ASU’s head coach sums up the first week of spring practice, discussing the quarterback competition, new assistant coaches and more.

You’ve had one week in the books now, what are your overall impressions?

“After a year, the guys that have been a part of the program are kind of setting the tone for how practice should be run. There are mistakes, there’s always mistakes but I think we’re more efficient than we were last year. That’s for sure. There’s a reason we’re coming in (the Verde Dickey Dome,) because we are in more of a teaching mode, for me. I think when you’re in a condensed area like this, I can get around better, watch coaches coach. The real emphasis has been on mental errors -- cleaning up or mental errors -- become technically and fundamentally more sound as a football player. That has kind of been like our whole mantra -- we say that and I think the players have bought into that.”

What do you think of the quarterbacks after one week?

“We’ve got a competitive group and we’re in a really good situation I think. And the thing they don’t have is experience and the last time I checked the only way to get it is from playing. So, we’re going to continue to run practice the way we’ve ran it, it’s competition. I think the whole team watches it. And I tell them, ‘While you’re watching those quarterbacks, make sure you take care of your job because someone’s competing for your job.’

Do you expect the quarterback reps to continue to go two on, two off?

“Yeah, we’re going to keep doing it. This will go until the spring and then, obviously, when summer camp begins, we’ll get into some numbers. I think by probably a week or two before opening day, we should probably have an idea when it’s going to unfold.”

Are you evaluating the QB competition practice-by-practice or trying to take time before evaluating?

“You’re going to look at every practice and take it for what it’s worth. Quarterbacks are as good as their surrounding cast. I’ve been involved in this too many times where a quarterback had a good day or bad day -- well, the people around him have to help him. If the receivers drop a ball, that’s not his fault. Now, if he throws a ball to the other guy, that’s a little bit on him. I just think I’ve done this enough in my lifetime -- you don’t panic, just let it play out and it works out that way.”

How have defensive line coach Jamar Cain and running backs coach Shaun Aguano, the two new coaches on the staff, translated early on into practices?

“Very good. They’re very, very sound coaches. They know how to capture their room, coaching is about capturing the room, communicating -- we’ve talked a lot about that, how we’re communicating, becoming better communicators to our players. We do stuff that obviously will grab their (the players’) attention, starts in the meeting rooms. I’m really big into knowledge, I really, I challenged them today, I told them, ‘Knowledge is powerful.’ I went into the defensive room and I brought them an NFL playbook. It was about that big (as he held his hands about five inches apart.) I let every player touch it. And they started opening it up and looking at the volume of information in there and I said, ‘Hey guys, if you really think you want to play at the next level, this ain’t about talent, it’s about knowledge. How do you learn? You have to have a hunger to learn and it comes in the classroom, it comes in walkthroughs.” But I wanted them to hold an NFL playbook just to look at it, the volume of things you have to learn. I said, ‘That’s what this stuff is all about so don’t take it for granted.’”

What are you seeing from some of the young defensive backs like redshirt sophomore safeties K.J. Jarrell and Langston Frederick?

“We’re more athletic with the guys that we’re bringing in. Now, remember, we’re going to bring probably 20 more players in here. Some will be on the defensive front. Some will be in the back-end of our defense. We will bring some skill players into our offense. All these guys, in my (opinion,) have really good athletic talent. I think our speed and our height is going to increase, and I think you’re going to see it in the summer when these guys walk in here. (Sophomore safety) Aashari (Crosswell) and all of those guys, they are going to be young, but they’re going to be very talented.”

You mentioned getting guys in, but right now the linebackers and d-line just have five guys that are rotating, how are you kind of looking at that?

“Well we’re taking breaks, and I think you can see it- it’s built into the practices. We’re not going to try to hurt these guys by any stretch of the imagination, but we want to get even reps so we’re giving them breaks in-between, we don’t go more than eight reps and periods and then we stop and give them breaks, and I think it’s good for the coaches too to bring them up and coach them. But I told the D-line ‘helps along the way, don’t worry about it it’s coming,’ they know it’s coming, just can’t participate yet.”

What’s it means to have Tyler Whiley back on the field?

“Well, you know he’s not fully ready to go yet, and there are a couple other defensive guys obviously that we’re waiting to get back you know Tyler obviously he’s coming along, and it’s fun to see him. I think he’s gaining confidence as he practices, you want to bring him along slow, but we got a couple other guys that are mending some wounds, you know 41 (linebacker Tyler Johnson) is mending wounds, and then there are a couple other guys. So, when they come back with the influx of players that we’re bringing in here, we’re going to be faster, more athletic, and I think that’s what we’re trying to achieve as a football team.”

Last season when he was hurt and kind of worked his way back what things did he produce- did you see from him, that he tried to stay involved and still be a part of the team?

“Well I mean his leadership qualities, and we’re looking for leaders, we’re always looking for leaders, and it’s hard to lead it really is because you have to be consistent every day, you really do. It’s not a part-time job, it’s an all-time job, and sometimes you have to say things to certain players that might be your friends that, you know, that might upset them. But you got to say the things that make the team better, it’s always going to be about the team man.”

I know (wide Receiver) John Humphrey has been on the sideline, have you guys been running Paul Lucas kind of at a slot receiver just because there’s limited depth there?

“Yeah, and you know we got a couple guys coming in here that will go to work here as well, that’ve signed with us, you know, (wide receiver Jordan) Kerley will be coming in here and is going to work in the slot some, so it’ll be good to get some of these guys- we’re moving guys around, that’s what the Spring’s about, evaluating players, that’s what we’re trying to do.”

Your new punter, is his big strength hang time, is that what he’s going to…

“He can really bomb it, I mean he can really- now it’s not fair to him in here because he’s trying to angle kick it and stuff, and you’ll see when we go outside, it'll be like what is that, right? But he’s got to learn how to place it too because we’re going to ask him to do that, especially- and hopefully we don’t have to do these too many times when we’re on the minus 40 hopefully we can make first downs and cross that thing and we don’t have to punt. But he’s going to have to learn how to place it too.”

What do you think of the Baylor transfer, cornerback Timarcus Davis?

“He’s got really quick twitch, eager to learn. Last year he was kind of just a practice-squad guy and really did drill work but wasn’t as involved as he should have been in the defense. He’s got a chance to help us. He’s going to play, it’s going to be hard to keep him off the field.”