For position coach Brandon Blackmon’s versatile group of tight ends, the key word entering 2017 is simple — toughness.

“Our big thing is, ‘Be Sun Devil tough,’” Blackmon said. “I think that’s the thing that I’ve loved about this group, how they’ve embraced that model of Sun Devil toughness.”

For Blackmon — who is currently in his first season with the program — the tight end position he leads will certainly be one that holds a different role in the ASU offense than it has in past seasons.

Under offensive coordinator, the Sun Devils plan to utilize their tight ends far more than they have in previous systems, Billy Napier. With a good amount of depth at the tight end position, Blackmon said everything will come down to matchups.

Led by junior Jay Jay Wilson and redshirt sophomore Tommy Hudson, the tight end group, according to Blackmon, has embraced its “new persona.”

“There are some things that Jay Jay Wilson can do great that might separate him from Tommy in certain areas,” he said. “You can use either one of them in different cases. With Jay Jay, he just creates so many mismatches, he’s too big for safeties and he’s too fast for linebackers. And then you’ve got Tommy, he’s such a big body that can move as well.”

Wilson and Hudson — as well as junior and recent JUCO transfer Ceejhay French-Love and surprise sophomore walk-on Alex Otero — have certainly come into their own in the new system as physically imposing tight ends.

“They feed off of each other,” Blackmon added. “They do a great job, and even along with our backup tight ends, just embracing that whole physical presence, that’s been the number-one thing we’ve been trying to get through to our tight ends is be physical.”

As the most experienced tight end on the team, Blackmon said he’s seen Wilson developing into a leadership position, as the junior has most notably exerted influence by example.

“(Wilson) was very limited last year with what he did, but watching him this offseason, he’s definitely been a leader amongst the guys,” Blackmon said. “I tell him all the time, ‘Hey, sometimes just off your actions, these guys are watching, they want to see what you do.’ I think he’s done a great job as far as encouraging other guys on what to do.”

Aside from the two main suspects at tight end, the likes of French-Love and Otero have stood out throughout fall practices, therefore adding depth to the tight end position for ASU.

French-Love, who transferred from East Los Angeles College, his ability to learn quickly as a true “student of the game” has paid dividends in the short amount of time he’s spent with the ASU program.

“You know what, it’s awesome with Ceejhay,” Blackmon said. “I’ll never forget, I asked him one day, I was like, ‘Hey, is there anything you need help with?’ and he’s like, ‘Coach, I got it,’ and I was like, ‘Oh, yeah?’ so I asked him a couple questions from the playbook and he knew everything. That’s just a tribute to his off-the-field study habits and his work ethic.

As for Otero, who came as a walk-on to the team this season, the sophomore from New York has shown major strides and has even stood out to Blackmon as a potential threat on the field this season.

“I call Alex a blue-collar guy,” Blackmon said. “If there’s one word you can say about that guy it’s physical, and I think through that, it’s caught the eyes of a lot of people on the staff, that this is a guy who is a walk-on but he can help us.”

According to Blackmon, the youngest member of the tight end group, freshman Mark Walton — referred to by Blackmon as “The Big Juice” — has shown a sense of urgency in his work ethic and development.

“You have to have a sense of urgency in everything you do, you have to stay with the learning curve,” Blackmon said. “(Walton)’s had a few bumps as a freshman, but he’s done a great job as far as just learning. He’s learned really fast that if you’re not picking up on stuff you can start to get behind a little bit, and he’s done a great job of being that young guy that just wants to get better.”

With such physicality, intensity and depth at the tight end position Blackmon is certainly optimistic for the season ahead — his first working for his dream program.

“The biggest thing with this group is just being able to go out there and just execute,” he said. “I think that’s going to be the finished product of all the hard work that they’ve done behind the scenes. I want people to see our character, I want them to see our smartness, our grit, our toughness, and at the end of the season that’s all you want.”