What this group lacks in numbers it more than compensates for in the caliber of talent. Here’s an examination of the Sun Devil newcomers on offense.
Height: 5-11
Weight: 215
Hometown/Last School: Akron, Ohio/Hoban HS
Expected Arrival: Spring 2020
State/Position/National Rankings: 6/16/NR
Competing Power Five Offers: Boston College, Florida, LSU, Michigan, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Penn State, Purdue, Rutgers, Stanford, Vanderbilt, Virginia, West Virginia, Wisconsin
Official Visits: ASU (5/17/19), Wisconsin (6/7/19), Ohio State (6/17/19), Penn State (6/20/19)
Immediate Expectations: Just as last year’s signing of Jayden Daniels seemed like a very likely path for a true freshman starter on offense, the combination of Eno Benjamin’s early entry to the NFL Draft and a distinct lack of proven depth among the returning running backs for ASU creates a formula for Trayanum to plausibly be RB1 for the Devils in 2020. Added to that, Trayanum will be an early enrollee and will join the program for spring practices.
Statistics: Statistics are unavailable for his senior season, but as a junior, he rushed for 1,313 yards on 106 carries (12.4 avg.) with 26 touchdowns, adding 60 tackles, 8.0 sacks, 10 pass breakups and five forced fumbles on defense.
Long-Term Impact: The door is wide open for Trayanum to grab the vast bulk of the reps at running back and never look back. Though there shouldn’t be any expectation for Trayanum or any freshman to hit the ground running in identical fashion to a seasoned Eno Benjamin from the past two years, it has been proven in years one and two under Herm Edwards that well over 200 carries could be the reward of the starting running back if that player is able to grasp full command of the position. The general expectation is that there is a very realistic chance Trayanum could be a day one starter at ASU and if so, that puts him in a position to have the potential for multiple 1,000-yard seasons based on the two-year precedent set by Edwards at ASU, albeit with a different offensive coordinator than who will coach Trayanum.
Height: 6-2
Weight: 180
Hometown/Last School: Los Angeles, Calif./Cathedral High School
Expected Arrival: Fall 2020
State/Position/National Rankings: 30/55/NR
Competing Power Five Offers: Oregon State
Official Visits: ASU (11/9/19)
Immediate Expectations: With the departures of Brandon Aiyuk and Kyle Williams from the 2019 roster, 68% of the passes caught by wide receivers for the Sun Devils during this past regular season are gone. Though Johnson will be at a slight disadvantage by not arriving in the spring, there could be open competitions lingering into the fall at wide receiver to fill roles around veteran Frank Darby.
Statistics: MaxPreps lists Johnson as having caught 51 passes for 761 yards with five touchdowns in 10 games as a senior in 2019.
Long-Term Impact: His recruiting skills among his peers and presence on social media likely will famously live forever, but he also brings four-star credentials and hereditary talent as the son of the six-time Pro Bowl wide receiver. The landscape of the wide receiver position will include many new pieces in 2020 and even more so the next year when leading returning receiver Frank Darby departs. Johnson figures to play a key role in the overall quality of the position group through the duration of his career.
Height: 6-6
Weight: 230
Hometown/Last School: Calabasas, Calif./Calabasas High School
Expected Arrival: Spring 2020
State/Position/National Rankings: 11/15/89
Competing Power Five Offers: Arizona, Arkansas, Baylor, California, Colorado, Florida, Florida State, Georgia, Indiana, Iowa State, Kansas, Kansas State, LSU, Louisville, Michigan, Michigan State, Nebraska, Northwestern, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Oregon, Oregon State, Penn State, Tennessee, Texas A&M, UCLA, USC, Virginia, Washington, Washington State
Official Visits: Oregon (4/20/19), ASU (11/9/19)
Immediate Expectations: Between his talent and size, in no time Wilson should emerge as one of Jayden Daniels’ favorite receiving targets. On top of his skill set and physical stature, Wilson is a coveted early enrollee and will benefit from the experience of going through spring practices. All things considered – including the turnover of talent at wide receiver – it should not come as a surprise if Wilson quickly enters the starting lineup as a true freshman.
Statistics: No statistics available for his senior season. According to MaxPreps, Wilson caught 40 passes for 672 yards with 10 touchdowns in 11 games as a junior, had 52 receptions for 899 yards with 11 touchdowns in 12 games as a sophomore and in 15 games as a freshman in 2016 caught 57 passes for 755 yards with 14 touchdowns.
Long-Term Impact: The third-best wide receiver out of an always ultra-talented California crop, Wilson brings a physical presence to the position that simply hasn’t been seen at ASU in many years. As a top-100 overall player, the NFL – feasibly after just three years – is not at all a far-fetched expectation for Wilson.
Height: 6-5
Weight: 270
Hometown/Last School: Mesa, Ariz./Red Mountain High School
Expected Arrival: Spring 2020
State/Position/National Rankings: NR/NR/NR
Competing Power Five Offers: Arizona, California, Oregon State
Official Visits: None
Immediate Expectations: If the roster stays intact as it is now, ASU should be able to go about two-deep along the offensive line with scholarship talent, most of which recruited by Herm Edwards and staff. Though few could have predicted the need for two true freshmen starters in 2019, it is a logical belief that Bray and his freshman classmate Jacob Nunez should follow the traditional route of a first-year redshirt season.
Long-Term Impact: If Cade Cote is granted an extra year of eligibility, he will be the lone senior offensive lineman (outside any graduate transfers) for ASU in 2020. Therefore, starting positions in the next one to two years could be scarce for the true freshman from this class, but that is not necessarily a bad thing as it allows a player such as Bray more developmental time than, for example, linemen from the 2019 class such as Ladarius Henderson and Dohnovan West. Evaluated as an offensive tackle by Rivals, Bray saw action at both tackle and guard in high school.
Height: 6-4
Weight: 280
Hometown/Last School: Lompoc, Calif./Lompoc High School
Expected Arrival: Spring 2020
State/Position/National Rankings: NR/NR/NR
Competing Power Five Offers: Oregon State, USC, Utah, Washington State
Official Visits: ASU (11/30/19)
Immediate Expectations: Similar to his classmate Ben Bray, one would imagine that, even though he is an early enrollee, an early two-deep position should be an uphill battle for Nunez.
Long-Term Impact: Nunez primarily played offensive tackle at the high school level. Should he remain at that position, he would complete with the likes of Ralph Frias, Spencer Lovell, Ben Scott along with returning starter Ladarius Henderson for future playing time.
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