Why Arizona State Is Poised to Shock the College Football World in 2015

Here's what Arizona State could be without in 2015: its starting quarterback, leading receiver, leading rusher, leading tackler and sack leader. 

Still, because of the experience on the roster, the Sun Devils could surprise everyone and win the Pac-12. Think it's impossible? Who saw Arizona as this season's Pac-12 South champions with a starting 22 full of freshmen and sophomores?

College football is good for at least one or two teams to come out of nowhere in any given season. Arizona State has developed a strong reputation under head coach Todd Graham, but Arizona and USC should be strong candidates to be preseason Pac-12 South favorites. 

That leaves the Sun Devils with a lot to prove. Here's how they get it done. 

Offense: Replacing Offensive Weapons is Key

Making assumptions is dangerous. With that in mind, let's make one anyway. 

Wide receiver Jaelen Strong and running back D.J. Foster haven't officially declared for the NFL yet. As Doug Haller of azcentral.com reports, however, both have submitted feedback on their prospects:

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A small group of ASU players – including Strong – have requested feedback from the NFL Draft advisory board. They have not yet heard back. Players have until Jan. 15 to apply for the draft. The NFL is scheduled to release the official list of underclassmen Jan. 19.

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For what it's worth, B/R's Matt Miller listed Strong as the No. 6 receiver in this year's draft, but he does not have Foster ranked among top running backs. To have one or both of those players return for one more year would obviously be a huge boost for Arizona State.

In the event that doesn't happen, though, the Sun Devils should still be in good shape at the skill positions. 

Rick Scuteri/Associated Press

Arizona State would lose two things from Strong: production (75 catches, 1,062 yards and 10 touchdowns) and the ability to make highlight-reel catches. The receiving group can pick up where it left off in at least one of those categories.

Cameron Smith, Gary Chambers, Ellis Jefferson and tight end Kody Kohl combined to catch 74 passes and 14 touchdowns. With the exception of Chambers, that group is made up of freshmen and sophomores. 

Potentially replacing Foster could be its own challenge because of the versatility he brought to the offense as a running back and receiver out of the backfield. As a freshman, though, Demario Richard was second on the team with 437 yards and rushed for two touchdowns. Graham told Tyler Lockman of Fox Sports Arizona that he's been impressed with Richard's ability to perform in crucial situations: 

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It's hard for a young man that's 17 or 18 years old to come in here and do that. I'm really proud of his mental maturity and his toughness. That's the thing that has really impressed me -- his durability and toughness. We knew he was a great back, and he's really done well.

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Interestingly, perhaps the position of least concern is quarterback. Taylor Kelly will depart, but junior Mike Bercovici played well in three starts this season while Kelly nursed a foot injury. Bercovici doesn't bring the same mobility to the quarterback spot that Kelly does, but he can sling the ball. According to his ASU profile, Bercovici's 488 passing yards against UCLA were the most by a Sun Devil quarterback making his first career start. 

Bercovici will be protected by an offensive line that should return most of its two-deep, minus its two tackles, Jamil Douglas and Tyler Sulka. The Sun Devils finished 11th in the Pac-12 with 3.08 sacks allowed per game, but they still won nine games. Barring injuries, this unit can't get much worse. 

The Sun Devils could have as many as six key contributors on offense depart, but turnover doesn't mean lack of experience. This is when Graham's recruiting efforts should mean little-to-no drop-off. 

Defense: Experience Must Pay Off

Matt York/Associated Press

Whereas Arizona State's offense will have to reload, the Sun Devils defense has already gone through that transition. The knock on Arizona State heading into the 2014 season was the massive turnover on that side of the ball. Nine starters were gone, including Pac-12 defensive player of the year Will Sutton. 

The results ended up being better than expected, however. Though the numbers in major categories (points per game allowed, passing defense, etc.) were pedestrian, the Sun Devils ranked near the top of the Pac-12 in sacks per game (3.25) and tackles for loss per game (8.08). 

That aggressiveness was well-documented by Dan Wolken of USA Today in November: 

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Two weeks ago in a victory against Utah, Arizona State blitzed on 68 of 78 defensive plays, often sending multiple linebackers or defensive backs. Then in last Saturday's 55-31 victory against Notre Dame, arguably the biggest win of Graham's career, Arizona State blitzed on 62 of 79 plays, disorienting quarterback Everett Golson so badly that he threw two interceptions for touchdowns and committed a pair of turnovers deep in his own territory.

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Nearly all of Arizona State's defensive starters should return in 2015 to make up a junior- and senior-laden group. What little this defense does lose is noteworthy, though. Defensive end Marcus Hardison, who led the team in sacks, and safety Damarious Randall, who led the team in tackles, will be gone. 

That's where players like linebackers Salamo Fiso and Laiu Moeakiola, who combined for 21.5 tackles for loss, have to step up. 

Schedule: Important Home Games

The Pac-12 has established itself as arguably the second-best conference in college football next to the SEC. Particularly, the Pac-12 South was deep in 2014 with five bowl-bound teams with at least eight wins.

Opponent	Date	Location
Texas A&M	Sept. 5	Houston
USC	Sept. 25	Tempe
at UCLA	Oct. 3	Los Angeles
Oregon	Oct. 29	Tempe
Arizona	Nov. 21	Tempe

It's in a tough division, but Arizona State has a schedule that sets up nicely next season. Sometimes that's a necessary part of a title run.

USC, Oregon, Washington and Arizona all come to Tempe, per FBSchedules.com. Additionally, the Sun Devils have an attractive and potentially playoff-enticing nonconference game against Texas A&M in Houston in Week 1.

Every year is different, but the Pac-12 could set itself up again to where a one-loss team is playoff-bound. With a reloaded offense and a more experienced defense, Arizona State has the makeup of a team that can surpass expectations despite losing its statistically best players. 

Ben Kercheval is a lead writer for college football. All stats courtesy of cfbstats.com.