Darby eager to show route running versatility

Arizona State redshirt-senior wide receiver Frank Darby has had his fair share of doubters during his time in Tempe. Media members and even previous coaches have written him off as just the proverbial deep threat aerial target. This season, Darby is determined to silence the critics.

“Being here with coach (Rob) Likens and how he used to talk about how I used to be raw, and I need to work on my intermediate routes,” Darby said of his former offensive coordinator. “It wasn’t that … they (weren’t) good. I just felt like he wasn’t throwing them to me.

“But this year now, I’m showing them everything. I’m actually doing really good in practice with them. I’m getting slants. I’m getting digs. I’ve been catching (various routes) consistently over and over, so it’s like now that I know that the ball coming my way, I’m definitely more focused on all my intermediate routes.”

Darby detailed his frustration over the last couple of seasons with Likens at the helm of the Sun Devil offense. He explained how he believes he was associated with an unfair narrative.

“Just reading the articles and what coach Likens was saying about me,” Darby recalled, “’He’s a role player, he needs to work on intermediate routes.’ It used to just drive me crazy. I would be like, what (are) you talking about? Let’s go back to routes … that we got on film. Because at times, it was times when he was like, ‘that’s a great slant, Frank.’ Great this, great that. And everyone was like, so like when you being (asked) questions, why you keep telling people I don’t know how to run intermediate routes?

“And that’s what I’ve been working on through the whole offseason. When you say, I got something to prove, yes, I have something to prove. To everyone and how I can be a go-to just like (Brandon Aiyuk) and (N’Keal Harry).”

Sophomore wide receiver Ricky Pearsall supported Darby’s statements. The redshirt freshman complimented Darby’s shorter route running abilities and how he has bettered his overall game this offseason.

“Frank has improved tremendously over this past summer and the spring,” Pearsall remarked. “And just like seeing and working with him in the offseason and outside of the facilities are just amazing. Coach (Prentice Gill) has helped tremendously with him too. That really showed with Frank this offseason and even right now in fall camp … just seeing Frank excel and just changing a little bit of his craft and his game and making it more of a variety. And it’s going to put a lot of stress on the DB (defensive back) now going against Frank, because now he can do more than just go deep. He can do intermediate. He can catch the ball on a short pass and take it to the house.”

Darby’s diligence over the last several months nearly did not get the chance to pay off due to the COVID-19 pandemic. He said that when the Big Ten and Pac-12 announced plans to postpone football until 2021, the ever joyful Darby was not in good spirits, something that is grossly out of character for the consensus most positive player on this ASU roster.

“At one point, I was like, where do I go from here?” Darby explained. “So I was just down because I was lost at one point. Do I enter (the transfer portal)? Do I stay? Or do I come back next year? At first, they (weren’t) talking about ‘oh, you get eligibility back.’ But I went and talked to Herm (Edwards) and the top guys and when Herm was like ‘stay, I got you,’ that’s when everything clicked back on. Just keep training, keep preparing, because anything can happen. Herm told me, just stay positive.”

Darby is the only wideout on ASU’s roster with meaningful game experience. He has played in 26 contests over three seasons, collecting 61 career receptions, 1,272 yards, and 12 touchdowns. He had three more receptions last season (28) alone than the rest of his fellow Arizona State wideouts have had in their careers combined.

This level of production has naturally made him the clear No. 1 wide receiver on the Sun Devils’ roster, a role that carries the need for exhibiting formidable leadership skills.

According to Darby, he was the “hype man” on the team last year, but this season, following Herm Edwards’ decision to name him a team captain, his leadership has been elevated to a new level. One way Darby has grown is by bringing along his freshman teammates to his offseason workouts.

“My training level was different,” Darby noted. “And knowing that I have freshmen coming in, I started training them. Making sure they come in, catch Jugs, catch balls. I took ownership of the whole group and even some of the lineman. Last year I had (Aiyuk), Eno (Benjamin). We had Cohl (Cabral) on the line. This year I got a whole lot of freshmen, and I just knew how I was my freshman year when going out there. I was nervous. I was scared. I brought everybody in with me and made sure everybody loved me so I could talk to them, and they could respect me just like I respect them.”

Pearsall commended Darby’s leadership, saying the younger receivers continuously look to him for guidance.

“He’s the voice of the group,” Pearsall said. “He’s the energy of the group, so whenever he’s high energy, making plays, it makes us feels good, uplifts us, and that’s when we go out and make plays too with him.”

Darby admitted that he and then-freshman quarterback Jayden Daniels did not share a high level of chemistry at the start of last season. However, in the last handful or so of contests, Daniels started to trust Darby more and more, and their connection became a staple of the Sun Devil offense. In a late season four-game stretch, Darby hauled in 16 catches for 387 yards (24.2 yards per catch) and seven touchdowns.

This year, with Edwards wanting Daniels to take more shots, Darby hopes the connection between the two will be even better.

“I remember the article where Herm said to take more risks,” Darby said of his head coach’s desire for a more explosive offense. “I called (Jayden Daniels). I was like; Herm said throw more deep balls. He always says to me, ‘I got you, bro.’ I’m like, ok, so I need about four a game. Just wait on it.

“We’ve been working for a long time. And we got a lot to show y’all.”

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