In his sophomore year, running back Kyson Brown began to see the field during fall camp with the first team, and he started to separate himself as one of the top running backs in his position room. After his second time around at Camp Tontozona, he noticed that he took a couple of the younger players on offense under his wing.
“I felt like a vet,” Brown joked. “I knew the ins and outs, the do’s and don'ts, and I knew what to expect from the drills and scrimmages. I was able to show the ropes to the younger guys on the offense up there and how we did things at Camp T.”
During Saturday’s scrimmage at Camp Tontozona, the intensity reached a new high for fall camp. Back in Tempe on Monday, the first practice since Saturday was equanimous. Everyone was ecstatic to be in full pads again, and the linemen in the trenches produced non-stop pressure on the quarterback. For Brown, he invites that energy level with open arms.
“We try to bring that type of energy every day,” Brown said. “It makes us better not only independently but as a team. All the guys fed off of each other’s energy, and you saw today how much there was. There are practices you don’t get to see us running full speed, and I think it’s very rewarding getting to see those runs that are full contact.”
Brown saw the field for every game in 2023, but not a role where he could be a real game-changer. In 12 contests, he had 23 carries for 106 yards and nine catches for 49 yards, one for 27 yards against Fresno State. In fall camp, he’s beginning to receive first-team reps when starter Cam Skattebo isn’t on the field, being active in the run and passing game. In Saturday’s scrimmage, Brown caught a dump-off pass from redshirt freshman quarterback Sam Leavitt and ran 38 yards for a touchdown.
“The work I’ve put in is being shown,” Brown expressed. “I think it’s a continuous mindset of getting better every day. I bring the same energy to practice every day, wanting to get better, and I think that’s shown in my game when I’m out on the field.”
Although Brown attended high school in Texas, he’s originally from Mississippi. When he moved to Texas, his friends and teammates called him “Sipp.” The nickname carried over when he committed to ASU, and he never shied away from it, putting it as his social media tags on Instagram, Snapchat, and Twitter.
“It’s something I take pride in,” Brown admitted. “My friends started calling me ‘Sipp,’ and it stuck. I told my teammates about it when I got here, and it’s got a nice ring to it.”
The narrative for the team as a whole this fall camp has been depth, and the running back room is no different. Running backs coach Shaun Aguano mentioned earlier in fall camp that every running back on the depth chart has starting potential, and he has a tough job distributing the playing time. The players are battling for the same job, but don't let that hinder their ability to stay close off the field.
“I feel like we have a really special group,” Brown noted. “We know it, a lot of people know it, and I think every day we compete against each other and make each other better. At the same time, it’s a good brotherhood, so I think that bond we have allows us to make each other better every day we’re out here.”
As the regular season creeps closer and closer, players are beginning to single themselves out for position battles. While the competition is amping up each day, the bonds being built are just as firm. Camp T allowed players to hear each other’s stories, bringing them closer to people they hadn’t known well before going up north.
“I’m excited to play with my brothers,” Brown added. “We work so hard, and it’s about time to get paid. I got to build a lot of bonds with guys and hear their stories, and why they do things. It’s going to be very beneficial to the team and us as men to see everybody reach their goals and achieve their dreams.”
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Another Saturday standout was junior redshirt tight end Chamon Metayer. Metayer was a post-spring transfer from Colorado and impressed coaches enough to earn a number of first-team reps. In the red zone, he excelled during the Saturday scrimmage, reeling in a one-handed touchdown catch that easily earned play of the day.
“It was a good learning experience up there,” Metayer said. “I had a similar ball a few days prior that was out of bounds. I told every corner that I was not gonna back down and if the ball came my way one-on-one, and it was gonna happen. My opportunity came, and I made a play.”
The tight end room is a key part of the scheme that offensive coordinator Marcus Arroyo is drawing up. Metayer is among one of the remarkable tight ends that performed well at Camp T, but each player has their own specialty that Arroyo can use.
“I want to be put anywhere,” Metayer explained. “Anywhere he can plug me in and use me I’m down for, it’s all about sacrifices. Team first, and I’ll worry about everything later. I’m learning to be patient, work, and do what the team needs me to do right now.”
The tight end position is one of the closer battles, with several players having the opportunity to start in week 1. Metayer put himself toward the top of the conversation after his play up north and will look to capitalize on that in the coming weeks. Ultimatley, and like each of his teammates, he yearns to be a contributor to a winning team.
“I want to win,” Metayer admitted. “I want to make everyone around me better. I want to hold my teammates accountable, and I want them to do the same for me. We’re on pace to be great this year, so we just need to keep stacking days and learn from each other.”
Head coach Kenny Dillingham has been quite content with Metayer and the other two newcomers at this position, Florida State transfer Markeston Douglas, who Dillingham coached a few years back, and San Diego State transfer Cameron Harpole, and knows that their value to the Sun Devil offense can be immense.
“I’ve been pleasantly surprised,” Dillingham expressed. “Chamon, obviously just joining us, has been a huge get for us as a football team. Both he and Markeston are physical blockers at the point of attack, and when you can block at tight end, it gives you an entirely new dynamic.
“Nowadays, colleges play a 4-2-5 (defensive alignment) base. And when you’re in a 4-2-5 base, it’s really predicated on tight ends (of the opponent) not being able to be physical. But when your tight end can match a defensive end’s toughness, you’re getting a competitive advantage. And when you have a dawg like that at tight end, it gives you an advantage schematically.”
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