Earn Jayden’s trust.

That was the advice Arizona State running backs coach Shaun Aguano gave his running backs at the start of the 2020 season. A secure backfield is a quarterback’s best friend. If Daniels knew the guy that lined up with him had his back covered on blitz pickups and was a dependable option in the passing game, it would be the key to making sure the shiny new offense Zak Hill had recently installed would not derail moments after it was released on the track.

Rachaad White and DeaMonte Trayanum did exactly that last year and a whole lot more. They walk to the locker room together before and after practice. In the short amount of time, the trio has combined for numerous electric moments that all but zapped the gloominess of playing football during the pandemic. There is no doubt that the trust factor has been tested and is there.

So, the 1-2 punch now aims to build off a strong four-game debut in which they established themselves as not only Daniels’ safety blanket but also as the Pac-12’s formidable rushing tandem. And don’t forget about Daniyel Ngata, too, who emerged over ASU’s final two games and proved he has what it takes to contribute at the same level as his teammates.

Now, it’s back to work at fall camp. And although it’s only been one day, it seems the backfield is poised to pick up right where it left off… once the guys get back into the swing of things, of course.

“We got to get in shape,” Aguano said. “I think football shape is different from the strength and conditioning shape. And so I'm just ramping up over the next couple of weeks into football shape…..

We did pretty good just had probably a couple of penalties, one turnover. And so I thought from an execution standpoint, we were pretty solid.”

White says he feels like he is in a great spot physically after he spent the summer working out under the watchful eye of coach Joe Conolly. White said the football sports performance head coach “transformed him into a different version” of himself and feels more explosive and heavier to begin fall camp, which White noted was a good thing.

With a full college football schedule on the horizon, Ngata focused on making the right choices to set his body up for success.

“I tried to take care of my body first," Ngata explained, "so I can get to playing at that next level, instead of being too rushed up, instead of getting too excited. I gotta keep my body healthy.

Although White and Trayanum headline this backfield; Ngata should be in the mix often as the season starts to wear down on the featured playmakers. Ngata is the right blend of both: he has the desired build and bulk for the position to pick up yards in a similar fashion to Trayanum but is also a capable receiver that will be able to substitute in for White without the offense missing a beat.

Just because he isn’t getting reps now doesn’t mean he won’t be involved in the future. And Ngata has embraced his role with enthusiasm, knowing when his chance comes he will be ready. It’s a testament to how close these running backs are with each other, how much they want each other to succeed, and the level of competition that brings the best out of them every day. Any concern over one's self is irrelevant compared to the overall desire for success.

For Aguano, that success from the usage of each Sun Devil rusher will depend on the feel and flow of the game.

“We're going to make sure that those guys get in rhythm,” Aguano said. “ It could be a series; it could be plays; it could be whatever it is. And then once it gets going, like I said before, whoever has the hot hand.

“The good thing about it is those three guys are very unselfish. So if they understand that that guy gets a hot hand, we will feed him, and so there isn't that ego that they fight about all the time. And you can see in practice; they'll substitute themselves out for each other. And that's a rare commodity.”

That's the only way you're gonna progress, you know, helping each other out,” Ngata said. “There's no time for hating each other. No time for being selfish. So working together, all building each other up, that's only gonna lead you to greatness.”

It’s only natural for expectations to arise after a season that showed an abundance of promise. 818 yards and 10 touchdowns is an absurd amount of production for a unit that has barely scraped the surface of what it can accomplish. But Aguano has decided to temper goals regarding numbers and focus instead on equipping his players with the right mindset and approach to the process that will be the 2021 season.

“We don't go by stats; we are going by professionalism and paying attention to detail and doing things right,” Aguano said. “Being 10 minutes early to everything that they have to just from a professionalism standpoint, in the classroom, when we're going over plays, making sure we're detailed better than we were last year…..from steps on the field, from a practice structure into the classroom, I'm just trying to make sure that they are better than they were last year, and then we'll see hopefully see the production on the field.”

“I really kind of don't ever come in with personal expectations. Just being honest and truthful,” White said. “I just do whatever the team needs me to do. And, you know, like I said, just try to take one play at a time and take what the defense gives me.

Those that follow ASU know how openly these players talk about the team’s Rose Bowl aspirations. The blueprint that will allow ASU to play in that title game can be found in the production of its backfield, from three players who began their Power-Five football careers in November as mysteries and ended as faces of the offense. Despite the pressure and newfound recognition, Aguano’s group of players will continue to carry championship-level attitudes and set a class example for the rest of the team.

“Everybody sees those guys and the kind of year that they had,” Aguano said, “and then the professionalism, and you can see the people around them wondering what's going on with them.

“They are guys that take care of business.”

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