Aerial Exam: How do the wideouts stack up ahead of season opener?
Herm Edwards isn’t shy about the importance he places on having an effective vertical passing game in college football. He’s spent the last two seasons witnessing an offense that, by and large, failed to provide an effective balance to its ground attack. Ironically, a year after the Arizona State passing attack was much maligned for being completely non-threatening, the 2022 Sun Devils will be missing their top three receivers.
Wide receivers Ricky Pearsall (48) and LV Bunkley-Shelton (33), as well as tight end Curtis Hodges (20), are gone, and while former running back Rachaad White was drafted in the third round by Tampa Bay mainly for his rushing skills, in 2021 he was second on the team hauling in 43 receptions.
Starting at the source, with former signal caller Jayden Daniels who was at the helm in Tempe for three years, and is now at LSU, Florida transfer quarterback Emory Jones now has the reigns of the Arizona State offense. He is a dual-threat quarterback who the Sun Devils can look forward to actually utilizing both of those threats in comparison to Daniels.
Last season as a Gator, Jones completed 224 passes for 2,734 yards and 19 touchdowns, as well as posting 13 interceptions. Since his arrival in Tempe, he’s been heralded by coaches and teammates alike as a leader on and off the field. A common issue with the ASU passing game in 2021 was the rapport, or lack thereof, between Jayden Daniels and his receivers. Judging on what we’ve seen in practice, as well as consistent word of mouth, this is an aspect that doesn’t seem to be something the group is worried about this season.
Who’s Back?
Although Andre Johnson (12 receptions), Elijhah Badger (7), and Bryan Thompson (13) weren’t much of a factor in the receiving game last year, they do provide experience in the program.
Andre Johnson has been getting first-team reps for virtually the entire duration of preseason camp. He has a knack for getting open, and his 6’3” frame presents a sizeable target who should be sought out early and often by his quarterback. Consistently making those catches appears to be an area needing improvement, as he has struggled some with drops so far in practice, from contested balls to missing a catch with loose defensive back coverage. Although, there is one element he doesn’t struggle with - confidence.
“I feel like we’re ready for whatever NAU has to throw at us, honestly. I think we can beat their DBs; I don’t think that they can guard us,” Johnson said of ASU’s season-opening opponent. “As an overall group, we’re way more focused than we were last year. We’ve been preparing for a while, and I feel like we’re finally going to showcase what we can do on the field.”
Bryan Thompson is another wideout looking to build on a pedestrian 2021 campaign where he did miss a few games due to injuries. In his first year following his transfer from Utah, he caught 13 passes for 130 total yards. Thompson has bounced between the first and second team during camp, showing spurts of the athleticism that made him a high-profile recruit.
Elijhah Badger falls under the same category. His ability to make plays with the ball in his hands can separate him from the pack, but getting him the ball was an issue last year. He hauled in just seven passes for 61 yards. He can be a dynamic playmaker from behind the line of scrimmage, however, as he scored two touchdowns on the ground in 2021. Based on the feedback provided by his position coach Bobby Wade and offensive coordinator Glenn Thomas, this season should feature an improved wide receiver, if not one who will spearhead this unit.
Chad Johnson Jr is another noteworthy name. The redshirt sophomore hasn’t been getting much run with the first team but has displayed some promising reps overall. If he can consistently generate separation and takes advantage of the snaps he’s given against NAU, he’ll certainly gives the staff something to think about and potentially put himself in the mix this season.
Newcomers
Vanderbilt transfer Cam Johnson has arguably been the most outstanding new face in the receiver room during preseason camp. He’s not the most physically imposing wideout, listed generously at 6’0” tall and weighing in at 205 pounds, but his route running and physicality at the line of scrimmage have undoubtedly raised some eyebrows this month. Johnson has cracked the two-deep multiple times during camp and should expect to see a solid snap count in next week’s opener, let alone every weekend to follow.
“I like to say that I’m always going to be in the right spot at the right time for the most part,” Johnson said following practice on August 19. “Understanding the game and being able to read coverages after being in college football for so long is something I bring. Also, the ability to make a play after the catch.”
Johnson was a significant part of the Vanderbilt passing offense in 2021, catching 34 balls for 327 yards and four touchdowns. Those numbers may be modest compared to some of his contemporaries, yet very impressive when considering he posted them in a challenging conference such as the SEC. Jones often favors him, as he made two outstanding touchdown grabs in the 11-on-11 portion of practice earlier this week. He beat his defender and gained separation towards the back pylon before making a beautiful over-the-shoulder grab on a perfectly placed ball from Jones. The other score came on an easy grab, but the route he ran to get to the coveted prime spot in the middle of the end zone was sublime. Predicting Cam Johnson as a top-three target for Emory Jones is anything but outlandish.
“Sometimes people don’t know that I can jump, and my quickness,” Johnson remarked about his athleticism. “Ways to identify coverages, there are certain things about the game that never change that I’ve seen, and I can impart that wisdom on some younger guys.”
Tight end Messiah Swinson is also about to begin his first campaign in maroon and gold. The Missouri transfer stands at a towering 6’7’, a frame that could very well bring back the Curtis Hodges levels of pass catching production to the offense, if not improve on them. Swinson mentioned that he “loves the system here” during spring ball and that some of his plays are “almost like (video game) Madden.” It’s clear that offensive coordinator Glenn Thomas will prioritize getting Swinson and fellow tight end Jalin Conyers the ball in the air. Swinson will primarily be a downfield threat, while Conyers will be asked to be productive in the screen game and short yardage downs.
Hailing from Division II program Virginia Union, Charles Hall is one of the lone downfield threats on this ASU squad and a legitimate vertical threat that, at a minimum, can provide an effective decoy, if not produce some long gains down the field. Even though he stands just ‘5’11 tall, his 205-pound frame also offers a physical facet to his game and explosive skills for defenders to handle either at the line of scrimmage or dozens of yards later, in the event that they are able to catch up with formidable speed. Hall can definitely find a niche as a low-volume receiver, but one who can maximize even limited opportunities to move the chains considerable distances.
The pass catchers on this year’s ASU team will play an enormous role in determining the ceiling of this offense. They’re a confident group, and whether they are a returning player or a newcomer, they are excited for a fresh start. Beginning Thursday night, they’ll have the opportunity to start writing their own script.
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