Yesterday, House of Sparky reviewed five Sun Devil players in need of a comeback year. With the new coaching staff in place, a clean slate has been presented to the entire roster, and guys like Kyle Middlebrooks and Deveron Carr have a chance to make good. Be sure to check out the entire list.
Yet, those five are far from the only ones in need of a rebound in 2012. Here are two more to add to the list.
Will Sutton - Defensive Tackle
Some may raise their eyebrows at this, but for the hype generated by Sutton's talent--and both hype and skill are considerable--the production simply wasn't there. Last season, Sutton played in all 13 games, but made just 33 tackles--and most importantly--just 5.5 of those came for a loss.
With his blend of speed, size (6'2", 270) and skill, Sutton should be among the most disruptive defensive linemen in the Pac-12. He looked the part in spring ball, and with the new emphasis on attack from defensive coordinator Paul Randolph and Sutton's ability to play as a 4-3 tackle and an end in a 3-4, Sutton is in line for a big time junior year.
Alex Garoutte - Kicker
If you are an ASU fan, by the last third of the year, you likely were watching every Alex Garoutte field goal with your hands in front of your face. The redshirt freshman started off promisingly enough, with two makes on opening night, including one from 49 yards.
However, his season would soon be characterized by devastating misses, such as a 21-yarder against Washington State and the 0-for-3 performance in Pasadena against UCLA. On the year, he made just 15 of 22 field goal attempts.
Garoutte as the leg to be a big time kicker, but after such a hard year, will he have the confidence? If not, his job may be in jeopardy and with a team that figures to be in a lot of close games, it could be the difference in bowl eligibility.
Brice Schwab - Offensive Tackle
One of the most highly coveted junior college recruits in 2010, Schwab chose to come to ASU over many other offers, including USC. He played in nine games that year and made four starts. However, his conditioning lapsed badly and he spent last season redshirting and working himself into shape.
The new and improved Schwab was one of spring football's stars, and he entered the summer as the starter at right tackle. At a fit 6'7", 305 pounds, Schwab has the build and the tools to be a key component to a rebuilding offensive line in front of a new starting quarterback. Whether he was make good on that potential remains to be seen.
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