The start to the second decade of the 21st century featured the tail end of the Dennis Erickson era at Arizona State, which came to a close following a 2011 season that began with great expectations and early season success but spiraled to one of the most aggravating final halves of a season recently experienced by Sun Devil fans. The rest of this mid-decade though was quite more consistent in its success.

In 2012, ASU ushered in a changing of the guard with Todd Graham hired as new head coach. Graham brought the ability to implement quick success as he showed at Rice and Tulsa, but also the reputation as a vagabond, making his a compelling yet controversial hire.

Graham came to Arizona State with ambitious talk from day one and materialized those promises by improving ASU to an 8-5 record in 2012 before claiming the Pac-12 south title as part of a 10-4 campaign in 2013. The Sun Devils repeated that double-digit win total the next year with a 10-3 effort in 2014, giving the program its first back-to-back 10-win seasons in nearly 40 years.

ASU entered the 2015 season with substantial national hype and a top-15 ranking but stumbled in what became just the second losing season for Graham as the Devils fell to a 6-7 final record.

Though the decade is barely more than halfway complete, the seasons that have been played feature players who have made what should be everlasting marks on the Arizona State football program.

The primary criteria considered for members of this list include All-Conference and All-America honors, placement among school, conference and national records, NFL Draft position and other significant quantifiable factors.

Quarterback

Taylor Kelly (2011-14)

In the 2010 recruiting cycle, when four-star prospect Pete Thomas decommitted from ASU, the Sun Devils scrambled to find a quarterback for its signing class. Ultimately, ASU’s scholarship offer convinced a two-star prospect rated the fourth-best player in the state of Idaho to withdraw his pledge to Nevada in favor of attending Arizona State. Needless to say, at the time Sun Devil fans didn’t look favorably on this tradeoff but by the time Kelly’s career concluded it’s a general exchange no rightminded Sun Devil fan would change.

After redshirting in 2010, Kelly saw brief game action the next season competing for backup reps with Mike Bercovici behind starter Brock Osweiler. When Osweiler left ASU a year early for the NFL, Kelly was in a three-man competition with Bercovici and Michael Eubank that lasted the majority of the offseason. In what was a definite surprise at the time, Kelly emerged as the starter during fall camp after being considered the third of three earlier in the offseason. Kelly took the baton and plunged full steam ahead as he started 30 consecutive games – including all of 2012 and ’13 – before suffering a foot injury in the early portion of his senior year. As a sophomore in 2012, Kelly started all 13 games and threw for 3,039 yards with 29 touchdowns and nine interceptions, tying him for the second-highest single-season passing touchdown mark and making him only the fourth player in school history to pass for more than 3,000 yards in a season. An Honorable Mention Pac-12 pick in 2012, the next year he improved on his yardage with a total of 3,635 passing yards – third-most in ASU history – adding 28 touchdown passes as he guided ASU to the Pac-12 south title and earned Second-Team All-Pac-12 honors.

Kelly’s senior season – and in some ways, his legacy as a whole – was drastically impacted by a foot injury suffered in the third game of the season. Kelly missed three starts and returned to the starting lineup at a level he described as well below 100-percent, limiting his usual dual-threat abilities, though he did help guide ASU to key wins over Notre Dame and Duke in the Sun Bowl.

In all, Kelly appeared in 39 games with 37 starts, boasting a 26-11 record and passing for 8,819 yards with 79 touchdowns and 26 interceptions. A mobile threat as well, Kelly added 1,404 career rushing yards with 13 touchdowns. By comparison, Pete Thomas played collegiately at three schools – Colorado State, North Carolina State and Louisiana-Monroe – throwing for 9,117 yards with 36 touchdowns and 36 interceptions. In terms of Sun Devil history, Kelly finished his career as ASU’s all-time leader in total offense (10,223) and touchdowns responsible for (92) while ranking third in passing touchdowns and fourth in passing yards.

Honorable Mention: Brock Osweiler (2009-11), Mike Bercovici (2011-15)

Running Back

Cameron Marshall (2009-12)

Marshall came to ASU as the No. 23 running back prospect in the nation for 2009 according to Rivals and after serving as a backup to Dimitri Nance as a true freshman the California native became a full-time starter as a sophomore in 2011. In 11 games as a starter in 2010, Marshall rushed 150 times for 787 yards with nine touchdowns. The next season was clearly Marshall’s finest, as he became what at the time was just the third 1,000-yard rusher for ASU in the 21st century when he rushed 230 times for 1,050 yards. Marshall added 18 rushing touchdowns that season, tying the school single-season record. His role diminished as a senior with the additions of Marion Grice and D.J. Foster, but Marshall ended his career ranked second all-time at ASU with 38 rushing touchdowns and seventh all-time with 2,700 rushing yards.

After the 2016 season it’s plausible that Demario Richard will have the body of work to take Marshall’s place as one of the top two backs of the decade, but for the time being, this spot is temporarily secure for Marshall. Marshall spent time playing in the Canadian Football League and with the Miami Dolphins and Seattle Seahawks and currently is on the Jacksonville Jaguars preseason roster.

Marion Grice (2012-13)

ASU secured a major Signing Day score as the former Texas A&M commit, ranked the fifth-best overall JUCO transfer in the nation opted to ink with the Sun Devils for Todd Graham’s first class at Arizona State. Grice quickly became one of the most versatile and productive backs in the nation as in split duty in the backfield he totaled 679 rushing yards and 425 receiving yards and 19 total touchdowns, tied for the third-highest single-season touchdowns total in ASU history. An Honorable Mention All-Pac-12 pick that year, Grice enjoyed an even better year and took home Second-Team All-Pac-12 accolades in 2013 as he posted 996 rushing yards and 438 receiving yards with 20 total touchdowns despite missing the final three games of the season. In all, in just 24 games played Grice rushed for 1,675 yards with 25 touchdowns and caught 91 passes for 863 yards and 14 scores.

Grice was drafted in the sixth round (201st overall) of the 2014 NFL Draft by the San Diego Chargers but later signed and saw game action with the Arizona Cardinals. During the 2015 season, he was on the practice squads for Arizona and the Detroit Lions.

Honorable Mention/Future Possibilities: Kalen Ballage (2014-Present), Demario Richard (2014-Present)

Wide Receiver

Gerell Robinson (2008-11)

Not many Sun Devils in recent history have embodied the “late bloomer” concept more than Robinson. The key signee of ASU’s 2008 signing class, Robinson bounced around a multitude of positions (and schools) at the high school level and his transition to exclusively playing wide receiver at the college level was a lengthy one. Through his first two seasons, the former four-star prospect started just five games with combined numbers of 29 catches for 287 yards with no touchdowns. His junior season saw marked improvement though his statistics were nowhere near blue-chip caliber as he caught 29 passes for 387 yards with five touchdowns.

His final season, however, with Brock Osweiler at the helm at quarterback, Robinson compiled one of the most productive seasons in Arizona State history by a wide receiver with 77 receptions for 1,397 yards and seven touchdowns. As far as superlatives go, his 107.5 receiving yards per game in 2011 established a school record, while his receiving yards marked the second-highest single-season total in school history and his receptions the third-best single-season output.

An Honorable Mention All-Pac-12 selection in 2011, Robinson was not drafted after college but spent time with the Denver Broncos, Arizona Cardinals, Cleveland Browns and Miami Dolphins between the 2012-15 seasons and saw action in three total games with the Dolphins and Browns during the 2014 regular season.

Jaelen Strong (2013-14)

Though he was just a three-star junior college recruit for the 2013 class, Strong came to ASU surrounded by very high expectations and went on to perform at a level few could have predicted. As a redshirt sophomore in 2013, Strong quickly became one of the most impressive first-year players in the Pac-12 as he posted five 100-yard receiving games in his first six starts and ultimately caught 75 passes for 1,122 yards with seven touchdowns on his way to Second-Team All-Pac-12 recognition. Strong’s debut season numbers stood at the time as the fifth-greatest single-season receptions total and sixth-highest receiving yards amount in Sun Devil history.

The Philadelphia product improved on those figures as a junior in 2014, earning First-Team All-Pac-12 and Second-Team All-America recognition after catching 82 passes for 1,165 yards with 10 touchdowns. Strong’s junior year numbers stand as the second-highest single-season receptions total and fifth-highest receiving yards amount in Sun Devil history.

One of only three players in program history to record multiple 1,000-yard receiving seasons and one of the most incredibly talented wide receivers ever to play for the Sun Devils, despite only playing two seasons, Strong totaled 157 receptions for 2,287 yards with 17 touchdowns, ranking him sixth all-time in ASU history in career receptions and seventh in receiving yards. After skipping his senior season to enter the NFL Draft, Strong was chosen in the third round (70th overall) by the Houston Texans and caught 14 passes for 161 yards with three touchdowns as a rookie in 2015.

Honorable Mention/Future Possibilities: Kerry Taylor (2007-10), Jamal Miles (2009-12), Aaron Pflugrad (2010-11), Mike Willie (2010-11), Rashad Ross (2011-12), Devin Lucien (2015), Cameron Smith (2013-Present), Tim White (2015-Present)

Tight End

Chris Coyle (2010-13)

Oh, the difference a coaching change can make. When ASU transitioned from Dennis Erickson to Todd Graham at head coach, few players on the roster benefitted as greatly as Coyle. Prior to Graham’s arrival, Coyle had bounced from tight end to wide receiver and managed a whopping six receptions for 73 yards in 25 games across his freshman and sophomore seasons. After the coaching change, however, Coyle became one of ASU’s featured targets and most reliable pass-catchers as he enjoyed a breakout junior season with 57 catches for 696 yards with five touchdowns, breaking Zach Miller’s single-season school record for receptions by a tight end and placing second behind Todd Heap in 1999 in terms of receiving yards by a tight end.

An Honorable Mention All-Pac-12 selection as a junior, though his numbers dipped to 29 receptions for 423 yards with four touchdowns as a senior, Coyle was able to snare First-Team All-Pac-12 accolades in 2013. Though he was a late bloomer, Coyle can legitimately be considered one of the very best tight ends in ASU history as he finished his career third all-time at ASU among tight ends in receptions (92), fourth in touchdown catches (nine) and fifth in receiving yards (1,192). After an NFL tryout with the Houston Texans, Coyle moved on to a professional rugby career in Australia.

Honorable Mention: Kody Kohl (2013-Present)

All-Purpose

D.J. Foster (2012-15)

No Sun Devil recruiting target in recent memory was as closely watched as Foster, who prior to his late-January 2012 verbal commitment was discussed nearly around the clock on the Devils Digest message board. The former Scottsdale Saguaro High School standout immediately made his presence felt with the Sun Devils as during his true freshman season he earned Freshman All-America honors and, despite technically playing running back, he recorded the second-highest receptions (37) and receiving yards (552) totals by an ASU freshman, both behind Zach Miller in 2004. Foster also added 493 rushing yards that year and earned Honorable Mention All-Pac-12 accolades.

Foster earned Honorable Mention All-Pac-12 distinction again as a sophomore in 2013 when he rushed for 501 yards with two touchdowns and added 63 catches for 653 yards and four scores, primarily playing an all-purpose role before becoming the top tailback when Marion Grice was injured. In 2014, Foster enjoyed his best season as a rusher as he ran for 1,081 yards and nine scores while still being a key threat as a pass receiver with 62 catches for 688 yards and three touchdowns on his way to Second-Team All-Pac-12 honors. As a senior, Foster was relocated to wide receiver on a full-time scale and ultimately endured his overall poorest statistical season as he caught 59 passes for 584 yards with three touchdowns and rushed 55 times for 280 yards with one score.

In all, Foster has a viable claim to be considered the top all-purpose performer in Arizona State history as he is one of just five NCAA Division I football players and the only Sun Devil ever to accumulate more than 2,000 career rushing and receiving yards. Altogether Foster totaled 4,829 all-purpose yards (2,458 receiving, 2,355 rushing) and scored 32 touchdowns. Foster ended his career ranked second all-time at ASU in receptions (222), sixth in career receiving yards and 11th all-time at ASU in career rushing yards. Additionally, Foster was the model of consistency as he never missed a game at the college level, and set a conference record by catching at least one pass in all 53 games in which he played.

Though Foster was not picked in the 2016 NFL Draft, he was signed by the New England Patriots and is currently working to secure a roster position.

Offensive Line

Garth Gerhart (2008-11)

One of several recruiting flips to ASU during Dennis Erickson’s first signing class with the Sun Devils, Gerhart backed off a verbal commitment to Colorado to attend Arizona State. The No. 7 center in the 2007 class, Gerhart enjoyed an excellent collegiate career as he started 35 of 39 games played from 2008-11. A Second-Team All-Pac-12 selection as a senior in 2011, though he was not drafted following his time in Tempe, has been in the NFL each season since he left ASU as Gerhart signed with the Cleveland Browns in 2012 and spent time with the Packers and Panthers before rejoining the Browns this January. In total, the Norco, Calif., native has appeared in two NFL games.

Evan Finkenberg (2010-13) When Finkenberg signed with ASU over offers from Colorado and Washington State, many hoped the “diamond in the rough” cliché would prove true with the California product, and when all was said and done Sun Devil fans were granted their wish. A four-year starter at offensive tackle, Finkenberg was an Honorable Mention All-Pac-12 selection as a junior in 2012 and then finished his college career on a high note as a First-Team All-Pac-12 pick as a senior on ASU’s Pac-12 South champion squad in 2013. Finkenberg signed with the Miami Dolphins after falling undrafted in 2014 but was released prior to the start of the season.

Jamil Douglas (2011-14)

A one-time verbal commit to Utah, Douglas’ college career began in rocky fashion with a suspension his true freshman season for an off-field incident but rebounded tremendously as he ultimately became a model student-athlete for Arizona State. After playing a reserve role in 2011, Douglas started every game of the 2012-14 seasons, beginning at guard the first two years before playing left tackle as a senior. The slight position change didn’t faze the Californian as Douglas was a First-Team All-Pac-12 selection as a senior after earning second-team honors his junior year. Additionally, Douglas was regarded as a Pac-12 All-Academic First-Team honors recipient for the 2014 season and an Honorable Mention Pac-12 All-Academic choice the year before and earned his bachelor’s degree the same semester he finished playing for ASU. A fourth round selection (114th overall) by Miami in the 2015 NFL Draft, Douglas appeared in 16 games as a rookie with the Dolphins with six starts.

Vi Teofilo (2012-15)

A lightly recruited three-star recruit out of Phoenix’s Moon Valley High School with competing FBS level offers only from Fresno State, New Mexico State, Oregon State and San Diego State, few would have predicted Teofilo would start more than 40 games during his Arizona State career. After starting three games as a redshirt freshman in 2012, Teofilo then went on to start all 40 games played during the 2013-15 seasons at right guard, performing as one of the most steady yet unsung offensive linemen in recent Sun Devil history. Though the Phoenix native fell undrafted after his senior season, he caught on in the NFL with San Diego and is working to carve out a roster position with the Chargers for 2016.

Christian Westerman (2013-15)

One of the most prominent high school recruits ever to come out of the state of Arizona when he was rated the No. 27 overall prospect in the 2011 class, Sun Devil fans shook their collective heads in frustration when Westerman opted to sign with defending National Champion Auburn. Fate swung favor into Arizona State’s direction, however, as after the 2012 season the Chandler Hamilton High School alum decided to return home and transfer to ASU. Due to the fact that he was eligible after the fall 2013 semester concluded, Westerman was actually able to see his first action as a Sun Devil in ASU’s Holiday Bowl loss to Texas Tech.

Over his junior and senior seasons, Westerman started all 25 games he played at left guard, earning Honorable Mention All-Pac-12 recognition as a junior and Second-Team All-Pac-12 accolades as a senior blocking for consecutive 1,000-yard rushers in D.J. Foster and Demario Richard. One of the most powerful players at the most recent NFL Combine, Westerman was the higher of the two ASU players selected in the 2016 NFL Draft when he was taken in the fifth round (161st overall) by the Cincinnati Bengals.

Honorable Mention: Aderious Simmons (2010-11), Kody Koebensky (2010-13), Dan Knapp (2008-11), Nick Kelly (2013-15)

Defensive Line

Jamaar Jarrett (2008-11)

The No. 21 strongside defensive end of the 2008 class, Jarrett turned into a solid presence for the Sun Devil defensive line under Dennis Erickson and staff. A starter as a senior and most of his junior season, in total Jarrett appeared in 46 games with 19 starts, collecting 100 tackles including 20.5 for loss with 7.5 sacks. An Honorable Mention All-Conference selection in 2010 and ’11, Jarrett signed with the St. Louis Rams as an undrafted rookie free agent in 2012.

Will Sutton (2009-13)

Similar to Chris Coyle on the offensive side, Sutton went from a role player to a program superstar after the transition from Dennis Erickson to Todd Graham as head coach. The No. 42 defensive tackle prospect in the 2009 class, Sutton was generally overshadowed as a recruit by his five-star high school teammate Vontaze Burfict but in the end, it was Sutton whose college career reached an elite level.

Sutton’s dominance was far from immediate, as he totaled 17 tackles with one sack in 12 games as a true freshman in 2009 but was academically ineligible in 2010. The next season, Sutton had a decent campaign with 33 tackles including 2.5 sacks as a starter in 12 of 13 games played.

No player in the Pac-12 Conference enjoyed as substantial of an improvement from the 2011 to ’12 seasons as Sutton, who absolutely exploded onto the national radar with a sensationally dominant junior year. In 2012, Sutton totaled career highs of 63 total tackles including 23.5 for loss with 13.0 sacks, on his way to Consensus First-Team All-America and First-Team All-Pac-12 honors while he was also named the Pac-12 Conference Pat Tillman Defensive Player of the Year and the Morris Trophy recipient as the Pac-12’s top defensive lineman of the year. Sutton ranked second in the nation in tackles-for-loss and third in sacks, and both figures were the fourth-best single-season totals in ASU history.

Sutton chose to return to ASU for his senior season and again was a defensive catalyst for the Sun Devils as he became a two-time Pac-12 Conference Pat Tillman Defensive Player of the Year and Morris Trophy recipient, while also taking home multiple All-America honors as well as First-Team All-Pac-12 distinction. As a senior that season, Sutton totaled 48 tackles including 13.5 for loss with 4.0 sacks. For his career, Sutton appeared in 43 games with 131 tackles including 34.5 for loss with 20.5 sacks, placing him in ASU’s all-time top-10 in both career sacks and career tackles-for-loss.

A third-round choice (82nd overall) of the Chicago Bears in the 2014 NFL Draft, Sutton started seven of 13 games played as a rookie with 23 tackles and started five of 15 games played in 2015 with 22 total tackles.

Davon Coleman (2011-13)

A late addition from the JUCO ranks to ASU’s 2011 signing class, Coleman joined the Sun Devils with three years of eligibility and became one of the team’s most solid linemen during his tenure. After appearing in 13 games with 42 tackles as a sophomore, Coleman improved his output noticeably in 2012 with 66 tackles including 11.0 for loss with 5.0 sacks in 2012. The Ohio native saved his best for last as his senior year included a stat line of 58 tackles including 15.0 for loss with 8.5 sacks on his way to Honorable Mention All-Pac-12 recognition. Altogether as a Sun Devil, Coleman totaled 166 tackles including 31.0 for loss with 16.0 sacks in 39 career games. Though he was not drafted in 2014, Coleman signed with the Dallas Cowboys and has also been on the Chicago Bears and Tampa Bay Buccaneers' rosters and is currently with the New York Giants.

Marcus Hardison (2013-14)

As can be the case with junior college transfers, Hardison’s second season at the FBS level was a night-and-day improvement over his first as in 2013 he mustered just five total tackles with one sack in 13 games as a reserve despite coming to ASU with huge expectations as a four-star recruit rated the No. 14 overall JUCO prospect in the nation by Rivals. Hardison showcased tremendous advancement as a senior in 2014, as he was ASU’s leader in sacks (10.0) and tackles-for-loss (15.0) and collected 53 total tackles and earned Honorable Mention All-Pac-12 recognition. After being selected in the fourth round (135th overall) by Cincinnati in the 2015 NFL Draft, Hardison enters his second season with the Bengals.

Honorable Mention/Future Possibilities: Saia Falahola (2007-10), Bo Moos (2008-11), Junior Onyeali (2010-12), Gannon Conway (2011-13), Tashon Smallwood (2014-Present), JoJo Wicker (2015-Present)

Linebacker

Vontaze Burfict (2009-11)

A controversial figure both at ASU and in the NFL and a player who barely scratched the surface of his athletic potential with the Sun Devils, Burfict still contributed enough moments of other-worldly ability to warrant mention here. Few recruits of the Rivals era were as big of a deal for Arizona State to have landed as the five-star Burfict, the number one inside linebacker and ninth overall prospect in the 2009 class. Expected to be a Ray Lewis clone, Burfict backed off his verbal pledge to USC to sign with Arizona State, giving the Sun Devils the player many thought would quickly become college football's’ most fearsome defender.

The early returns were impressive as Burfict was named the Pac-10 Conference Defensive Freshman of the Year and a Freshman All-American after recording 69 tackles including 7.0 for loss with 2.0 sacks, often showing his penchant for vicious hits and overall play. During his second season, Burfict’s output increased but so did his tendency for collecting personal foul penalties. A Second-Team All-Pac-10 selection and the Sporting News’ choice as the Pac-10 Conference Defensive Most Valuable Player, Burfict posted 90 tackles including 8.5 for a loss but also was heavily on the radar of game officials due to his aggressive enthusiasm. Nicknamed “The Meanest Man in College Football” by a Sporting News writer prior to the 2011 season, Burfict entered his junior year with widespread All-America expectations but finished with an overall effort that can generally be considered his poorest as he chipped in 69 tackles and ultimately had his role in the defensive minimized as the season concluded.

Burfict bypassed his senior season at ASU to enter the NFL, but was not drafted and ultimately signed with the Cincinnati Bengals. Burfict’s NFL career thus far has had plenty of highs and lows, as not only did he make the Bengals roster in 2012, he started 14 games and was the team leader with 127 tackles. The next season, he was the NFL leader with 171 tackles and earned a Pro Bowl nod. His third season, Burfict only appeared in five games due to injury and played in just 10 games in 2015, culminating in a highly controversial playoff game performance against the Pittsburgh Steelers that resulted in a three-game suspension to start the 2016 season.

Brandon Magee (2008-10; ’12)

Rated the No. 26 outside linebacker prospect in the 2008 class by Rivals, Magee spent time on both ASU’s baseball and football teams during his collegiate career. After serving as a key reserve in 2008 and ’09, Magee enjoyed a breakout season in 2010 as a starter in all 11 games he played, ranking second on the team with 73 tackles. Magee’s momentum came to an unfortunate halt due to a preseason injury that cost him the entire 2011 season, but he returned with a vengeance as a redshirt senior in 2012 as he brought home Second-Team All-Pac-12 accolades after totaling a team-high 113 tackles. Magee ranked second in the Pac-12 in tackles-per-game (9.42) and added 12.5 tackles-for-loss with 6.5 sacks. In 44 career games, Magee totaled 231 tackles with 24.5 for loss with 10.0 sacks and three interceptions.

Though he was not picked in the 2013 NFL Draft, Magee saw regular season action in 2013 with the Cleveland Browns, totaling 12 tackles. Magee then joined the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for the 2014 season before being waived in March of 2015. From there, Magee resumed his baseball career by reporting to spring training with the Boston Red Sox shortly after being released by Tampa Bay.

Carl Bradford (2011-13)

A fullback in high school only a reported scholarship offer from San Diego State in addition to ASU, Bradford was recruited to ASU as a linebacker and despite being new to the position, by the end of his college career, he was one of the most impactful pass rushers in the Pac-12 Conference. After playing middle linebacker and defensive end as a redshirt freshman in 2011, when Todd Graham replaced Dennis Erickson and implemented the Devilbacker position to the defense Bradford began to flourish. After managing just 12 tackles in 12 games in 2011, as a starter in all 13 contests in 2012 Bradford collected 81 tackles including 20.5 for loss with 11.5 sacks and three forced fumbles. An Honorable Mention All-Pac-12 selection that year, he followed his sophomore season with a junior year that featured 61 tackles including 19.0 for loss with 8.5 sacks on his way to First-Team All-Pac-12 recognition. Bradford’s 40.5 combined tackles-for-loss over the 2012-13 seasons ranked fourth in the nation across those two seasons and the California native opted to bypass his senior season at ASU to enter the NFL Draft. Chosen in the fourth round (121st overall) by Green Bay, Bradford remains on the Packers roster.

Honorable Mention/Future Possibilities: Shelly Lyons (2008-11), Colin Parker (2008-11), Chris Young (2012-13), Antonio Longino (2013-15), Salamo Fiso (2013-Present), Laiu Moeakiola (2013-Present), D.J. Calhoun (2014-Present), Christian Sam (2014-Present)

Defensive Back

Omar Bolden (2007-10)

His decision to attend Arizona State remains an unforgettable one for Sun Devil fans as on Signing Day 2007 Bolden orchestrated one of the more entertaining hat selection announcements when he declared his commitment to ASU. From there, the California native would quickly become a playmaker for the Sun Devils as he claimed a starting cornerback position not long into his true freshman season. His best overall season came in 2010 as he was one of only four unanimous First-Team All-Pac-10 selections when he totaled 52 tackles and three interceptions as a team captain that year. Bolden received an additional year of eligibility for 2011 after earning a medical redshirt for 2009 but suffered a season-ending injury during spring drills. Despite the injury, Bolden was a team captain for 2011 just as he was the year before and for his ASU career, he appeared in 41 games with 35 starts with 138 tackles, 21 pass breakups, and seven interceptions while also starring on kickoff returns.

A fourth-round selection (101st overall) of the 2012 NFL Draft by Denver, Bolden spent his first four pro seasons with the Broncos and earned a Super Bowl ring after the 2015 season. Bolden was signed by the Chicago Bears this offseason but was released on July 22.

Alden Darby (2010-13)

Similar to Evan Finkenberg on the offensive line, when the phrase “diamond in the rough” is mentioned in relation to ASU football recruiting over the past handful of years, Darby’s name is one of the first and most worthy to be mentioned. A two-star recruit according to Rivals with no sort of position ranking or additional scholarship offers listed, Darby was a do-it-all athlete at the high school level but settled into positions in the secondary at ASU and ultimately became one of the better playmaking defensive backs in the Pac-12 Conference. Darby made a quick impact by appearing in 11 games as a true freshman in 2010, then improved to chip in 51 tackles with three interceptions as a sophomore in 2011.

The advancements continued when Todd Graham arrived at ASU in 2012, as Darby started all 27 games of the 2012 and ’13 seasons, first earning Second-Team All-Pac-12 consideration as a junior after collecting a career-high 80 tackles with three interceptions and then Darby ended his career on a high note with First-Team All-Pac-12 recognition in 2013 by posting 72 tackles and a career-best four interceptions. In all, Darby appeared in 50 games with 217 tackles, 26 pass deflections, and 10 career interceptions.

Despite falling undrafted in 2014, Darby spent time in the 2014 and ‘15 with the San Diego Chargers and Pittsburgh Steelers and was on the New Orleans Saints roster this preseason prior to recently signing with the Indianapolis Colts.

Osahon Irabor (2010-13)

A four-star prospect rated the No. 28 cornerback recruit in the nation by Rivals for the 2009 recruiting cycle, Irabor came to Tempe with high expectations and over his four years on the field for the Sun Devils the Upland, Calif., native held true to those predictions. After redshirting in 2009, Irabor started the final games of the 2009 season and never looked back as he was a full-time starter for the remainder of his Sun Devil career. An Honorable Mention All-Pac-12 selection as a junior, as a senior in 2013 Irabor totaled 54 tackles and three interceptions and earned Second-Team All-Pac-12 accolades.

Damarious Randall (2013-14)

A three-star JUCO defensive back from nearby Mesa (Ariz.) Community College, Randall was an intriguing prospect prior to coming to ASU as he played just one season of junior college football after beginning his college days as a baseball player. That 2012 season at MCC, however, was a spectacular one and netted him a host of scholarship offers but Randall opted to remain in the area and attend Arizona State. Lucky for ASU that he did, as after a solid junior season in which he became a starter and reliable playmaker and posted 71 tackles, Randall enjoyed a spectacular senior season in 2014. An Honorable Mention All-American and a First-Team All-Pac-12 selection, Randall ranked sixth in the Pac-12 with a team-high 106 total tackles and tied for second in the league with a team-best three interceptions.

Randall’s stock continued to soar after the 2014 season as his became a trending name heading into the NFL Draft and he ultimately became the first Sun Devil since Terrell Suggs in 2003 to be chosen in the first round when he was picked 30th overall by Green Bay. After shifting to cornerback, Randall appeared in 15 games as a rookie with nine starts and totaled 53 tackles and three interceptions for the Packers.

Honorable Mention/Future Possibilities: Clint Floyd (2008-11), Eddie Elder (2010-11), Deveron Carr (2009-12), Keelan Johnson (2009-12), Robert Nelson (2012-13), Lloyd Carrington (2013-15), Jordan Simone (2014-15), Armand Perry (2014-Present), Kareem Orr (2015-Present)

Kicker

Zane Gonzalez (2013-Present)

When Gonzalez signed with ASU nearly two months after Signing Day as an unranked, 150-pound kicker with no other reported scholarship offers it’s unlikely that even his closest kin would have expected him to enter his senior season in position to enter NCAA record books. As a true freshman, Gonzalez unseated Alex Garoutte as the top kicker and claimed First-Team All-Pac-12 honors after hitting 25-of-30 field goals, all 63 PAT attempts and was the Pac-12 leader in points-per-game (9.9) and field goals per game (1.7). A semifinalist for the 2013 Lou Groza Award, Gonzalez broke the ASU record for points by a kicker (138) and tied the NCAA record for field goals made by a freshman. Gonzalez was named a Second-Team All-Pac-12 member in 2014 after connecting on 22-of-27 field goals and once again was a Groza Award semifinalist and as a junior in 2015 his 26 made field goals were the second-most in the country and in his first year handing kickoffs for ASU he had the highest touchback percent (75.0 percent) in the nation.

Entering his senior season, Gonzalez is the NCAA active leader in field goals per game (1.87) and scoring (9.9 points per game) and needs 16 field goals to break the FBS career record. He is also 81 points by kicking away from breaking the FBS career record of 466 and is within the range of the overall FBS scoring record of 500 points. Gonzalez is already ASU’s all-time points leader, surpassing All-American Luis Zendejas’ mark of 380 late last season, and is nine made field goals away from breaking Zendejas’ career record.

Punter

Josh Hubner (2011-12)

A local product and junior college transfer, Hubner enjoyed an excellent two-year tenure with the Sun Devils which included one of the top seasons by a punter in school history. A graduate of Scottsdale’s Desert Mountain High School and Scottsdale Community College, Hubner appeared in all 13 games of the 2011 season, averaging 41.3 yards per punt. As a senior in 2012, Hubner emerged as one of the nation’s premier punters as he earned multiple All-America honors and was a Second-Team All-Pac-12 selection after averaging 47.1 yards per punt, an Arizona State single-season record and the second-highest average in the nation in 2012. Altogether, Hubner finished his career with the second-highest punting average in ASU history. One of only two Ray Guy Award semifinalists in Sun Devil history, Hubner also saw time as the short snapper for field goals – a nearly unheard of role for a punter. Though he was invited to the 2013 NFL Scouting Combine, Hubner was not chosen in the NFL Draft that year.

Honorable Mention/Future Possibility: Trevor Hankins (2009-10), Matt Haack (2013-Present)

Return Specialist

Jamal Miles (2009-12)

A dynamic wide receiver, Miles truly broke into his own in 2010-11 as one of the most dangerous special teams returns threats in college football. After first seeing action as a kick returner as a true freshman in 2009, Miles earned Honorable Mention All-Pac-10 accolades in 2010, highlighted by a 99-yard kickoff return for a touchdown against UCLA. The next season, the Peoria native added to his already impressive repertoire by returning two kickoffs and a punt for a touchdown on his way to Second-Team All-Pac-12 honors. That season, Miles ranked second in the league in kick return average (26.3). Miles finished his career as ASU’s all-time leader in kick return yards and his three kickoffs returned for a touchdown also are a school record.

Honorable Mention: Omar Bolden (2007-10), LeQuan Lewis (2009-10), Rashad Ross (2011-12), Tim White (2015-Present)