Daniyel Ngata ready for a breakout season in 2021

Four-star Chip Trayanum, junior college transfer Rachaad White and four-star Daniyel Ngata were all highly touted newcomers coming into the season. Ngata, ranked eighth at his position by Rivals, perhaps had the most hype surrounding his commitment to the Sun Devils.

However, when the season kicked off in Los Angeles against USC on Nov. 7, Ngata was absent in the running game. He did not see a carry in the Sun Devils’ first two contests of the season, with White and Trayanum splitting time in the backfield.

Ngata disclosed that he was struggling with an injury (hamstring) throughout spring football in 2020. He felt as though it affected his start to last season.

“I kind of got here a little banged up,” Ngata stated. “Just kind of got me in the process a little slow.”

When Ngata was finally inserted into the ASU backfield in the Sun Devils’ third game of the season, a 70-7 blowout win over in-state rival Arizona, he immediately looked like the player ASU fans expected to witness when he signed with the Sun Devils.

In the Territorial Cup, Ngata ran the ball 16 times for 60 yards and scored his first career touchdown.

The next week, in the Sun Devils’ final game against Oregon State, Ngata again looked formidable. He rushed for 48 yards on 10 attempts.

Ngata said 2021 spring practice went well for him, aside from a few small mistakes in the Maroon and Gold spring practice (spring game). He attributed his success to 6 a.m. sessions with the ASU training staff.

“I’ve had all my trust in the coaches, in the trainers, when it’s 6 o’clock just to get right,” Ngata explained. “And hopefully, I’m in a better spot right now because my spring went way better than last year. I feel better. Now I’m way more comfortable with the coaches’ play calls.”

Even with the hard work to improve his health and the success at the end of last season, Ngata still sits third on the depth chart behind White, who ran for five touchdowns in four games and averaged a whopping 10 yards per carry in 2020, and Trayanum, who rushed for four scores in four games and averaged 5.9 yards per carry last year.

Despite competing for carries with White and Trayanum, Ngata has a close relationship with the duo. He's confident his number will eventually be called upon during the season; thus, there is no need to envy his fellow running backs.

“People will think I’m going to get jealous of them,” Ngata said. “ … God has a reason for everything, so I just got to be patient, enjoy the process, really. But my time will come.”

And that is a mindset that has served him well, according to ASU's running backs coach, Shaun Aguano, who was certainly impressed with the advancements the freshman showed in the 15 team sessions last month.

"He seemed to be more comfortable, and I thought he was hesitant at first," Aguano said. "I think he’s hitting the holes harder; he’s an athlete out of the backfield, surprisingly, because he’s the smallest of the backs how physical he is in pass protection. He’s done an incredible job, and I think he’s just getting better and better.”

Aguano feels as if Ngata's decisiveness is one aspect that is night and day from last year.

"He's playing faster than last spring," Aguano remarked. "I thought he did a great job. He’s getting a good feel, being physical on his runs and getting through – I think, I mean I know, he’s getting better and better.”

Coming into this year healthy means Ngata has lofty aspirations for what he wants to accomplish on the field.

“My individual goal … I’m just trying to have fun really, score touchdowns,” Ngata stated. “Trying to show ASU how I really play. That last year I was like 85 percent.”

Factoring into Ngata’s potential success this season will be his blockers up front. The play of the Sun Devils’ offensive line and, at times, sophomore fullback Case Hatch will determine much of the success of the running game in 2021.

ASU’s starting five will a bit of a different look this season, with LaDarius Henderson sliding into the left guard and Dohnovan West moving from that role to center. Despite these changes, Ngata said the offensive line looked “real good” in spring practice.

Hatch had an increased role in spring practice and will most likely carry out expanded duties this season as well. Ngata was undoubtedly excited about the prospect of having a fullback paving the way for him.

“The first thing he said to me when he (saw) me … I knew who he was, I know that was our fullback, but I didn’t think he was going to come up, talk to me and all that,” Ngata remarked. “He said, ‘anybody you need me to hit, I’m going to hit for you.’ As soon as he said that, I said, oh yeah, this dude is crazy. I said I’m already knowing, building trust with this man. He will go hit somebody. And it’s true.”

Ngata, a native of the Sacramento, Calif. metropolitan area, is fortunate to have two other Sun Devils here in Tempe who are also very familiar faces from that region. His Folsom High School teammate, Elijah Badger, will try and make waves at the wide receiver position. And Omar Norman-Lott, who attended Grant Union High School in North Highlands, Calif., a suburb of Sacramento, has the opportunity to compete for playing time on the defensive line.

Ngata said he feeds off of the success of his fellow Northern California colleagues.

“Us three are like our own three-headed monster because we (are) from the same spot back home,” Ngata stated. “So I feel like if Omar going off, that’s going to turn me up. If Elijah going off, (that's) going to turn me up. If I’m going (off), that’s going to turn them up.”

As for the overall team goal for 2021, Ngata emphasized that a Rose Bowl victory is what the Sun Devils are working toward.

“We (are) trying to win the Rose Bowl,” Ngata explained. “I hope that’s on everybody’s mind on the team. We’re trying to win a championship and so on.”

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