When Emory Jones entered the transfer portal two days into Florida’s spring camp last March, he navigated the uncertainty with the same serenity he would illustrate in the pocket as an SEC pass rush bore down on him.

Fast forward a few months, Jones sits in the Arizona State football team cafeteria with every news camera in the valley pointed his way. That calmness is still there as the words flow into the microphones in front of him. And even though his backward snapback still has the merchandise tag transfixed through the brim, it is evident Jones brings immense poise to every aspect of his job.

Even so, there was fear for Jones when he searched for a new destination. “You could be done with football. That’s something that was scary to me.” More emotions, like annoyance over another recruitment process and the hassle of coordinating logistics, accompanied Jones as he determined his next course.

Herm Edwards got in touch with him a week after he entered the transfer portal. Jones not only saw the opportunity to compete and lead but also develop a close relationship with a college head coach. He had never experienced such a connection before.

“Every home game, every single game actually, he walks out first right beside the quarterback,” Jones said. “He goes out and tells the quarterback, ‘Do what you do. Don’t think too much.’ He tells the quarterback that he loves him.

“And that’s something that really stuck out to me because you have to have a good connection with your quarterback as a head coach. That’s something I feel like I didn’t have, and that’s all I wanted. That is what’s here.”

Outgoing three-year starter Jayden Daniels would frequently spend his afternoons in Edwards’ office. Their link was why Edwards was convinced Daniels would remain in Tempe following the 2021 season. Although Daniels has moved on and transferred to LSU, Edwards still views forming a bond with his quarterback as an essential component of coaching the program. “I appreciate him,” Edwards commented on Jones less than 24 hours prior to the redshirt junior’s press conference.

With the Sun Devils still under NCAA investigation for alleged recruiting violations, the tranquility of Jones proves invaluable for the locker room and the position group he will attempt to stabilize.

Being calm amid chaos was coached into Jones down in Gainesville, Fla. He was a freshman who enrolled early, all but bursting with athleticism, eager to separate himself from the pack with his dual-threat abilities. Instead, he was forced to learn the art of patience.

“The first couple of spring practices, Coach Mullen told me I couldn’t run,” Jones recalled. “He literally told me I had to stand in the pocket and throw every single play. But then I learned what quarterbacking is. You can’t just go out there and do your own thing; take off whenever you want to. You have to actually go through every single read and look off defenders.”

A disciplined rusher, Jones looks to pass the ball first when extending the play. In some ways, this will be refreshing for the offense. Daniels was effective at moving the sticks with his wheels, but in doing so, he abandoned his reads well before the height of the progression. It became a crutch and ultimately caused his downfield passing confidence to decay. The hope is that Jones will regularly keep the play structure alive before tucking the ball.

First, he has to master the playbook, a new scheme from the one he operated under with the Gators. This year’s ASU offense will huddle more and use the quarterback under center. The other signal callers on the roster, Trenton Bourguet, and Paul Tyson, got a head start in that regard going through spring practice.

Therefore Jones put his head down when he arrived in the valley and showcased his work ethic first before becoming a leader vocally. He learned every player’s name. Jones hit up center Ben Scott for extra work outside of practice to develop chemistry, and he organized throwing sessions with Elijhah Badger as well as the rest of the receiving room this summer. Team activities, like trips to a bowling alley (“I kicked everybody’s butts, just so y’all know,” Jones said with a smile) and water park have helped his integration.

“That’s something I knew I had to do and lock into it and put extra time in,” Jones said. “I think I have a great general concept of the entire playbook. At this point, it’s just getting comfortable running it and getting comfortable making checks and making sure everybody else knows what they’re doing, not just myself.”

Jones excelled at executing the read-option at Florida. He would hold edge defenders with the mere threat of his rushing ability, which led to many explosive plays for the run game. With another strong backfield behind him at ASU, Jones expects to enjoy the same amount of entertainment watching the defense track both him and Xazavian Valladay, Daniyel Ngata, Tevin White, or whoever lines up with him in the backfield.

“It’s definitely fun for me,” Jones said. “I feel like that’s really my time to pick on the defensive guys because they try to get at me every single play. A lot of those guys can’t run with me, so I try to make them look bad.”

Jones’ legs also add another layer to the offense that no other ASU quarterback can offer. He can become the sixth dynamic playmaker the defense has to account for, both in the run and pass schemes. Factor in the Sun Devils wanting to run more 12 personnel sets with two tight ends in the game; opponents will be working overtime to figure out the direction of the play.

“That’s what college football has turned into, just the uncertainty on offense and having defenses nervous, not really knowing what they’re gonna do,” Jones explained. “But I feel like having some really good tight ends, some big guys, some guys that can run and that you can put into different positions, that’s going to definitely help us and create a lot of great matchups, especially outside.”

More notes on Emory Jones on three downs:

1) He looks up to DeSean Jackson. They have the same trainer and are both originally from Georgia. Jones says Jackson has helped him a lot, and he can call the three-time Pro Bowler whenever he needs advice. Lamar Jackson and Aaron Rodgers are the quarterbacks he watches.

2) He’s still adjusting to the Arizona heat. Although Florida has the humidity factor, Jones said, “the heat lasts all day here.” Nobody had the heart to tell him it won’t cool down for some time.

3) While the spring showcased an offense willing to slow things down, Jones talked up the speed of his weapons and how they can create extra space for his throws. If Jones wins the starting job, Thomas might have to adjust to that tempo to magnify that element of the offense.

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