Devils Digest learned on Monday that scholarships had been awarded to sophomore running back George Hart III and sophomore defensive tackle BJ Green.

Hart saw limited action last season, posting 19 yards on ten carries, but during spring practice, he consistently ran on the third team behind scholarship running backs sophomore Daniyel Ngata and senior Xazavian Valladay, who transferred from Wyoming, and ahead of freshman Tevin White and redshirt freshman walk-on Deonce Elliott.

“I think George is going to be a surprise and is going to push those other two older guys a lot,” said running backs coach Shaun Aguano is a Devils Digest interview this past March. “George is a very bright kid, one of the brightest in the room. His dad was a coach, and he comes from that football family and works tremendously hard. He has a great attitude every single day, and he’ll push for playing time for sure.”

BJ Green may have been the biggest surprise player for ASU this past season, as he finished his inaugural season in Tempe with a team-leading five sacks. He’s the fourth true freshman but the first walk-on to lead the Sun Devils this century in that statistic category and the last to do so since his teammate Merlin Robertson tallied five sacks in 2018. Green had eight total tackles on the season.

Green’s role in 2022 is bound to expand; he’s expected to be in the two-deep at the 3-technique defensive tackle role following the transfer of senior Jermayne Lole to Louisville and is likely to play behind starter sophomore Omarr Norman-Lott. Green is expected to battle with last year’s Maryland Transfer and graduate student B’Ahamd Miller, who is also a former walk-on who was awarded a scholarship last fall via a granted NCAA waiver following the triceps season-ending injury Lole suffered in fall camp.

“He is a great kid with a great skill set,” said defensive line coach Robert Rodriguez in a Devils Digest interview last March. “The only thing period that he’s lacking is size (Green is listed at 6-0 260 lbs.). That’s it. But everything else, he checks the box, and he’s a great kid to be around. Teammates love him; coaches love him. He’s got team captain material if he just continues to be who he is at the end of this whole thing.

“That kid has a winner’s mentality. He goes out there, and I’m telling you, he is the only person on the field that doesn’t know that BJ Green is a little dude is BJ Green. He goes out there, and he thinks that he could knock out anybody… BJ Green’s that type of player who makes the team better, but he also makes you a better football coach.”

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