In his press conference yesterday, head coach Herm Edwards declined to name a starting placekicker. Therefore, with nine days before the 2022 opener against NAU, redshirt freshman Jace Feely and true freshman Carter Brown continue to battle each other in practice for the coveted first-team spot.
Special teams coach Shawn Slocum noted that each kicker has his strengths and is now at a point where he feels comfortable with both. In a bit of a surprise, he didn’t rule out the possibility of going into the Sun Devils’ first game without a true starter being named.
“It’s been good,” Feely said of his position battle. “He (Carter Brown) is a really good dude. We both go out there and work our butts off, and it will be up to the coaches to decide who goes out there,”.
He offered that the potential two-man rotation would provide some issues as the kicking game is much more than a physical chore.
“I think that kind of poses a problem just from the mental side of it like you don’t know who is gonna go,” Feely explained.
Brown, who arrived in the summer to Tempe, admitted that he is going through the normal newcomer learning curve, but it’s a challenge that has been dulled somewhat through the support of his teammates.
“It’s taken some time for sure to get used to it,” Brown said of his first ever preseason camp at Arizona State. “Our room is great and is; I think one of the best in the country. It’s been a transition so far, and I have been working on some things, get things right before September 1st., just some technique that coach Slocum has pointed out.”
The improvement of Feely hasn’t gone unnoticed by Brown, an aspect that he said has pushed him to improve his own craft.
“It’s been fun battling with him, and we’ll see what happens,” Brown remarked.
Sophomore punter Eddie Czaplicki returns for a second year after a stellar freshman campaign. The North Carolina product may very well be the best player at his position on the team this year, and he’s ready to try and live up to those expectations.
“So right now, I’m doing kickoffs, punting, and holding,” Czaplicki said. “I feel really confident with all three. I was on the Jugs (machine) probably a half hour a day this off-season, just working on my form, working on my drops. Also, just the strength, I put on about 8-10 pounds of muscle, got more explosive, and it’s shown up on the field. The best way to have confidence is to be confident in your work. The nerves are gone.”
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Sophomore left tackle Isaia Glass, and junior wide receiver Andre Johnson are both battling for starting duties in their respective positions. Glass has been in the mix for a starting role for most of preseason camp and has assumed first-team reps for the last two weeks of practice in the absence of senior transfer Emmit Bohle, who continues to be sidelined with an undisclosed injury. Glass’s reps have been formidable, earning the praise of his teammates and coaches alike. The sophomore welcomes the chance to compete against Bohle and focus his efforts on earning as many gameday reps as possible.”
“Everything is just day to day. If I’m with the 1s one day, I’ll do my best; if I’m with the 2s, it’s the same. Honestly, it doesn’t really matter; it’s just a day-to-day thing,” Glass said. “I haven’t been told anything, I’m trying to start, and Emmit is too. So we’re both going to keep battling out; it’s good for competition.”
There were a number of questions raised about how a patchwork quilt group of offensive linemen would mesh prior to the start of fall camp. An effective front five should work in perfect unison, much like a symphony or a choreographed dance. According to Glass and each of his teammates in the trenches, achieving cohesion has been the least of their worries.
“Everyone was curious how we were going to work together with all the new guys, Glass described, “but I think by now we’re all starting to mesh and click really well. Guys really enjoy being around each other as individuals, and guys want to just be on the same page.”
Nine days away from kickoff, the offense has started to examine its first opponent in Northern Arizona. The group isn’t allowing itself to look beyond the Lumberjacks, who toppled Arizona last year in Tucson in what was a shocking non-conference defeat. One of the biggest gaps between ASU and NAU will be at the skill positions, which is why wide receiver Andre Johnson isn’t lacking any confidence heading into this in-state matchup.
“I feel like we’re ready for whatever NAU has to throw at us, honestly. I think we can beat their DBs; I don’t think that they can guard us,” Johnson said. “We’ve been preparing for a while, and I feel like we are finally going to be able to showcase what we can truly do on the field, so I’m very excited. Preparation, we’ve been going over a lot of their looks and what they’re gonna show us. As an overall (wide receiver) group, we’re way more focused than we were last year.”
While the receiver room is deep, its collective game experience at the power five level isn’t all that robust. Absent a true leader in this unit; Johnson discussed how the group self-governs in order to maximize its potential.
“I feel like everybody kind of holds everybody accountable, really,” Johnson noted. “It’s more of a group effort to make sure everybody is keeping their heads on straight; there’s not one guy taking charge of everything.”
When asked if the group is having any trouble keeping NAU at the forefront with a huge road contest at Oklahoma State looming, Johnson was quick to dispel any notion of the sort.
“I haven’t thought about Oklahoma State once, to be honest with you,” he said. “We have to just make sure we keep our heads on straight one week at a time. Keep pushing.”
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