Breaking in a new quarterback who arrived on campus post-spring practice is less than ideal, especially for a first-year offensive coordinator. And the rate of progress that Florida transfer Emory Jones can show in mastering the Glenn Thomas scheme won’t be the only challenge facing this side of the ball for Arizona State. Here’s a breakdown of A Sun Devil offense striving to try and continue the stout ground attack it has enjoyed in recent seasons, as well as trying to jump start its passing game.
Quarterback
Returning Players: Trenton Bourguet, Finn Collins, Daylin McLemore
Departures: Jayden Daniels (transfer), Ethan Long (transfer)
Newcomers: Emory Jones (transfer), Paul Tyson (transfer), Bennett Meredith (freshman)
In what was an abrupt and poorly received about-face, three-year starting quarterback Jayden Daniels made a public announcement that he would return to ASU for the 2022 season only to reverse course and, before long, shockingly transfer to LSU.
As ASU frantically scrambled to fill not only the starting spot but depth at quarterback, the Sun Devils achieved what, at least for now, appears to be a substantial success given the circumstances with a pair of SEC transfers, one of which with ample starting experience.
A player that bears a striking statistical resemblance to Jayden Daniels, Emory Jones chose to call Tempe home after spending the 2018-21 seasons at Florida.
Jones redshirted in 2018 and appeared in 20 games as a reserve in 2019-20 before starting 12 of 13 games played last season. In total, he played in 37 career games with the Gators and completed 279-of-432 passes (64.6%) for 3,347 yards with 26 touchdowns and 14 interceptions while also rushing 235 times for 1,272 yards (5.4 avg.) with ten scores.
Having redshirted in 2018 and due to the eligibility freeze of the COVID-impacted 2020 campaign, Jones has two years of college eligibility remaining.
Last season, he completed 224-of-346 passes (64.7%) for 2,734 yards with 19 touchdowns and 13 interceptions while rushing 143 times for 758 yards (5.3 avg.) with four scores.
Jones (6-2, 211) outweighs Daniels by nearly 30 pounds and brings a bigger, tougher physique than Daniels but has similar scrambling abilities as the former Sun Devil quarterback.
In 2021, Jones had six games with at least 200 passing yards – four of which were over 250. By comparison, Daniels had five 200-yard games with two that topped 250. Jones had seven games last season with at least 60 net rushing yards, while Daniels had four.
Jones did, however, have four multi-interception games (though Florida went 3-1 in those four) and had 10 of his 19 touchdown passes on the year in just two games against FCS opponent Samford (six) and Vanderbilt (four).
Observers noticed a dramatically steep decline in the passing ability of Jayden Daniels when NFL-bound receivers such as Brandon Aiyuk and Frank Darby departed from the roster, leading to a string of performances at the end of last season for Daniels that, in terms of passing statistics legitimately and objectively resemble the worst series of games by an ASU starting quarterback this century.
What does this point mean? That Jones – or whichever QB is under center – has to use his intelligence and experience to make sound decisions, not force passes and run when it is advantageous to do so but not have the proverbial “happy feet” in the pocket.
On an intangible level, Jones was praised for his positive attitude and team approach while with the Florida program, and in the short while he has been a member of the Sun Devil program, he has already drawn rave reviews for his leadership qualities.
Perennial overachiever Trenton Bourguet surely will not go without a fight as the Tucson product diligently worked his way from a walk-on to a scholarship role and last season was the team’s second-string quarterback behind Daniels. A knowledgeable and respected athlete, Bourguet has a significant advantage in terms of team experience and will make the most out of every rep in fall camp in hopes of earning the starting nod.
Bourguet is credited with five game appearances in 2020-21 and has completed 8-of-12 passes for 115 yards with a touchdown.
The story of Paul Tyson is well-known by now, as the former four-star prospect and great-grandson of “Bear” Bryant made his way from Alabama to Tempe this spring. Tyson appeared in several games last season as a backup behind Heisman Trophy winner Bryce Young prior to leaving the Crimson Tide for the Sun Devils. In year one with the Sun Devils, Tyson will battle for starting reps, but with the presence of Jones on the roster, his greater chance to lead the ASU offense may be in the years to come.
Returning youngsters Finn Collins and Daylin McLemore, along with freshman Bennett Meredith round out the scholarship depth at quarterback. Even though Mclemore did flash at times during spring practice, it would be a general surprise for any of the three to be in strong competition for backup reps in 2022.
Running Back
Returning Players: Daniyel Ngata, George Hart III, Deonce Elliott
Departures: Rachaad White (NFL Draft), Deamonte Trayanum (transfer), Jackson He (transfer)
Newcomers: Xazavian Valladay (transfer), Tevin White (freshman)
A star-studded running back trio from ASU’s 2020 signing class that was expected to be a collective force for several years is now down to one piece, with Daniyel Ngata as the sole remaining figure after the early NFL departure by premier back Rachaad White and the transfer to Ohio State by Deamonte Trayanum to go play linebacker.
One of the top all-purpose players for ASU in recent decades, last year White joined D.J. Foster from 2014 as the only Sun Devils in the Pac-10/12 era to rush for at least 1,000 yards and register at least 400 receiving yards in the same season and now moves on to taking handoffs and catching passes from Tom Brady with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Playing behind White – and to a lesser, but still, notable extent, Trayanum – the past two years, Ngata has been productive within the capsule of the limited reps he’s been given, as he averaged 5.5 yards across his 56 carries last season with 309 total yards and four touchdowns while also catching four passes for 29 yards.
Ngata appears to have what it takes to be a full-time top running back in this conference, though ASU has replenished its talent and depth at running back despite the departures of White and Trayanum, leading to the belief that Ngata still could face challenges in becoming ASU’s every-down tailback.
ASU received a potentially tremendous boost to help replenish its running back group with the offseason transfer of Xazavian Valladay, a tenured and established performer during his time at Wyoming. Valladay (6-0, 198) had a pair of 1,000-yard rushing seasons for the Cowboys, including 1,070 yards on 209 carries with six touchdowns in 2021. Across the 2018-21 seasons for Wyoming, Valladay registered 626 carries for 3,281 yards (5.24 ypc.) with 19 touchdowns and also collected 51 career receptions for 584 yards with two scores.
To put things in perspective, Valladay’s 3,281 career rushing yards would rank fourth all-time at Arizona State behind Woody Green’s 4,188, Freddie Williams’ 3,424, and J.R. Redmond’s 3,299.
During his days at Wyoming, Valladay had 13 career 100-yard rushing games, including five with at least 150, topped by a 204-yard effort and a 206-yard day both in 2019. He also showed durability and reliability with 13 games with at least 20 carries, with a career-best of 37 in 2019.
Across 30 games played throughout the 2019-21 seasons, Valladay averaged 96.17 rushing yards per game, which would equate to 1,154 rushing yards across a 12-game season.
Valladay was recently named a Preseason Honorable Mention All-Pac-12 pick for 2022.
The highest rated high school recruit of ASU’s 2021 class, Tevin White, comes to Tempe after being rated the No. 8 all-purpose back by Rivals. White had reported scholarship offers including Georgia, Michigan State, Penn State, Pittsburgh, Virginia Tech, and others, but the Virginia native opted for the cross-country trip to Tempe for his collegiate career.
Under Edwards and staff, ASU has opted to heavily rely on one – maybe two – backs to drive its offense, so it remains to be seen if White will be called upon much as a true freshman or if his true opportunity will arrive after Valladay has exhausted his one year as a Sun Devil.
Deonce Elliott and George Hart III both earned time as walk-on freshmen last season, with Hart appearing in 12 games and notching 19 yards on ten carries and one reception for three yards. Elliott made one appearance and totaled six yards on three carries. Both will remain in the mix for time on offense and special teams.
Wide Receiver
Returning Players: Elijhah Badger, Bryan Thompson, Andre Johnson, Giovanni Sanders, Chad Johnson, Jr.
Departures: Ricky Pearsall (transfer), LV Bunkley-Shelton (transfer), Johnny Wilson (transfer), Geordon Porter (transfer), Lonyatta Alexander (transfer), Justin Collins (graduation)
Newcomers: Cam Johnson (transfer), Charles Hall IV (transfer), Zeke Freeman (JUCO), Javen Jacobs (freshman)
Similar in narrative to the running back signees of 2020, ASU’s elite wide receiver haul from that same class is split in half after just two seasons as Elijhah Badger, and Chad Johnson, Jr. remain in the program, but LV Bunkley-Shelton and Johnny Wilson have both transferred away from Tempe.
Badger, the likely starter at the Z-receiver (field side) spot, remains one of the most notable breakout candidates for ASU’s offense – a title that is as much a need as it is a want, as it is pretty much a necessity for the former four-star recruit to become a key contributor on the field in 2022.
Flashes have been shown from Badger, but much greater consistency and repetition will be needed. He caught seven passes for 61 yards last year and rushed three times for 37 yards with two touchdown runs.
Statistically, Andre Johnson is ASU’s leading returner in receiving yards from 2021 (186), while Bryan Thompson is the returning team leader in receptions from last season (13) and will battle Andre Johnson for starting duties at the X-receiver (boundary side) role.
Thompson came to Tempe from Utah prior to last season, and from 2017-20 with the Utes, he caught 33 passes with four touchdowns, adding a fifth touchdown as a runner. His top campaign came in 2019 when he hauled in 461 receiving yards on 18 receptions (25.6 ypc.) with three touchdowns for the Utes. If Thompson can get back on track with his ability to be a breakaway downfield deep threat, the expected dynamics of the Sun Devil pass game can change dramatically.
Johnson, a big-bodied yet versatile receiver, has shown flashes of high-caliber talent and could compete for a starting position or, at worst be one of ASU’s primary reserve receivers. The product of Tolleson Union High School has appeared in 16 career games across the 2019-21 seasons for ASU, catching 13 passes for 221 yards with a touchdown.
Giovanni Sanders (in the mix for the slot receiver) and Chad Johnson, Jr. (two-deep at the Z-wide receiver) both can contribute at wide receiver, though neither registered a reception in 2021. Johnson has carried substantial intrigue since his name first became affiliated with Sun Devil football and many fans hope that the exodus of receivers from last year will open the door for the son of the former six-time Pro Bowler to receive steady playing time for the Devils.
ASU’s most experienced wide receiver on the 2022 roster will come in the form of Vanderbilt transfer Cam Johnson, conceivably the leader to assume the starting slot receiver position, whose credentials include 124 career receptions for 1,233 yards with 10 touchdowns across the 2018-21 seasons for the Commodores.
Johnson had an excellent 2020 season when Johnson totaled 56 catches for 545 yards with three scores in a COVID-reduced nine-game season for Vanderbilt. That season, Johnson had four games with at least seven catches with a spectacular back-to-back stretch in which he had 14 receptions for 97 yards against Ole Miss and then a week later had 10 catches for 114 yards against Mississippi State. Johnson also ranked in the top-10 in the SEC that season in punt returns and punt return yards.
Last year at Vanderbilt, Johnson notched 34 receptions for 327 yards with four touchdowns. In total, during his time at Vanderbilt Johnson had seven games with at least five receptions and seven with 60 or more receiving yards.
Johnson (6-0, 200) has two years of eligibility to play at ASU and could very well be expected to be WR1 from day one for the Sun Devils.
Two “diamond in the rough” possibilities are new additions to the roster at wide receiver who boast tremendous downfield speed despite lacking FBS level playing experience. Charles Hall IV, a transfer from Division II Virginia Union, and Zeke Freeman, a JUCO transfer from Kilgore College, both have eye-popping statistics that Sun Devil fans surely hope result in similar dividends for Arizona State.
Hall has one year of playing eligibility and over the past two seasons caught 66 passes for 1,668 yards with 16 touchdowns – a gaudy 25.3-yard average on his catches. Similarly, Freeman, a junior now for Arizona State, averaged 29.0 yards per reception on 24 catches with seven touchdowns last year for Kilgore College.
Time will tell if Hall and/or Freeman can acclimate quickly enough to make notable contributions in the Sun Devil pass game, but their physical skills are impressive and the general intrigue will be high as fall camp begins. Hopes are that ASU has found another Tim White caliber player in terms of an instant-impact deep speedster who arrived with little fanfare.
Added to the mix is versatile true freshman Javen Jacobs of Scottsdale’s Saguaro High School. Jacobs arrived on campus in the spring and was an active participant in spring drills and will work with the objective of finding an immediate role as a rookie this fall.
Tight End/Fullback
Returning Players: Case Hatch (FB), Jalin Conyers, Ryan Morgan
Departures: Curtis Hodges (graduation), John Stivers (graduation), Jake Ray (retirement)
Newcomers: Messiah Swinson (transfer), Jacob Newell (freshman), Bryce Pierre (JUCO)
For years, fans have clamored for increased production from the tight end position, and 2021 saw a comparative resurgence as Curtis Hodges put together the best statistical season from an ASU tight end since Chris Coyle’s senior season in 2013.
Now that Hodges has used up all his college eligibility – as did blocking tight end John Stivers – ASU has to reload most of its tight end group, but the staff is very confident in the work that has been done through both traditional recruiting and transfer acquisitions.
In terms of returning players, former four-star Oklahoma transfer Jalin Conyers hopes to pick up where Hodges left off last year. During Conyers’ debut season with the Sun Devils, he caught six passes for 62 with a touchdown in 11 games as a reserve but could prove to be one of ASU’s most improved pass-catchers in 2022.
Though not a tight end and more of a fullback/h-back, Case Hatch is an invaluable part of the Sun Devil offense as he brings a hard-nosed, blue-collar mentality that few players across the nation can match. Hatch figures to yet again be an integral component of ASU’s run game and overall blocking schemes, and hopes are that we will see more of the ball in his hands throughout the 2022 season.
To reload the tight end depth, ASU tagged in Missouri transfer Messiah Swinson, who brings SEC experience and exceptional height and size (6-7, 255) to the Sun Devil offense. Swinson’s offensive production was limited at Missouri, as he caught seven passes for 84 yards across the 2020-21 seasons.
Ryan Morgan returns for his third year in the program and has appeared in two games across the 2020-21 seasons.
Newcomers Bryce Pierre and Jacob Newell bring short-term and long-term appeal to the position group, as Pierre was one of the top junior college tight ends in the country for the 2022 class, while Newell brings an athletic skillset that could enable him to be a hidden gem of ASU’s incoming class.
Offensive Line
Returning Players: Ladarius Henderson, Ben Scott, Isaia Glass, Ben Bray, Armon Bethea, Austin Barry, Ralph Frias
Departures: Dohnovan West (NFL Draft), Kellen Diesch (graduation), Henry Hattis (graduation), Spencer Lovell (transfer), Sione Veikoso (transfer), Ezra Dotson-Oyetade (transfer), Jarrett Bell (retirement), Triston Miller (retirement), Roman DeWys (no longer on roster)
Newcomers: Des Holmes (transfer), Chris Martinez (transfer), Joey Ramos (transfer), Emmit Bohle (transfer), Thomas Le Boucher (JUCO)
With a total of eight scholarship linemen gone from last year’s roster, including four players to earn starts last year, ASU faced a stiff offseason challenge in replenishing its front line.
On the positive end, Ladarius Henderson returns as a multi-year starter and one of the better linemen in the conference, while Ben Scott has double-digit starts to his credit as well. Up-and-coming youngster Isaia Glass figures to be a viable option to start at left tackle this fall, with Henderson slated at left guard and Scott at center.
Henderson was an Honorable Mention All-Pac-12 pick in 2021 and recently was named a Preseason Second-Team All-Pac-12 selection for 2022.
To fill the remaining openings, ASU acquired FBS transfers in Des Holmes (Penn State), Chris Martinez (San Diego State), and Joey Ramos (Iowa State), as well as physically imposing 6-7 Division II transfer Emmit Bohle of Northern State.
Holmes appears to have pinned down the right tackle role, while Bohle is the top contender for Glass’ starting spot at left tackle. Martinez and Ramos will form the tow-man battle for the starting right guard position. Holmes, Bohle, and Martinez all arrived on campus earlier this year and participated in spring practices with ASU.
Scott can also play elsewhere on the line in the event a scenario emerges that another participant occupies the center position. Yet, he appears to still be the best option at the front five’s anchor.
Martinez started 18 games over the 2020-21 seasons, including 13 last year in the Aztecs’ 12-2 campaign, while Ramos started five games for a Cyclone team in 2020 that played in the Fiesta Bowl. Holmes played in 22 career games with the Nittany Lions but has yet to register a collegiate start.
Returning scholarship linemen Austin Barry, Armon Bethea, and Ben Bray figure to add depth along the line, while Ralph Frias will attempt a comeback to the field after missing the entire 2021 season for medical reasons.
Junior college transfer Thomas Le Boucher has also recently been added to the roster and will compete for time this fall, presumably at backup tackle.
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