When asked if he had gotten everything done he wanted to accomplish for the spring, ASU head coach Kenny Dillingham answered with an unsatisfied yes, “for the most part,” he responded.
Brian Ward and Marcus Arroyo, the defensive and offensive coordinators, have responded to the same question with a little more confidence, gushing about their sides' accomplishments and how they are ahead of schedule.
Though it is Dillingham's responsibility to be a little more of a perfectionist when it comes to measuring progress, he stated today that the team has certainly moved on from last season as much as he would have liked. However, he did recollect one thing: Oklahoma is the only Big 12 team to have ever gone back-to-back, and he wants to follow in their footsteps. Reminding everyone of his ultimate goal, it stands to reason that he expects nothing short of perfection when attempting to complete a tough task.
Sophomore quarterback Sam Leavitt will play a critical role in reaching that potential success this season, since the team has become his after Cam Skattebo's departure. Leavitt has made it apparent that he wants to take the required measures to become the leader capable of propelling his team to that level, and he will continue to be the person his teammates can look to for guidance.
His coaching staff has done the same, with Arroyo, a former quarterback, describing how he has forced Leavitt to over communicate, overexplain, and expect more from himself. Dillingham, on the other hand, stated that Leavitt's rapid decision-making is one aspect of his game that he has been really pleased with as he has developed.
“His ability to get the ball out fast, to get the ball out in rhythm, and to throw the quick game is going to be a weapon for him,” Dillingham said. “Sam’s athletic, so the first thing you do to an athletic quarterback is you spy on him, or you bring twist games to recontain him. Well, if you bring spies, you can throw the ball vertically. Twists or recontained pressures—teams aren’t going to be able to get their hands up, so what do you want to be able to throw? Quick games. You can’t blitz a quarterback that can throw quick games, so I think if he can throw quick games, that’s probably the biggest thing in his arsenal he needs, and he’s really stepped up in that regard.”
It may appear to be a small facet of a quarterback's game, especially given that Dillingham has identified it as one of the 'for the most part' improvements noted. For Leavitt, however, as competition grows, that pressure will come at him faster and faster, and Dillingham pressing his quarterback to make reads faster than that pressure, breaking apart defenses, will allow Leavitt to tackle anything thrown at him.
Leavitt said he was playing "a little more hesitant" at the beginning of the spring when it came to his decision making, but now he can safely claim that the same area of concern has "gotten a lot better." That also speaks to his ability to trust his new group; at the start of spring practice, Leavitt was confronted with the challenge of not only dealing with this new group of receivers, tight ends, and running backs, but also with his star wide receiver Jordyn Tyson being limited in practices throughout that time frame.
Now, Leavitt says he trusts his teammates to be in the right spots, allowing him to move faster and make the necessary reads without hesitation, as Dillingham intended. That trust should only grow with time, but they'll have another offseason over the summer, and Leavitt may have to work out some bugs again in the fall. At least now, he has some of the early problems ironed out.
One player that seems to still need a little more work both inside and outside of practice is senior wide receiver Malik McClain. Dillingham challenged his entire wide receiver core, noting they don't currently have a real wide receiver two and are still waiting for that pairing with Tyson to align.
On paper, McClain should be that guy; he waited his turn behind a senior group last season and even made a couple of standout plays when Tyson went down, including a 42-yard touchdown catch in the Peach Bowl.
Both Dillingham and Leavitt praised McClain this spring, implying that he could be the right man for the job. Monday's stadium practice, which included a lot of 11-on-11 scrimmage action, saw McClain with consistent targets and plays designed for the two to try and connect, with Leavitt taking note.
“He’s been balling,” Leavitt said. “We completed a bunch of stop routes today. He’s done a really good job of playing one-on-one to the boundary…we just have to get to work on a couple fade balls. That’s on me; I have to get a few more reps with him after practice and just talk through it with him in the offseason. That’ll be one thing we draw up, but I’ve been really proud of him so far.”
Dillingham has left numerous positions open to argument, encouraging competition and allowing each player to earn it. However, senior center Ben Coleman is brand new to his position, yet Dillingham knew he was the starter from the jump. The position move undoubtedly had its growing pains, which could explain Leavitt's hesitant play early in the spring. When the other player who is guaranteed to touch the ball every snap is not on the same page as you, it might be difficult to find your rhythm.
Coleman was never a guarantee, but Dillingham was confident that his seasoned offensive lineman would make the required adjustments to elevate himself to a starting-caliber center despite this being his third position shift.
On Monday, Leavitt reassured those concerns, saying Coleman's progress from early in the spring is "night and day," while Dillingham has stated that his snaps are "drastically" better since the beginning of the spring, indicating that the days of confusion at the line are likely behind ASU, and despite the challenge, Coleman has faced it head-on and reassured anyone that there was never any doubt.
Spring practice hasn't ended, but it has reached a period of reflection, looking back at where this completely new, rusty team began and where they've progressed as a cohesive group. Dillingham may not be fully satisfied, but there is far more good than bad to be had, and there is still plenty of time in the fall to resolve the lingering questions.
Meanwhile, ASU and Dillingham may be looking forward to this Friday's fan festival. A huge day for ASU football fans everywhere, possibly the day Skattebo could be taken in the NFL draft, and the final time fans will see this unit before another offseason, bringing together the fan base to display what Dillingham has welded together in just about a month.
“To have all of the bouncy houses and all of the stuff going on while we’re having a practice/scrimmage/our last day, it’ll be a fun time,” Dillingham said. “Hopefully we have a good crowd for the fan fest. Whether they’re in the stands or not, it really doesn’t matter to me; it’s just the fact that they’re down here, being around and being engaged.”
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