Spring Practice Positional Previews: Quarterbacks and Runnings Backs
Leading up to Arizona State football’s 2018 spring practices, DevilsDigest.com takes an in-depth look at each of the Sun Devils positions heading into spring ball. Today, we look at ASU’s playmakers in the backfield.
PROJECTED SPRING DEPTH CHART (Starter -- backup)
QB: Manny Wilkins – Blake Barnett
RB: Eno Benjamin – Trelon Smith
WHAT’S NEW
Not too much, which is a good thing for fifth-year senior quarterback Manny Wilkins.
In his first four years on campus, Wilkins went through offensive schemes like pairs of shoes, having to break in a new system each spring. While last year’s offensive coordinator, Billy Napier, has moved on, former receiver coach Rob Likens’ promotion to OC has meant only minor tweaks for the Sun Devils offense.
The biggest change Likens wants to see: a renewed commitment to running the football.
“Playing basketball on grass, just dinking and dunking with 10 personnel (1 tailback and 0 tight ends), I don’t think that you can get dudes tired,” Likens told DevilsDigest.com. “I like physically imposing your will on the other team. I think the only way you do that is running the football.”
That’s good news for both the QBs and RBs after the Sun Devils, who failed to gain 120 yards on the ground in five games last season.
“You have to run the football and I love the effects of running the football on the other team,” Likens said, pounding one fist into the palm of his other hand. “I have a philosophy that I talk to the kids about that when you put plays up on the board, you always put X’s up there for defense. Those aren’t X’s, those are human beings and there is a human element to the game of football. Those guys bruise, they bleed and they get tired.”
It means running backs coach John Simon – another holdover from last year’s staff – will have work to do with his young group of tailbacks, beginning with sophomore Eno Benjamin.
“It’s a young group, but a very talented group,” Simon said. “We knew that we were going to be in this position, this is not shocking where we are with the group. We had an emphasis to prepare those guys for this moment.”
Meanwhile, Likens will also take over as QB coach this season. His first task with the signal callers has been an emphasis on footwork, something the coaching staff he was a part of at Cal did with Jared Goff when he was in college.
“Quickening their feet, quickening their readiness to throw different routes,” Likens said on Thursday after ASU’s second practice of the spring.
Likens also wants his QBs to start operating more efficiently through the air.
“Learning that by coverage you can cheat a drop, you can eliminate throws and single it up to one to two reads and then quick the whole decision-making process,” Likens said.
PERSONNEL CHANGES
At quarterback, the only change from last year’s roster is the departure of dual-threat passer Brady White, who transferred to Memphis to reconnect with former ASU offensive coordinator Mike Norvell after missing all of 2017 with the same foot injury that abruptly ended his 2016 campaign.
In the backfield, however, the Sun Devils are facing a complete make-over after the graduations of Demario Richard and Kalen Ballage.
“Just looking back on what those kids brought to the table, you’re talking about consistency, you’re talking about hard work, you’re talking about discipline, you’re talking about on the field and off the field, character issues, we didn’t have to worry about those kids,” Simon said.
Eno Benjamin and Trelon Smith have been bumped up to become ASU’s new No. 1 and No. 2 ball-carriers for the spring before the Sun Devils welcome four (potentially five) freshmen running backs to campus in the fall.
“We knew there was definitely a need that we had to address in recruiting, and that’s why we went out and we got some size and we wanted to target kids that we felt were physically ready to play right away,” Simon said. “We couldn’t go out and sign any projects that physically weren’t ready.”
In the meantime, Benjamin and Smith will begin adjusting to the rigors of playing in the two-deep. Simon isn’t concerned about the transition.
“Those guys got a lot of practice reps with the 1’s, with the 2’s, so that they would be prepared for this moment, and I think you’ll see a smooth transition from those two guys this spring,” he said.
Another missing member from ASU’s stable of running backs is redshirt-junior Nick Ralston, who has moved to middle linebacker during the first week of spring practice. He would have been ASU’s longest-serving tailback had he stayed on offense.
THINGS TO WATCH FOR THIS SPRING
1) HOW WILL ENO BENJAMIN BE USED: Despite being a former 4-star recruit, Benjamin can’t do all the things that Demario Richard could do as starting running back last season. At 5-foot-10 and 200 pounds, the sophomore lacks Richard’s brute size, making it unlikely he will be able to pound up the middle the way Richard did. What Benjamin does have is terrific speed and awareness, according to Simon. It is a versatile skill set that will give Likens an array of ways to use him: in the passing game, on the edge, with screens, etc. This spring will serve as an early indication as to how ASU will utilize Benjamin’s talents.
2) WHAT NEXT FOR BLAKE BARNETT: When the former 5-star recruit arrived on campus after transferring from Alabama last offseason, the thinking was that Barnett would have a good chance to top Wilkins atop the QB depth chart. Fast-forward a year and Barnett enters spring still trying to overtake Wilkins as the starter. Just a redshirt junior, Barnett would theoretically have an excellent shot at the starting spot under center in 2019 but needs to prove himself this spring as a legitimate threat to possibly unseat Wilkins' and gain the confidence of his new head coach for the future.
3) CAN MANNY WILKINS TAKE ANOTHER STEP: In 2016, Manny Wilkins struggled quite a bit as a starting quarterback. Though battling injuries and inexperience, Wilkins threw too many incompletions and interceptions as ASU stumbled to a 5-7 record then. Last season, everything changed. Under Billy Napier’s guidance, Wilkins transformed himself into a reliable passer and finished the year with just eight picks, the fifth-fewest in the Pac-12 (min. 200 passing attempts).
His next-step: As one of the best returning signal callers in the league, becoming one of the Pac-12’s elite quarterbacks. Maybe playing in a familiar offense for the first time in his career will help, or just another added year of experience will pay off. There are still some technique issues that can be straightened out too – his ability to connect on deep balls would come and go in 2017 – but he is in position to find another level of play after his 3,720-yard, 20-touchdown junior season.
SPRING BALL ROSTER AND PROJECTED ROLES
STARTERS
Manny Wilkins (6-3, 200, Redshirt-Senior): For the first time since 2015, ASU will have a senior quarterback. Not since Taylor Kelly, who graduated in 2014, have the Sun Devils had the same starting QB for three straight years. Experience can make the difference in the pocket and a continuation of last year’s offense might have Wilkins set up to take another step forward this spring.
Eno Benjamin (5-10, 200, Sophomore): Not until late last season did Benjamin begin to make an impact, after the then-freshman battled injuries early in the campaign. He finished 2017 with 142 yards, a touchdown and averaged over six yard per carry. His next step is readying himself this spring to handle the workload of a starting tailback.
BACKUP QUARTERBACKS (In order of class)
Blake Barnett (6-5, 201, R-Junior): Last year did not go as expected for the Alabama transfer. Barnett saw only mop up duty for the Sun Devils and had more pick-sixes (one) than touchdowns (zero). Likens said he is working on Barnett’s footwork, but the former 5-star recruit will have to improve upon much more to become an effective passer again.
Dillon Sterling-Cole (6-3, 213, Junior): Sterling-Cole was only a spectator last season and figures to be the third-string again this season. The former 4-star prospect looked sharper during fall camp last season and could use this spring as another chance to improve.
Ryan Kelley (6-4, 190, R-Freshman): Kelley is still a way’s from being college-ready, and he has some health issues to contend with as well. Spring may not offer much of an indication of how far the local product has come in his first year on campus.
Kevin Brown (6-4, 207, R-Freshman): Brown took snaps as the fourth-string QB during ASU’s slate of bowl practices last December and is another long-term project for the Sun Devils.
BACK UP RUNNING BACKS
Mark Cosgrove (5-10, 218, R-Sr): “Goose” as he is known appeared in just two games last season. He is the lone “fullback” listed on the roster and will be slated mainly in short yardage situation this year.
Trelon Smith (5-9, 181, Sophomore): Smith is the currently the only other listed running back for ASU after Nick Ralston’s move to linebacker early in spring. Smith had just one carry in 2017, but served on special teams and returned five kicks for the Sun Devils. He could use a good spring to assert himself on the depth chart before ASU’s four freshman running backs arrive later this summer.
Note: This list does not include incoming freshman from the 2018 class who will not arrive until the fall.
*Other positional previews:
March 15: Wide Receivers and Tight Ends