A new year but one with many familiar faces bodes well for the Sun Devils

2020 was a rough year for the entire world, and that extended well beyond sports. In college football's microdomain, very few power five programs have had more challenges and game cancellations than the Arizona State program. 2021 is poised to be a full and uninterrupted season for the Sun Devils, a squad who will gladly rid of any lingering effects from the previous calendar year.

Yet one carryover element that is undoubtedly welcomed by Arizona State is the fact that as arguably one of the most talented teams in the Pac-12 it is also one that is also virtually losing no starters due to early NFL draft entries or submissions to the transfer portal.

And that’s a distinction that ASU will happily want to have in comparison to its foes.

If you look at the two teams that faced each other in the Pac-12 championship, you will need more than one hand to count the number of starters from both USC and Oregon who, as of today, have already declared for the NFL draft (and the deadline to do so is still two weeks away).

When you examine the list of starters on both sides of the ball for ASU, you will probably need not need more than two fingers to count the number of first-teamers that won't be lining up on Saturdays in Tempe (more details concerning those exact names can be found here in the Huddle).

In its two losses, Arizona State saw their opponents needing fourth-quarter heroics where both scored winning touchdowns with less than a minute and a half on the clock to squeak out close victories. Not a moral victory by any means, but any optimism conceivably produced from those contests was followed up in spades with two convincing wins where ASU outscored its opponents 116-40 (while still trying to find its rhythm regarding its aerial attack).

And witnessing the manner in which Arizona State ended the 2020 campaign, you're not wearing maroon and gold glasses if you’re candidly excited by the possibility that ASU could return as many as 20 starters this upcoming season while other teams in contention for a Pac-12 championship are forced to rely on a smaller number of players with that level of experience. At press time, it appears that no team in the league is going to return more than ASU and its five players selected on the All-Pac-12’s first and second teams’ selections.

There's no substitute for experience, and at Arizona State, you'll find more than just a group that has a few wily veterans on it. The defense itself is more than likely going to return 11 upperclassmen to its starting lineup. Amazingly enough, ASU’s four starting defensive backs could all be fifth-year seniors (cornerbacks Chase Lucas and Jack Jones along with safeties Evan fields and DeAndre Pierce).

While many of the skill positions on offense are still going to showcase freshmen and sophomores (even if there wasn't an NCAA eligibility freeze), the Sun Devils’ offensive line could very well feature four upperclassmen starters and one of the best returning signal-callers in the Pac-12, Jayden Daniels will be entering his third year as ASU's starting quarterback, another rarity in the personnel makeup of the 12 conference members.

Optimism is certainly in the air as we all ring in this new year, but truth be told that much before this dreadful pandemic, many on the ASU coaching staff have already pointed to the year 2021 as the campaign where the Sun Devils were going to get over the proverbial hump and not only contend for division crown but also a Pac-12 championship. Granted, a couple of years ago, they didn't count on getting an inordinate number of starters returning for this upcoming season, but this current backdrop only reinforces the rosy (pun intended) predictions from just a couple of years ago.

‘Run it back’ is seemingly the official motto of every player at ASU and elsewhere that are publicly declaring their return for the 2021 season.

This Arizona State team has all the pieces in place to make this upcoming season by far the best one in the Herm Edwards era.

‘Run it back’ could very well turn into bulldozing through for these 2021 Sun Devils.

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