The Arizona State Sun Devils practiced with full pads and helmets for the third time this spring at the Kajikawa practice fields Thhursday morning.
Last Practice: Tuesday, March 20
Next practice: Friday, March 23 (6:35 p.m.)
Music
Look Alive (BlocBoy JB Feat. Drake), Thick and Pretty (Migos and Quality Control)
Injury Update
The big news of the day came after practice. Herm Edwards announced that wide receiver John Humphrey is out for the season with an Achilles injury which he suffered on Tuesday during an 11-v-11 rep. Many remember that the redshirt junior did miss four games last season, but that was a knee injury. Although it’s early, Frank Darby has been the guy getting Humphrey’s reps the past two practices.
No players were in green jerseys, however, linebacker Koron Crump, offensive lineman Mason Walter, wide receiver Ryan Newsome, DB K.J. Jarrell, DB Demonte king, DB Deion Guignard, defensive lineman Tyler Johnson and DL George Leaheaded into the bubble for conditioning at the beginning of practice.
Also, after lining up for a few snaps during tempo drills, wide receiver N’Keal Harry did not participate for the rest of practice. He has done the same thing for the past few practices and was quoted in an AZCentral article saying that it’s minor and if this was the season, he could play through it.
Return duties
Ryan Newsome, N’Keal Harry, Jalen Harvey and Chase Lucas each took turns returning punts, in that order, at the beginning of practice. When the second go-around of special team drills came, Newsome was in the bubble for conditioning and did not participate.
From what I could see, it was just Eno Benjamin and Trelon Smith on kick return duty today.
Jalen Harvey helping on both sides of the ball
Since Jalen Harvey decided to flop his position from wide receiver to safety a few weeks ago, he has looked fantastic. The redshirt senior has snatched a flurry of interceptions, and has nearly grabbed a handful more. His ball skills and instincts already look phenomenal.
Jalen Harvey with the athletic interception that he tipped to himself. pic.twitter.com/mOXsyypaUh
— Anthony Totri (@Anthony_Totri) March 20, 2018
He is still learning how to play safety, but his knowledge of the receiver position is extensive. He understands routes and what the wideouts are supposed to be doing at most times. Today, one of the younger receivers was running a back-shoulder and never turned his head. From the sidelines, Harvey was getting on him saying, “You’re not even looking at the quarterback.”
“He didn’t turn his head and I was getting on the wideout,” Harvey said after practice. “We did this about 30,000 times when I was over there, so turn your head around.”
Benjamin catching out of the backfield
Eno Benjamin has gotten the majority of ASU’s first-team reps at running back so far this spring and in practice he has shown much more than just his skill running the ball. The soon-to-be sophomore has been getting a lot of action through the air.
Now, he’s not lining up at the slot or anything, but on quick passes out of the backfield or dump passes behind the line of scrimmage, Benjamin has been able to get up the sideline and get significant yardage.
Funny defensive mishap
Sometimes to keep the defensive players alert after a play, coaches want players to treat an incomplete pass as a fumble. So, when the ball hits the ground, one player needs to quickly pick it up and get behind teammates like he’s going to score.
During 7-on-7 play today, the defensive backs broke up a pass and it landed on about the 20-yard line. Just a few feet away, cornerbacks coach Tony White yelled, “score, score, score.” So, naturally, linebacker Ochuko Duke ran the ball into the endzone that was just 20 yards away.
There was one problem, it was the wrong endzone.
“Wrong way,” White yelled. “Touchdown for the offense.”
Loafs
The new routine at ASU’s practices are loafs — or perfect-10s as some call them. They require the defensive players to run a 10-yard sprint for each time coaches caught them “loafing” in the previous practice’s film.
Last Thursday the number was 69. Last Friday it was 19. And today the number was 31.
From what we gathered after practice from Chase Lucas, seven of those belonged to Lucas himself and seven belonged to the linebackers.
The loafs are back pic.twitter.com/sIktdkWFRD
— Jordan Kaye (@jordankaye_23) March 22, 2018
Herm Edwards clip of the day
Herm Edwards trying to get the DBs to get through the sleds faster pic.twitter.com/l7z21f3jbq
— Jordan Kaye (@jordankaye_23) March 22, 2018
First-team offense
QB: Manny Wilkins
RB: Eno Benjamin
WR: Ryan Jenkins, Kyle Williams, Frank Darby
TE: Ceejhay French-Love
OL: Tyson Rising (LT), Alex Losoya (LG), Cohl Cabral (C), Cade Cote (RG), Quinn Bailey(RT)
Second-team offense
QB: Blake Barnett
RB: Trelon Smith, Mark “Goose” Cosgrove
WR: Jeremy Smith, Curtis Hodges, Terrell Chatman
TE: Tommy Hudson
OL: Mason Schell (LT), Jesse Cozens (LG), Marshal Nathe (C), Corey Stephens (RG), Kyle Breed (RT)
First-team defense
DL: Shannon Forman, Renell Wren, Jalen Bates
LB: Nick Ralston, Jay Jay Wilson, Kyle Soelle
CB: Kobe Williams, Chase Lucas
Tillman: Evan Fields
S: Langston Frederick, Jalen Harvey
Second-team defense
DL: Dougladson Subtly, D.J. Davidson, Jamie Diaz
LB: Parker Higgins, Khaylan Thomas, Malik Lawal
Tillman: Tyler Whiley
CB: Terin Adams, Kordell Caldwell
S: Caleb McShanag, Dominique Harrison
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For other updates and videos from Tuesday’s practice, follow @jdestinsports and @jordan_kaye23 on Twitter.