The Arizona State Sun Devils have begun spring football under new head coach Todd Graham. There is a new energy and there are certainly a number of questions to be answered. There is the big question of who will start at quarterback, who will step up at wide receiver, how will kicker Alex Garoutte respond this season after a disappointing freshman campaign, among others.
House of Sparky was present at the practice and gives some great observations about what was seen.
Among the highlights were these:
The receivers dropped several passes, but Rashad Ross showed some top-flight speed, which he sowed in limited opportunities in 2011.
The quarterbacks showed some good things but some rough edges as well.
The polish of Mike Bercovici's passing is evident, but there were some balls that got away from him. Eubank has a big time arm, and I liked a lot of his back shoulder throws. However, his accuracy was inconsistent. Taylor Kelly wasn't too impressive throwing, but had a long touchdown run that showed off his mobility.
One big possible positive was how Junior Onyeali was present at practice. He was suspended by Dennis Erickson before the Las Vegas Bowl. One could speculate that, while with a new coach and a different situation, it looks like he will be reinstated and get to play for the team in 2012.
Perhaps the most symbolic observation came at the end of practice. Naturally it is happening because it is the start of the season:
About 15 minutes after practice had concluded, some position groups remained on the field with their coaches in discussions. Coach Graham was talking to some fans when the defensive linemen were walking off the field. As if he had eyes in the back of his head, Graham spun around, yelled at the nearest coach "Hey coach, why is (jersey number) 49 walking off my field?!" Immediately and without further prompt, those players sprinted to their previous position, and then sprinted off the field.
It is just the start, but that is a great thing to see.
Stay tuned for coverage of each practice.
For more coverage about ASU, visit House of Sparky.
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