Struggles from day one for the Arizona State receiving corps continued into the second day of fall camp as once again the Sun Devil defense set the tone during the team periods. Head coach Herm Edwards downplayed the frequency of passes hitting the ground during Wednesday’s practice, but the trend was prevalent again throughout portions of Thursday’s practice.

When the Sun Devils entered the 11-on-11 setting of Thursday’s camp, Johnny Wilson and Bryan Thompson each had a pair of drops, with Sun Devil defenders yelling in agony as tipped passes fell without becoming interceptions. While offensive coordinator Zak Hill admitted an inexperienced wide receiver room has him searching for the right roles for everyone, Hill was optimistic about the energy and competitiveness of the group.

“They all want reps, and they are all competitive; it’s a great room from that standpoint,” said Hill. “They’re all hungry to make plays. We know there’s not a lot of experience and not a lot of stats from that crew, but that’s fine. They are going to create stats, and they know that this year.”

With an injured Frank Darby opting out of ASU’s four-game 2020 season, Rachaad White led the Sun Devils in receiving with 151 yards. No Sun Devil wide receiver had more than 120 yards total in the four games, leaving plenty of room for improvement heading into this fall.

“We’re trying to find where the new pieces go and who is right in what positions. We got a chance to do that in the spring, but fall camp is another round of ‘who’s stepping up and who are our playmakers?’ Those guys know it’s an evaluation every day.”

Hill acknowledged that heat exhaustion could be used as an excuse for some of the players unfamiliar to an August camp in Tempe but was quick to downplay that and acknowledged increased attention to detail should counter those issues.

“Mentally we’ve got to be sharper. We’re tired, I get it,” said Hill. “We’re out of condition right now, and we’ve got to get used to the heat, and we’re getting back into this structured atmosphere where it’s a full day of football.

“At the tail end of practice is the biggest time where you have to be mentally tough and focus on what we are doing. We had way too many mental errors, so from a focus standpoint, mental toughness and just a conditioning standpoint and getting used to heat, that’s some of the big things we brought up to them at the end of practice.”

As junior quarterback Jayden Daniels and the offense work to get on the same page execution-wise, Hill complimented Daniels for his command of the huddle, something Hill claimed has improved since last season.

“It’s good to see how he’s attacking practice with his overall effort and just caring about his development in practice,” Hill said of Daniels's improvement following a season which saw him complete just over 58 percent of his passes. “He’s starting to become more of a vocal leader, and a lot of it has to do with his body language. It doesn’t always have to be saying stuff; it can be how he presents himself in the huddle and how he presents himself on the field.”

Daniels has continued to make notable strides in shaping his body since arriving at ASU in the spring of 2019. Along with the physical development has come a sharper mental focus and greater purpose, Hill claimed Thursday.

“He’s more detailed in his preparation with practice, and then once he gets into practice, you can see the urgency, and they want to develop,” said Hill, who's entering his second season at the head of the Arizona State offense. “Guys see that, and that’s a big part of the leadership. It’s earning that respect.”

One of the staples of Hill’s offense – and what made the former Boise State offensive coordinator such an intriguing candidate to replace Rob Likens – was the shifting and motioning utilized to create deception against opponents. As fall camp progresses, Hill told reporters he’d be able to get a greater feel for what Arizona State’s best personnel grouping is.

“Moving into this year with spring ball and fall camp, we’ve got a feel for our guys and what they are good at,” Hill said, after ASU opening the first portion of team period Thursday with a two-tight end set. “We’re going to piece the personnel around to where we need them. It’s not just ‘hey, Johnny (Wilson) is going to be on the right every time.’ Utilizing those guys in the right way is going to be key for us. Getting our best personnel on the field, whatever formation that is, and being smart with Jayden’s skills (are key).”

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