Arizona State running back Rachaad White stood in the midst of the media scrum after the Sun Devils wrapped up their first day of fall camp on Wednesday, fielding questions about various topics related to ASU’s upcoming season. His answers were relatively standard, yet when asked about his backfield mate Case Hatch, his eyes lit up.
“He just different,” White excitedly said. “Case Hatch is just Case 'Hatch man.' He's just a different breed. He's going to give you his all. So that’s what I would say I really get from Case Hatch is he going to put everything on the line and put the team first so we can get the job done and get the win.”
Hatch is entering his third year with Arizona State after a two-year LDS mission. The Perry High School product started as a linebacker with the Sun Devils before moving to fullback late in the 2019 season. And he brings a mindset to the position not often seen in modern football.
“Honestly, I love football,” Hatch stated. “I’m kind of more old school with the way I like to play it. I like to hit as much as possible. So if there’s any opportunity for contact, I’m going to take it. I’m not one to go juking around guys. I’m going to take you head-on. And knowing that I was able to put the work in in the offseason to beat you one-on-one.”
This mindset and the respect of teammates such as White has Hatch entering his second season in a row as a captain.
“It’s awesome,” Hatch remarked. “I love the opportunity, love the experience. And especially love working with (head coach) Herm (Edwards). He definitely leads us and guides us in the right direction. And then he just kind of portrays it to the captains. And he’s a leader in himself, and he leads by example. Kind of shows us what we need to do as captains on this team is just to reach out to others and make sure we’re uplifting each other in the right way.”
As for his leadership style, Hatch said it entails whatever it takes for the team to win.
“I’m a very vocal guy,” Hatch explained. “I’ve always been vocal. And I want to make sure we’re putting in the work necessary to be a championship team. We have the athletes to do it, and that’s going to take someone pushing them in the right direction.”
Hatch’s leadership style has made a big impact on his teammates. Running back Daniel Ngata spoke on what Hatch brings to the backfield group.
“He’s a leader in the weight room,” Ngata said. “He’s a leader on the field … . He’ll be out there say like if we’re not talking, Case will just be that extra strong voice. He’ll be like, come on you guys, come on. That’s when we all get serious.”
Fullback, as with most football teams at the collegiate and professional levels, has been a position not seen for the most part in ASU’s offense in the last few years. However, Hatch sees himself playing a major role in the offense. He expects to see himself in both blocking and receiving roles for the Sun Devils this season.
ASU’s running backs coach Shaun Aguano also expects a big role for Hatch in 2021. He said pass catching and aiding the offensive line are not the only roles his redshirt-sophomore fullback will play this season.
“He’s that swiss army knife,” Aguano remarked. “He can do everything coming out of the backfield. He can catch the ball, and he’s dangerous because he’s a big, fast guy. We got to slow him down in practice because he’s going to knock himself out. But from a physicality standpoint, he does everything right, and so I wouldn’t be surprised that he could come into the backfield and carry the ball.”
Hatch’s apparent role in the Sun Devils’ offense did not come without hard work. After a year off due to COVID-19, the ASU summer weightlifting program was back this year. Hatch said it was great to have the program back. He used the program to put on muscle and now weighs 235 pounds.
“I was able to get stronger,” Hatch stated. “Definitely a lot stronger. I gained a lot more weight which is good, and I kept my speed very high, which is kind of ideal for an offseason training to really work hard and keep those goals I’m working on right now.”
Speed and strength were not the only aspects of Hatch’s game he worked on this summer. He also worked on parts of his craft that will help him succeed with the ball in his hands in 2021.
“I want to be more incorporated in the route running,” Hatch said. “And so I wanted to work on my change of direction. And getting out of the points on the route.”
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