Emory Jones named ASU's starting quarterback

Many thought it was pretty foreshadowing when following the Sun Devils’ first day of spring practice that head coach Herm Edwards implied that the team’s starting quarterback may not be on campus yet. What seemed once as a possibility did become reality as Florida transfer signal-caller Emory Jones was announced today by Edwards as earning the starter role for Arizona State.

Jones, who has two years of eligibility, did beat the most experienced returning quarterback in sophomore Trenton Bourguet, who was no. 2 on the depth chart last year last season, as well as Alabama transfer and sophomore Paul Tyson.

Jones, who started 12 of Florida’s 13 games in 2021, passed for 2,734 yards, posting 19 touchdown passes and 13 interceptions. ASU’s newest addition was a highly accurate passer with an impressive 64.73 completion clip and showcased his dual-threat capabilities by pacing his team with 758 rushing yards scoring four rushing touchdowns.

Jones does share many of the traits of ASU’s three-year starter Jayden Daniels, in terms of being a talented dual-threat quarterback. This film analysis feature by staff writer Cole Topham illustrated how Jones has the capability to break tackles at top gear and does so in a natural fashion. The Arizona State newcomer has demonstrated during his time in Gainesville fluidly and scampering at a level that isn’t always a given when it comes to the classic dual-threat quarterback. His skill set allows him to execute the read-option at a high level of effectiveness, as he correctly anticipates defenders’ actions to determine when to handoff or pull the ball. This season Jones will orchestrate an offense that is expected often times to pound the ball on the ground at a high frequency and have play action act as a staple in the passing game. This undoubtedly was a significant aspect in the staff’s decision to name Jones the starter.

Nonetheless, as impressive as Jones’s athleticism and rushing abilities are, those aren’t necessarily the attributes that truly differentiae him from Daniels. And coming off a season where the former Arizona signal caller presided over the second to last worst pass offense in the Pac-12 and individually ranked 10th among the league quarterbacks in passing average, the Sun Devil staff was seeking a player who would represent an upgrade as a passer and believe they have found that in Jones, as well as a quarterback who would consistently be patient in the pocket and go through his reads prior to taking off and trying to move the sticks with his legs rather than his arm.

His quick release and deft touch on his passes are the best weapons in his arsenal, and his mechanics and technique are at a level you would expect a veteran quarterback to possess. The fact that his improvisation proficiencies and his ability to deliver the ball accurately under duress are some of his prime attributes as well surely fit a landscape of an Arizona State passing offense that may go through considerable growing pains when trying to carry out a novel offensive philosophy foreign to all and doing so with a significant number of newcomers in the skill positions.

“The main thing (offensive coordinator Glenn Thomas) coach Thomas mentioned was my poise,” Jones described in a previous Devils Digest interview, “my poise and everything I’ve been through and just how I always stay confident in myself…being poised in the pocket even when things aren’t going my way. I’m always next up, ready to keep on going and keep fighting. I never quit, and that’s the main thing.”

And in a 2022 season that could be peppered with challenges, it’s exceedingly important for ASU to have a quarterback that radiates calmness during a storm. Then again, Jones is aware of the fact that his own serenity doesn’t mean that he cannot still translate that trait into creating effective chaos for his team.

“That’s what college football has turned into,” Jones explained, “just the uncertainty on offense and having defenses nervous, not really knowing what they’re gonna do.”

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