running backs, the biggest one is taking care of the ball, as Aguano alluded to already.

It’s no secret that this was a pressing issue last season. After fumbling only once in the first seven games (lost fumble in the opener versus Kent State), Benjamin fumbled five times in the final five contests of the regular season, losing three of them.

“From last year, I thought there were a couple of games that turned the other way because we had turnovers,” Aguano said. “If we can limit those, we’re going to be fantastic.”

Carter then followed suit when he started in Benjamin’s place for the Sun Bowl, fumbling twice and turning it over both times. He also had drops on a few screen passes that came his way sparingly throughout last season.

But for what it’s worth, Aguano relays that Carter has bounced back the right way from a bad final game that concluded an overall underwhelming season for him.

“A.J. has done really well,” Aguano said. “I was worried a little bit regarding the mental aspect because he didn’t really have a good bowl game, and I wanted to see him bounce back and he’s bounced back pretty well. He’s right there in the hunt rotating with everybody.

“Probably by the end of Spring, somebody will hopefully rise to the top. But it’s an open competition, and I think he’s doing pretty well.”

Of course, there’s no way to evaluate a running back’s strength in ball security until practice with full pads, which have really just gotten underway. There has been no lack of effort to make the players practice taking care of the ball though, as they’ve had to carry life-size, hard foam footballs while they warm-up as coaches go around and try to strip them.

“I think coach Hill brought that from a ball security standpoint,” Aguano said. “We do ball security drills. For us to win at a consistent level, we need to make sure we take care of the football. So, that’s a huge point for us throughout the whole practice. If you see us conditioning afterwards, that’s because we haven’t taken care of the football.”

As much as that could play a role in which running backs will get how many carries during the season, their complementary skill sets will help give each guy their fair opportunity to get reps.

By the sound of it, Carter and true freshman DeaMonte “Chip” Trayanum are looked at as the same type of back, while true freshman Daniyel Ngata and redshirt freshman Demetrious Flowers are closer to each other than either of the others.

“I think they’re all different,” Aguano said. “A.J. and Chip are the bigger back type guys, and I think they can handle it inside. Daniyel’s going to have to find his way through that, but I think he’s dangerous out in the flats once he gets going. Flowers is a multitude of being inside and outside; he’s a little bit more fluid on the outside. But they complement each other well. Complementing during a game, I think, will help us because (our opponents) will see different pieces of kids.”

Furthermore, Aguano added that it’ll be necessary to utilize multiple backs because no one guy would be equipped to handle “80 plays in a row,” as much due to the physical aspect of things as the mental, if not more so the latter.

However, putting in a new offense has leveled the playing field in a sense, compared to if the newcomers were competing with guys who already knew the scheme and had some prior familiarity with it.

“It gets everybody thinking again, so there’s nobody that’s comfortable,” Aguano said. “I think it’s good for us to be uncomfortable early, and see how they adjust to adversity. But everybody’s on the same page, they all have to win their job. And that’s made it easier for the freshmen coming in because that puts them right there on par with everybody else.”

It seems arriving earlier than the other incoming freshmen has done Trayanum and Ngata well, as they seem to be getting more comfortable in the offense with each practice.

“I was more concerned for them from the mental aspect than the physical,” Aguano said of the duo of newcomers. “I thought they did a great job these first two weeks picking up the offense, and making their adjustments, so I think they’re going to come along pretty well.”

Aguano does admit they both have areas for improvement, saying Ngata is still playing a bit timid as a result of trying to still get used to the speed of the college game. For Trayanum, it seems to be a similar thing and just playing less tense at times, as he’d dropped screen passes on several occasions—although he’s improved big time in that area from week one of practice.

Neither of these are issues that will get resolved overnight, but they are to be expected to an extent for guys who are getting used to a new level of football. This pair of newcomers along with Carter and Flowers have all shown they have a high ceiling, whether it be in Spring practice or last year’s Sun Bowl.

They are certainly a young, inexperienced group regardless of who falls where on the depth chart. But all of them have a long time to continue getting better before the season, and the more of them that prove game ready, the more interesting of a dynamic it adds to ASU’s offense.

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