On New Year’s Day, Arizona State played in its first-ever College Football Playoff, taking on fifth-seeded Texas in a quarterfinal that was one for the ages. The blockbuster showdown lived up to its billing—a back-and-forth contest with explosive plays that eventually went to overtime, with 60 minutes not being enough to separate the sides.
The Sun Devils had possession first with 25 yards to go toward the end zone. Following a 16-yard heroic rush from redshirt freshman quarterback Sam Leavitt, it set running back Cam Skattebo up for a three-yard touchdown to gain their first lead since the first quarter.
The defense had a stellar start to the Longhorns' overtime chance, setting up a 4th & 13 try. ASU threw a blitz toward Ewers, but then he made the most critical throw of his career as Matthew Golden's double move led to the game-tying touchdown.
“We got to raise the standards,” cornerbacks coach Bryan Carrington said Wednesday. “A lot of guys on this roster want to get back to that 4th & 13 and convert. Otherwise, if that's not the goal for everybody on this team, then what are we doing?”
Texas would then go on to win 39-31 in double overtime, ending a historic season for ASU and leaving fans jubilant over a season to remember. However, for Carrington, that play haunts him and his position group into the spring, motivating a group loaded with returners to get back to the pinnacle of college football in 2025.
“All of that to go to the Michelin Tire Bowl, the Bahamas Bowl? No, we want to play in the big-time championship bowl games,” Carrington said. “We want to put extra-large t-shirts over our shoulder pads. We want to make confetti angels.”
Because of this goal, the standards have risen in the spring. The Sun Devils' defensive backs dominated the stat sheet last season, with safeties Myles Rowser and Xavion Alford, along with nickelback Shemarri Simmons, placing first, second, and fourth on the team in tackles in 2024. With Rowser and Alford returning, along with crucial cornerbacks Javan Robinson and Keith Abney II, Carrington has called on them to raise their bar and bring the position group with them.
“We're not their fans,” Carrington added. “We have fun, but when we come on the grass, it's all about the business.”
Carrington has found a unique way to make their “business” fun—by giving out papers that read “Next Level” on them to provoke competitiveness among the group. The cards are awarded for standout plays in live-action settings throughout spring, with a tally chart made at the end of spring and a prize going to the winner.
“So any players that kind of stand out at practice, I'll hand them a Next Level card, and whoever collects the most—we have a little competition going on within that room,” Carrington said. “So, toward the end of the spring, we'll tally up who made the most plays in a live setting.
“Obviously, a lot of stuff could be next level when we watch the film, but just having a presence—like style points out here—just kind of getting these guys to play with swagger and stay competitive.”
ASU and Carrington are sparking competition in more ways than one, with the addition of two redshirt seniors from Purdue: cornerback Nyland Green and safety Kyndrich Breedlove. The duo boasted impressive 2024 campaigns. Breedlove played in all 12 contests, finishing the season with 40 total tackles and a team-high three interceptions. Green finished with eight games played, 23 tackles, and 2.0 sacks for 17 yards.
“We wanted to bring in a veteran presence, and the buddy system in the portal kind of worked for us,” Carrington said. “I know a guy who knows a guy who happens to know guys. So to get Breedlove and Nyland Green from Purdue—those are tremendous kids that came in with rave reviews as far as the human beings that they are.”
For Green in particular, he comes into a cornerback room that requires some reinforcements. Junior Keith Abney II and redshirt junior Javan Robinson played a large number of snaps in an area where the program lacked depth. He’ll add a new edge to the position—something Carrington is pleased to have around.
“Nyland has unbelievable length. He's a scheme fit for what we want in a boundary corner,” Carrington said. “This is a guy that comes in with a wealth of experience, has played at Georgia and played at Purdue. So this is a guy who's no stranger to how a college football program operates.”
At 6-foot-1, Green certainly adds a vertical presence that both Abney and Robinson—at 5-foot-11—may have lacked. For the fifth-year cornerback, he’s used to the competitive edge that comes with playing at the highest levels of college football. Having made stops at Georgia and Purdue, he’s seen all of what it means to be a collegiate standout.
“Anywhere that you go in the country, it's always a good competition,” Green said Wednesday. “So it doesn't matter if you're in the SEC, the Big Ten, the Big 12—no matter where you go, it's always going to be a dog somewhere. We just all bring energy to practice. We’re a big family. We love to cheer each other on when one of us is not in there playing. So we're just good to be around each other and just cheer on one of our brothers.”
While Green and the position group certainly push each other to their limits, the bond he’s already made with the team is a sign of a high-octane group ready to push past the elite level boundaries they’ve already set.
“We don't care—we don't try to think about (the depth chart). We just want to do what's best for the team,” Green said. “We all try to push each other and try to make each other better. We try to always go out there and say, 'I'm going to catch a pick before you at practice today,' and they’ll try to catch one before me. But we always try to push each other to the full potential—just to be the best that we can.”
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