Zak Hill encouraged by offensive progression in the preseason
ASU was fortunate to have the most spring practices of any team (seven) in the Pac-12 before the COVID-19 pandemic halted college football. Hill said those practices, even though they took place some seven months ago, are manifesting their worth these days in preseason practices as evident in the development of the Sun Devil offense operating under a new system.
“There are definite benefits of getting those spring practices for those guys,” Hill said. “Feeling that tempo, feeling that pace, feeling the operation, and then using those Zoom meetings and the corona time that we spent as an offense meeting on Zoom. Or when we finally got back in the building and extending those meetings and walkthroughs. And now that we’re on the field and actually seeing it pay off, it’s one thing to talk about it. But it’s also another thing to be out on the field and actually doing it. So now we got to catch up to that game speed a little bit more. Put it all together. Just the more reps, the better for us right now.”
One of the ASU offense struggles in recent years has been getting the tight end position more involved in the passing game. Case in point, last season, tight ends Tommy Hudson (now a practice squad member of the Tennessee Titans), sophomore Nolan Matthews, and senior Curtis Hodges combined for just 19 receptions, 212 yards, and one touchdown. To address the lack of production at the position, ASU brought in graduate transfer Kyle Horn (15 receptions, 197 yards, three touchdowns in 2019 at UMass) to aid in the receiving game and push the other tight ends.
“Creating more competition in that room is the goal,” Hill explained. “And creating more competition in that room is the goal. And then finding out who are the guys that are mentally and physically tough. That’s a tough position. There’s a lot to it. And now that we got more in the room, right now it’s (evaluation) time for this early fall camp and seeing who can pick it up quickest because it’s an intricate offense and there’s a lot to it at that position. But adding Kyle Horn to mix, he’s a big, strong guy that can run, and he catches the ball pretty well. He’s already shown the ability to make plays.”
ASU also boosted its offensive line through veteran additions in the offseason, adding two other graduate transfers in Henry Hattis from Stanford and Kellen Diesch from Texas A&M. Hill said they have picked up his scheme well and are serving as leaders for the younger lineman.
Herm Edwards’ coached teams going back to his NFL days have favored a ground and pound approach with establishing the run of the utmost importance. With Hill now running the ASU offense, the question arose how that Edwards tactic would mesh with a more creative system Hill is expected to employ.
Hill said he could find that happy medium between both styles, which will naturally also be dictated by the upcoming opponent.
“We like to throw the ball, and we also like to run the ball too,” Hill noted. “We’re just trying to keep teams off-balance. I think that’s the biggest thing as an offense. And each game’s different. You go into one game; you may feel really good about the run game. You go into another game; you may feel really good about the pass game. And I think we have the tools to be able to do that within our offense. And it’s also in-game; you’ve got to make those adjustments.”
As for the running game, Hill has two freshmen who were both highly-ranked recruits out of high school in Deamonte Trayanum (No. 16 at his position according to Rivals.com in the 2020 class) and Daniyel Ngata (No. 8 at his position according to Rivals.com in the 2020 class). However, they are being challenged by junior college transfer Rachaad White who has reportedly been turning heads in the last two practices.
“He’s an exciting player,” Hill stated. “He’s got a great demeanor about him too, so he fits in our locker room. The guys like him. But he’s got good speed, and he can make people miss. He uses his natural vision to set things up. He’s one of those guys that learns it quick, and he loves football. He loves to study. He loves to be out there with the guys.”
In his aerial attack, Hill will be relying on some young but talented, wide receivers and a tandem of such players LV Bunkley-Shelton and Johnny Wilson are prime examples for what should be a staple of this 2020 Sun Devil offense. “He is one of those guys that is very competitive,” Hill said of Wilson. “And he wants to win. He wants to compete every day. Doesn’t take plays off. I think he’s filling out a little bit too, which is good.”
Hill commended Bunkley-Shelton for his diligent training and work ethic in recent weeks and months that has been yielding early dividends in current preseason sessions.
“He’s one of those guys that prepared himself really well coming into camp, and he treats every day very professionally,” Hill said. “He always is thinking about what he puts in his body and the work and the process of what we’re going to put in for the day. He’s very detailed in his preparation, and you can tell on the field because he plays fast.”
It would not be a Zak Hill press conference without the topic of quarterback Jayden Daniels coming up. Hill said his sophomore signal-caller is mastering the new offense more and more and doing so at a formidable pace.
“Jayden’s doing a really good job of picking things up and picking up the operation of everything,” Hill stated. “And now, it’s just fine-tuning stuff. He knows the offense as far as what we’ve put in. We’ve gone through it multiple times, and now it’s when to use certain things. When do I check? When do I use signal adjust?”
Hill said his primary worry going into the season, epically as a first-year coordinator, is making sure he is calling the right plays for the right guys.
“I think the biggest concern is just making sure we’re utilizing our personnel as a coach,” Hill said. “Making sure what we’re putting in fits the games that we’re going into.”
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