Among the countless questions that surrounded the Arizona State football program following its disappointing 2015 season, one stood out.

Which of their three quarterbacks, all highly touted, would take over as the starting quarterback?

Now through the midway point of the 2016 season, all three find themselves hurt and year the team is remarkably sitting at 5-1 and first place in the Pac-12 South.

The latest injury came in Saturday night’s 23-20 win over UCLA, as Brady White – making his first career start after spelling an injured Manny Wilkins last week – suffered a right ankle injury while taking a hit near the sideline late in the fourth quarter.

White, facing a first and goal situation and a chance to close out the game, found himself rolling left and waiting for a receiver to come open. No one came, and UCLA junior linebacker Kenny Young came and laid the hit, collapsing on the ankle as the quarterback writhed in pain.

So, with his projected third-stringer, Bryce Perkins, also out due to injury, ASU head coach Todd Graham faced a quandary – let running back Kalen Ballage run his “Sparky” package and likely settle for a field goal, or burn the redshirt of true freshman Dillon Sterling-Cole?

“[Putting Ballage in the Sparky] was what [offensive coordinator Chip] Lindsey wanted to do. What I did was, I wanted to find out what Brady’s status was because we had quite a bit of time left in the game before we put Dillon [Sterling-Cole] in. Obviously, we didn’t want to burn his redshirt if [Brady] was going to be OK.”

He settled for Sterling-Cole, who promptly threw an interception on his first career pass. The ensuing UCLA possessions stalled, allowing the Sun Devils to limp off with another victory.

“[Dillon]’s just got to learn not to turn the ball over there,” Graham said. “But you know, the best thing you could do is get them in there and get them going.”

White’s debut as the Sun Devil starter was short-lived and will raise serious questions for the Sun Devils moving forward. The former 4-star prospect and No. 2-rated pocket passer in his class completed just 19 of his 36 passes for 179 yards. He showed flashes, sure, such as when he perfectly threaded the needle on a 14-yard touchdown pass to N’Keal Harry. He also showed why he finished behind Wilkins at the end of fall camp, throwing off his back foot into coverage for an easy interception in the second quarter.

He wouldn’t lead ASU on its first touchdown drive until the third quarter but was starting to show signs of improvement before suffering the injury. He showed solid chemistry with redshirt senior wide receiver Tim White for 11 catches and 123 yards on 18 targets. It was the first 100-yard performance for an ASU receiver this season.

We are still trying to build the game chemistry, but Brady did a great job coming out, and the off-season definitely helped with that,” Tim White said. “We’re just trying to build that chemistry on the field every game and run with it.”

White’s injury “didn’t look good” according to Graham, immediately putting the short- and long-term future of the position in jeopardy. Wilkins is already trying to work his way back from a left ankle injury suffered last week against USC, and Perkins could be out for the season with a preseason neck injury. Sterling-Cole, a former 4-star prospect, has just the lone pass of experience to his credit. If Sterling-Cole goes down, who would the Sun Devils have to turn to?

“Mike Graham,” Graham said, attempting to bring levity to the situation by referencing his 14-year-old son.

The official backup, Graham said, is Jack Smith, the son of ASU baseball coach Tracy Smith and someone who has bounced around between wide receiver and defensive back this season. Smith played quarterback at local Mountain Pointe High School, doing so for a quarterback that rarely threw the ball. Among the others on ASU’s roster with high school quarterbacking experience are receiver Jeremy Smith, defensive backs Kyle Williams and Coltin Gerhart and tight end Jared Bubak.

ASU, despite their injuries and a secondary that is on pace to allow the most passing yardage in NCAA history, is exactly where it wants to be at the midpoint of the season. They’re first in their division, with a South title race-shaping game against Colorado next on the docket. If it is Sterling-Cole lining up at quarterback in Boulder, Graham has one hope for him.

“He’s going to have to get ready now.”