Arizona State wide receiver Xavier Guillory started his first spring practice with the team the same way he plays.

Fast.

Guillory recorded the day's first reception in the 11-on-11 period on a short out route against off-coverage. He secured the catch and turned upfield, dipping his shoulder through the arm tackle of the closest defender. An excited Kenny Dillingham clutching a microphone and multi-colored play sheet bounced downfield as the offense moved the chains. “There it is!”

In the one-on-one period, Guillory really began to shine. One by one, defensive backs got the first taste of the speed that made the Idaho State transfer a coveted option in the portal. Guillory let his eyes drift back to the quarterback as if the ball was on its way, then snapped his head back down and shifted into another gear. Even those defensive backs known for their athleticism and length combination were left behind in the dust.

Guillory made the grab over the shoulder look natural before flashing the deuces akin to the signature celebration of Miami Dolphins’ speedy receiver Tyreek Hill.

After notching 52 catches for 785 yards and four touchdowns last season, Guillory has an idea of the heights his speed can take him to when paired with an explosive scheme that underwent its first install on Tuesday. The redshirt junior believes he offers the staff exactly what they were looking for to replicate Dillingham’s top-five scoring offense at Oregon. Get the ball in the air with space to run, and Guillory will do the rest.

“Playmaking ability, man," Guillory said. "I knew I wanted to come here; I knew I had a chance to make an immediate impact. I’m treating this like a professional and trying to do my job, coming here and getting us a lot of wins, for sure.”

The highlights refused to stop throughout practice. Guillory shook and stacked one defensive back completing the rep with another over-the-shoulder extension before scoring. Another DB got a rematch later but couldn’t stick with Guillory again, playing trail technique on a post route. Some of the reps were in an “arena-style” type, with the entire team surrounding the rep, watching and cheering for their champion. Matchups are decided by who is most competitive with each other, and Guillory was able to back up his smack talk with the defensive backs leading up to camp.

“I liked it,” Guillory remarked. “It put you on the spot; going into games, there’s a lot of people, and you’re in the spotlight, so you have to rise to that challenge, so I like getting called out like that. Once my name got called, I was like, ‘Oh, it’s time to compete’ at that point. I love that drill.”

Even when Guillory’s endurance was tested as Dillingham set a breakneck pace through practice, he kept finding ways to beat opponents and get open.

“It was hard today, I’m not going to lie,” Guillory admitted. “I came back from break, and they told us it would be fast, and it was. Twenty-three periods is a lot, especially at my position, receiver; we run a lot. But we have a lot of depth, so we’re able to rotate guys in and out and stuff like that. It was fast, and I feel like Coach Dillingham, even at the start of practice, set a good tempo for us today and set the standard for the rest of these practices.”

Unlike last spring, the foundation of Arizona State’s receiving corps is sound.

Wide receiver Elijhah Badger broke out as the team’s go-to target with 70 catches, 866 yards, and seven touchdowns. Tight end Jalin Conyers found his groove over the back half of the season, scoring five touchdowns in the last six games. Giovanni Sanders, a former walk-on, locked down a starting role in the slot and developed a reputation for moving the chains.

Guillory will have competition at the X-receiver spot. Returning players like Andre Johnson and Zeek Freeman will be hungry to keep their spot on the depth chart. Texas transfer Troy Omeire also figures to challenge for an outside role.

Over the next 14 practices and following months until Arizona State opens its season against Southern Utah, Guillory will look to cement his status as a worthy weapon in a scheme designed to maximize the catastrophe he can create in the vertical game.

“Right now, we’re just trying to figure out who we are," Guillory explained. "I feel like we got good pieces; we got a good team. We’re trying to figure out who wants to be here and who wants to build this program into a dynasty.”

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