Compared to the rest of the Pac-12, the Sun Devils were lucky to get in virtually half of their spring practice sessions. With a brand new scheme being installed on offense, its coordinator Zak Hill is thankful that he has established a good base of learning for his players and his assistant coaches. We cover that topic and more in our conversation with ASU's first-year offensive coordinator.
DevilsDigest: How's life been in the office and outside the office in these very unique times the last couple months?
Zak Hill: "It's been good. It's been different. We're able to, at least a few of us, to get into the office and work. We've managed with Zoom to do staff meetings are player meetings and a whole lot of recruiting. This was a big recruiting period for us, and not being able to be on the road, we're still doing a bunch of evaluations and calls and trying to communicate with coaches. But as far as the work environment, you don't have players up in the offices and around us. So one way of looking at it is that you got some time to focus, think, and put some stuff in. But then on the other side of it, you don't have that connection with the guys, and that can be that can be difficult too especially being a new coach, and we've got some new guys on the offensive staff…and not having our hands on them and being around the guys, it's a challenge."
DevilsDigest: Is your family still back in Boise or are they here with you?
Zak Hill: "They're here. We were really fortunate. My wife and I have been married for 12 years, and we have a four-year-old son and a seven-year-old daughter. So, when I got hired in December, we started looking at houses right away. I think in January after the bowl game, we found one quickly, and we moved in the first week of February. So, we are here and all. We've just been enjoying the weather down here. We got a pool and my kids are in the pool every day pretty much, we barbecue and all that stuff…so it's been a different time of life, but it's been nice being down here in Arizona. "
DevilsDigest: Back at Boise State how much of your world was virtual whether it was recruiting or just interacting with players?
Zak Hill: "I would say almost none. It's changed immensely, and it's really made myself, and I'm sure a lot of coaches around the country trying to use the video (meeting) technology and figuring some things out. We might have new ways to be able to be more efficient and do some things a little bit differently, and the technology that exists forced us to do that. But yeah at Boise it was all phone calls or FaceTime stuff like that, but you never got into the Zoom meetings."
DevilsDigest: These days how often do you meet with your quarterbacks?
Zak Hill: "We meet a couple of times a week. We're able to have eight hours now each week (per the new NCAA regulations). Now, you're working between the academic schedule and the last couple of weeks, we had finals, and we weren't able to meet with our guys. But on regular weeks we're able to meet a decent amount. We'll meet as a full unit, and that means on Mondays, and then position meetings through the week which is dependent on what we need to hit with those guys."
DevilsDigest: When you compare your first Zoom meeting right after spring break compared to your last one. Would it be fair to say it was a learning curve of sorts?
Zak Hill: "A definite learning curve. I was not familiar with it at all, and I've come a long way. It's actually became easier than I thought it was going to be. My thought was that this is going to be tough, but it's a pretty easy app and still learning some kinks and some things like that. But it's been good."
DevilsDigest: As mentioned, there's something to be said about really having a strong personal contact with players that really comes from having in-person contact. Nonetheless, there is still something to be said as far as learning about your players strictly through a Zoom meeting?
Zak Hill: "There is. With the Zoom meetings especially being in a group, they usually have their mics off just so that there's not the confusion of noise, sharing screens, and that type of stuff when you're trying to teach. So, there's limited interaction, especially when you get into the big unit meetings or team meetings. But it's as good as you can get. There's some lag time with the EXOS video clips that we're trying to show them if we're showing installs or things like that. So, there are some challenges, but for the most part o, it's the best way to get face-to-face or as close to it as possible."
DevilsDigest: Do you also participate in the wide receiver meetings, offensive line meetings, and other position meetings?
Zak Hill: "I have, and a lot of times the position meetings are at the same time. So, with a lot of them, we end up filming them and recording them. So, if I want to, I can go back and look at stuff I can. I got a chance to sit in on some meetings through the Sun Bowl week and see those guys (returning coaches) teach a little bit. We filmed our spring practice meetings, spring ball practices, and installs that we had, so I had a chance to look at a few of those, and you'll get an idea how guys teach."
DevilsDigest: Generally speaking, what are the biggest lessons you learned about yourself and learned about your players in this new virtual meeting environment?
Zak Hill: "That we got to be able to adjust, and we got to be flexible. Being in different locations and guys are at their house or wherever they are, and you want them to carry out what you what you'd like them to do and coach them through to use the resources. Some may not do that, and I think we're going to find out a lot about our team and a lot about some individuals when they come back and if they're in shape or not and how they prepared themselves through this. Did they use the tools that we provided them, and how much does this game mean to them?"
DevilsDigest: I know you would love to have all 15 sessions of spring practice, but I got to imagine that having just about half of them at seven, that's still pretty plenty of film for you to learn from especially being a first-year offensive coordinator here…
Zak Hill: "It was really good. It was big for the players to be able to feel the operation and get out there and have to communicate differently. For the receivers, the operation was a lot different than what it was a year before…from using multiple tempos or shifts and motions. It's some of the operational things, the signals, and that was a big step, and that's something that you can just talk about in meetings, which we try to, but it's it doesn't really hit home until you got to be out there on the field. There you've got a process, and you have to know, 'what is my process for each play? Where do I need to get my eyes? What do those signals mean? where do I align?' So, you have all that operational stuff, and then how we're using our cadence changes and things like that.
"It can be a lot, and so just for them to get out there and probably feel a little overwhelmed. So, they know what the urgency is with preparation, what it's going to look like, and what it's going to take to be good in this offense."
DevilsDigest: I'm sure you and the staff weren't trying to over-analyze those seven sessions just because you had all this extra time on your hands when spring practice ended abruptly. Would it be fair to say that you just took a few weeks to like really dissect everything that took place in spring ball before you moved on from it?
Zak Hill: "We did. We got a lot of time here now, so we were able to watch it as a staff, watch the cut-ups, the cumulative plays that we ran and then go back through it with our guys and go back through those installs again, which is important. You can see where we screwed up and where we need to make corrections or what went well, and then we've moved on from there in different areas.
"I feel like the seven practices were very beneficial for us, also as far as even with the coaches too as far as getting on the same page with the coaches or how we need to install some of the details within what we're doing."
DevilsDigest: Was there was one big pleasant surprise that came out of those seven spring practices?
Zak Hill: "There were a lot of good things. Even if there are things we need to work on, it's still good to realize certain things and then get to know the personnel a little bit more, see what we're dealing with, and having some time to take a step back and evaluate a little bit. Then we move the plan forward for fall camp whenever that is. There were good things I saw in spring practice, and as I said, the seven practices were huge for us just from an operations standpoint."
DevilsDigest: I know that it's an incomplete picture when you talk about seven practices versus 15 and on top of that Jayden Daniels did miss the first practice because of class. All that being said, what conclusions were able to draw from Jayden's performance in his six practices?
Zak Hill: "He's a special player, a true playmaker. He can make all the throws; he feels the pocket really well and can escape and create. He's very accurate and throws the deep ball really well. He's a Savvy player and a guy that once he gets into the game, his intangibles come out. He can do a lot of things that other quarterbacks can't, and that's when he really shines is in the game. There are obviously things were trying to work on, and a big part of that is just learning and becoming more familiar with the offense, but as far as his ability to make plays and make throws and lead the offense, he's got all that."
DevilsDigest: Was there one specific trait of Jayden that perhaps didn't that maybe didn't show up on film before spring practice that you able actually to witness for yourself when you actually got him on the practice field for the first time?
Zak Hill: "Well, what stood out to me in those practices were some of those 'wow moments' where his ability to slide in the pocket, set his feet quick, and get the ball out quick. Ofen times where he was off-balance, use a different arm slot and make a throw around a defensive end…just his natural ability to go make a play and be accurate with throws when he's off-balance. He throws the deep crosses really well; he throws the fade balls really well too and so those are just some of the wow moments for me when I say 'wow, this guy is special.'"
DevilsDigest: For one reason or another, Jayden did not have his 'A game' in the Sun Bowl game, and missing Eno Benjamin and Brandon Aiyuk took its toll on the offense. Additionally, there were a good number of players on offense that were playing their last game of Sun Devils. How much stock, if any, did you actually put in the film from the Sun Bowl?
Zak Hill: "A little bit, it (the viewing) was more personnel oriented. I knew the offense was going to change schematically, but I was just trying to see what those guys would do out there in a bowl game setting, and obviously some guys are playing more than they had before. With not having a couple of big-time playmakers who were sitting out, I wanted to see who responded how he responded. It was interesting too to watch some of those (pre-bowl) practices and not having any coaching responsibilities to just see how guys carry themselves, see how they handled practice, and see how that group operated. So, that was more than anything was what I got out of it - watching the bowl practices and the bowl game."
DevilsDigest: When you look at the battle for a Jayden Daniels’ back up, what are your thoughts on the players who are part of that competition?
Zak Hill: “That's going to continue to be an evaluation. We have a freshman coming in Daylin McLemore. He's got a lot of talent and he's 6-3 205, a big athletic kid that's still raw. So, we'll see how he transitions into the offense. We added Jack Smith the back to the roster, as another arm and an athlete and we’ll see how he does, he had limited reps in the spring. And then Trenton Bourguet, he's a very savvy player and very smart but obviously limited his the size. But he’s one of those guys that's accurate, he understands the game and can operate.
“So, really the big piece is who can I trust, who can we trust as a guy out there to make the right decisions and get the ball to the playmakers and that evaluation will continue to go on all the way up till game one. We're going to try to test them out in a lot of different ways and probably split those reps up which may be hard for them because the reps are going to be limited. But they got to take advantage of their reps and show what they know.”
DevilsDigest: When spring practice started seeing that it was a given that the two freshmen running backs DeaMonte Trayanum, and Daniyel Ngata were going to make their mark early on in spring practice, and for the most that is what materialized. What are your thoughts about that the two freshmen and how they performed in those seven sessions?
Zak Hill: “I thought they did really well. They're both very confident, they studied well. They're both pretty good leaders. DeaMonte is definitely that vocal leader, and has a presence about him. That's pretty impressive. It's almost like he's an older guy already and the guys respect him. He knows how to verbalize it well to where it doesn't come across negatively. So, he's gonna be a good energy kick for us and he's physically ready to play. He's got strength. He runs hard, has good balance and can break tackles. And then Daniyel is a different back, a little smaller, a little shiftier. He's got good hands out of the backfield as well. He provides a different type of running back than DeaMonte but both of those guys will have a role and we'll see who picks up the scheme and who we can trust to do the right job and understanding pass protection - that will be another thing. The protection piece is where DeaMonte is physically ready to take on some defenders.
DevilsDigest: It’s no secret that the offensive line is definitely one position group that would need to significantly improve from last season, for this offense to having a chance of being more explosive overall. What were your feelings concerning this unit’s performance in spring practice, even though in somewhat of a limited number of sessions?
Zak Hill: “Well, I thought a big highlight was (grad transfer) Kellen Diesch from Texas A&M. He is a very, very good player and I like what he brings to that group. It would have been nice to have Henry (Hattis) the other grad transfer from Stanford. Now, he was still healing from a leg injury, so I don’t know of he would be ready to go anyway, but he's going to be a nice addition. Having those two older guys will bring some leadership to a pretty young room. Then we have the two freshmen that were early enrollees in Jacob Nunez and Ben Bray, and they got some reps and got to show what they were capable of. I think they're both talented kids that are going to be good in the future. We have the two freshmen that played last year with LD (LaDarius Henderson) and Dohnovan West and those guys are getting better, bigger and stronger. Just that experience from last year has been good for them. They were in a tough situation to be in - true freshmen starting in the Pac-12. That's not easy for O-linemen.
“It’s a younger group of guys, that I think are coming together and I think the grad transfers will definitely help out solidify that a little bit. We've got a little bit more depth. Talking with (offensive line) coach Christensen and he said we've got more depth now than we than they've had in the past. It's just finding the right group, the best five, that work the best together and then making sure that we've got some backups that are ready to go in just in case.”
DevilsDigest: I know you've been asked about the tight end position seemingly more than ever in your career. Everybody realizes that this group had a shallow depth chart, so it's really may be hard based just on spring ball to make a lot of projections as far as how much of a role they can play in this offense. But what are your expectations going forward?
Zak Hill: "I think it's a good group, and we're going to be adding to it obviously having more bodies in the fall which will be good. We'll see who from the new guys can get in there and actually do some stuff for us. In the spring, the three out there that really stood out, one is Nolan Matthews who is going to be a good one. He's still young. Obviously, last year got some reps as a freshman, but he's got the ability and the size and the athleticism to be really good. Curtis (Hodges) is another one that stood out. He's a senior, so this is going to be his last hurrah, and he's done a good job with learning it and then having some urgency in his preparation. He's long and athletic, and he's good in the blocking game and is physical. I was pleasantly surprised with him for sure. And then Case Hatch being a player that's very good with his physicality, more of that full-back position. But he's also that wing type tight end, as well. He's one of those tough nose dudes that can that gets it done. He's a great leader for that group of guys, and he brings energy. He's going to be a hard worker. He's going to know his job and football is important to him. I know the guys love him and respect him. We've got a good core of guys in that room and then just gotta add on to that and hopefully create some depth."
DevilsDigest: I know this time last year folks were wondering whether Brandon Aiyuk could effectively replace N'Keal Harry as the no. 1 wide receiver, and the answer was a resounding 'yes.' Fast forward to right now, and the question is, can Frank Darby truly replace Aiyuk for that same role? I thought that Frank Darby, and I'm sure you would agree, showed a lot of promising signs with his performance in the last half of 2019. Do you believe Frank Darby can be that proverbial Alpha Dog and leader of the wide receiver group in 2020?
Zak Hill: "Yes, I do. I think he's got a great attitude. He brings really good energy to the team. I think he sees himself in that role, and a lot of times, that's the biggest piece. Do those guys like a Frank Darby have that confidence moving forward? Does he see himself as the playmaker? I think he does and he's got a lot of confidence. He wants the ball. He wants to be in that role, and he's working hard to do that and be that guy. Each year you got your dudes that are leaving, and then you're asking, 'what are we going to do?' …all this production is lost and every year guys step it up. We're going to figure out who the playmakers are, and Jayden's going to find the guys that he likes to get the ball to as well. It's going to just keep progressing. We'll see which guys will step up, and that's what we're looking for - we want guys to be hungry. There's a lot of production lost, but there are a lot of guys that haven't gotten their chance yet truly on the game field that we are excited for that role."
DevilsDigest: Let's talk about the other wide receivers that stood out in Spring practice. I thought Brandon Pierce literally came out of nowhere and had an impressive spring. What are your thoughts about his performance and the other wide receivers?
Zak Hill: "Brandon Pierce is really good. He's got a ton of speed, and he's got confidence too. In that first practice right off the bat, I think he had like eight catches and touchdown or whatever it was. He's a scrappy, hungry player. He's interesting, and he's a good playmaker. So, if he keeps things on the right track, learn the playbook, and we can trust him out there, he's going to be a good one, I think.
"Ricky Pearsall is one of those guys that stands out in my mind too. I got limited experience with these guys in the set of practices we had. But he's a guy you can trust in working hard and that he's going to do the right things to prepare himself to play well. He cares, he's a good route runner. Obviously, being so young, he has some work to do. But I think he's gonna be a little bit of that go-to guy from a trust standpoint with Jayden.
"Some guys that showed flashes were Jordan Kerley, he had some good plays in the spring. We've got some guys that have the ability. I would say it was tough on that wide receiver group because the transition (to a new scheme) was so different and between what they were used to, what they had to do, and how they had to think. So, I think as a whole they played slower, and there were a lot of things going on from a mental process, where they were thinking a lot. It's tough to play fast and confident when you're thinking a lot. What we got to do better at that in that position is to slow down the thinking, make it more routine."
DevilsDigest: With some new faces on the offensive coaching staff, how much of a challenge was it for the coaching staff to mesh together? Was that just as much as challenging as it was getting used to the players and them getting used to a new system with a limited number of practices and even more limited in-person contact since then?
Zak Hill: "It's always a challenge getting on the same page, especially when we (the coaches) are not together. But I think our staff came a long way in that process through spring (practices). You have your meetings and you're trying to get everyone on the same page with installs but actually now having to teach it to that group of guys and have our position coaches teach the installs. They had to go through the details of that and translate that into position meetings. It's a good process for them to have to go through, and then after those (position) meetings, there may be things that come up. 'What about this? How do I teach this unit?' Those conversations really help get you on the same page. You go back see what happened to practice. If you didn't explain something very well, you look and see how can I teach this better?"
DevilsDigest: As you know, the defense went through its own change of scheme from last year, albeit less dramatic perhaps than the offense. How would you rate the challenge that you saw from the other side of the ball during spring practice?
Zak Hill: "Our defense is really good. The linebackers are a physical and tough group of guys, and then the backend…holy cow…our secondary is really good. Of course, this defense was a challenge with a lot of legit guys playing there. They definitely challenged the receiver crew, and it's good for us to see that level of competition. We always say 'iron sharpens iron.' So, when you're going against that every day, it's going to make jumping into games a whole lot easier because you've seen it at a high level."
DevilsDigest: Going into fall camp, you were always going to have it was going to have a to-do list to accomplish anyway. But is it harder maybe to have a comprehensive to-do list under the current circumstances and perhaps it's a list that could change quite a bit the first few days of fall camp just because spring practice was cut short?
Zak Hill: "I don't think so. Fall camp is going to mirror spring ball. It's just extending the installs. So, we look at what we did in spring, review that and then and ask what do we need to get to situationally or scheme wise that we still didn't get a chance to take a look at? Whenever we get into fall camp, it will be pretty well dialed up on what we're trying to get out of it. In the spring, we installed about 20-30 percent of our base DNA. There's a lot of just pairing that down to what we're good at what's manageable from the learning curve with a new offense."
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