ASU Football Season Preview: Ranking the 12 Most Important Sun Devils for 2011
It’s time.
What originated as the teaser tagline of their brilliantly executed rebranding campaign over the offseason now serves as the theme not just for the Sun Devils’ 2011 season, but for their program as a whole.
This season, ASU is saddled with the expectation of mounting their long anticipated breakthrough into the ranks of perennial conference contender.
With 20 returning starters, the talent is in place.
With a manageable schedule, the path is in place.
With stylish new uniforms, the swagger is in place.
All that’s left is to start winning games.
As the Sun Devils begin their quest to bring home the inaugural Pac-12 conference championship, here are the 12 members of the ASU program that will be most important to achieving that elusive goal.
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12: DE James Brooks
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James Brooks may be No. 12 on this list, but he made both the No.1 and No. 2 plays for the Sun Devils in 2010.
Last season started quietly for the 6'5", 279-pounder, but Brooks began to make good on his vast talent later in the year, in which he closed the season by starting the last four games.
However, it was the epic season finale against Arizona in which Brooks secured his spot in Territorial Cup lore when he blocked a WIldcat extra point that forced the game into overtime.
But he wasn't done.
In double-overtime, Arizona had just scored a touchdown to pull the game to within an extra point of sending this already legendary game into triple overtime. Once again, Brooks elevated to swat the try away, giving ASU it's best win in years.
Now a senior, it's time for Brooks to finally have the breakthrough season many were expecting from him.
ASU's defense opened the season with only four sacks in their first five games. For a team supposedly built around defense, that is unacceptable.
The pass rush matured over the last half of the season as Brooks, Jamarr Jarrett and Pac-10 Defensive Freshman of the Year Junior Onyeali began to see success.
The importance of keeping that momentum alive in 2011 is made more crucial with the injury to top cornerback Omar Bolden. The old football adage is truethere is no better pass defense than a good pass rush.
11: DT Will Sutton
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How can a player who didn't play a snap last season make this list?
Two reasons.
First, he is replacing star tackle Lawrence Guy at the center of the Devils' defensive line.
Secondly, he is ridiculously talented.
Will Sutton saw action in all 12 games in 2009, registering three tackles-for-loss and one sack but missed 2010 due to academic issues.
Those issues are behind him now, and the timing couldn't be better for the Sun Devils. With Guy leaving for the NFL, the center of the ASU defensive line has a very large void, one that coaches feel that Sutton can fill.
The 6'2", 285-pound tackle had very strong spring practices, so strong in fact that he made ESPN's list of the top 10 breakout players of the spring, coming in at No. 5 nationally.
Now it's time to make good of such hefty praise.
He will be counted on to anchor the run defense and leverage his quickness on the pass rush. He has the skills, and the Devils need to see them translate to the field.
10: RB Cameron Marshall
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Running back is arguably the most loaded position on ASU's roster and Cameron Marshall is the foundation upon which the group is built.
The junior led the team in rushing with 787 yards and in total touchdowns with ten. He also chipped in with 21 receptions for another 227 yards. His 1,014 all purpose yards also led the Devils.
He's not going to dazzle defenders with great speed or agility (although he did break a 71-yard run against UCLA) like some of the members of the Sun Devil backfield, and he did have some fumbling issues at times, but what he does provide is much greater than what he does not.
Marshall is a powerful inside runner who gets the tough yards that sustain drives. His success in the middle helps open up the lanes outside of the tackles for the speedier Deantre Lewis and Kyle Middlebrooks.
With Brock Osweiler entering his first season as a starter, the running game will be crucial for maintaining the balance needed on offense and for eating up the clock when the Devils have a lead in the second half.
Marshall is the perfect fit for such an important role.
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9: SS Eddie Elder
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One of the major offseason headlines for the Sun Devils was the torn ACL suffered by All-Pac-10 cornerback Omar Bolden.
That hole left in the secondary by a player as talented as Bolden can not be fully filled, yet those remaining players can, and must, step up their games to lead ASU through that adversity.
One of those players will be senior safety Eddie Elder.
The Defensive Player of the Year among California junior college players in 2009, Elder played a significant role for the ASU defense in 2010.
He started nine games and proved to be a stout tackler along the backline, finishing fourth on the team with 64 tackles. He also intercepted two passes, including one of Stanford's Andrew Luck.
Elder's ability in run support is solid, but it will be his pass defense skills that will be most crucial early on for ASU. With Bolden out, he will likely begin the year as the lone senior among three others starters who lack his experience or are coming off major injuries. How well he can hold the unit together will be very telling of how ASU's season unfolds.
8: OC Noel Mazzone
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The most significant change made to ASU last season was the new offense installed by offensive coordinator Noel Mazzone.
Replacing Rich Olson and his vanilla game plan, Mazzone's effect was immediate. After finishing 2009 as the 92nd ranked offense, the Devils new high-octane, up-tempo attack ranked 29th overall, including 15th in passing.
Now in their second season in his system, the Devils should improve upon those numbers, especially with wide receiver Kerry Taylor the lone absentee among last season's starters.
Mazzone's schemes are predicated on creating opportunities for his playmakers in space. He will have no shortage of those playmakers with ASU's talent in the backfield and out wide.
He has received criticism for abandoning the run and for redundancy in his play-calling, both valid concerns for a team with title aspirations.
Mazzone will have an abundance of playmakers at his disposal in a system that caters to their talents that they have a full season of experience running. It will be up to him to guide that machine to the end zone.
7: C Garth Gerhart
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For years, the Arizona State offensive line was the weak link of the team. A never-ending sack problem resulted in bloodied quarterbacks and stalled drives.
That figures to change in 2011.
Arizona State returns all five starting linemen as well as four reserves who saw playing time last season.
The most important among them is senior center Garth Gerhart.
Gerhart started all 12 games last season, and his play has landed him on several award and All-conference team watch lists.
Football is a game that is won in the trenches, and Gerhart's play and leadership of this veteran offensive line will be critical.
6: CB Deveron Carr
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Deveron Carr wears No. 1.
The Sun Devils now need his play to reflect his jersey.
With Omar Bolden's injury, Carr is now ASU's most experienced cornerback, having eight starts over the last two seasons to his credit.
Carr started the first five games of 2010 opposite Bolden and was playing well, providing solid coverage. However, he suffered a season-ending shoulder injury against Oregon State.
Replacing a player of Bolden's caliber is not something that ASU needs Carr to fully do, yet with the talent that the ASU secondary will face in 2011, the drop-off must be minimal.
Carr's experience will be his greatest asset, although he is blessed with good size at 5'11" and has excellent top-end speed.
With both Carr and likely opposite starting cornerback Osahon Irabor having seen starts last season, ASU could be in a worse situation. However, if they are to achieve the lofty goals set before them, Carr's play will have to be excellent.
5: WR Mike Willie
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This offseason, wide receiver Gerrell Robinson is getting nearly all of the publicity from ASU's stable of wide receivers.
There's nothing wrong with that. Robinson is a rare combination of size (6'4", 222 pounds) and speed that can give opposing defenses nightmares. The only problem is that Robinson, a senior, has yet to translate that skillset into on-field production.
He set a career high in receptions last season with only 29 catches, although five were for touchdowns.
Flying under the radar while Robinson receives all the attention is ASU's most valuable receiver, fellow senior Mike Willie.
After transferring from Cerritos Community College, Willie became the most reliable target for ASU's prolific passing game.
During the season, he continually made the tough catches in key situations and showed an uncanny knack for translating his receptions into first downs. He finished second on the team with 36 receptions, and his six receiving touchdowns led the team.
He has drawn frequent comparisons to Pittsburgh Steeler Hines Ward, as both players are excellent downfield blockers in addition for their clutch catches.
In a recent interview , I conducted with the Devils' leading receiver from a year ago, Kerry Taylor, I asked him who ASU fans should keep an eye on as this season's X-factor. He deemed Willie that very player, calling him “a beast out on the field" who "made so many clutch plays for ASU last season...He is a complete wide receiver. He can run, catch, block and is probably the most physical receiver I have seen at ASU in my time there."
With quarterback Brock Osweiler entering his first season as the starter, he would be very wise to look for the No. 1 jersey when he drops back to pass.
4: RB Deantre Lewis
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For many years, the Sun Devil offense lacked the kind of game-breaking talent that presents a threat to score any time he touched the ball.
No more.
Running back Deantre Lewis, changed all that in his first ever game in maroon and gold, scoring three touchdowns in the season opener, including a 62-yard scoring reception.
He then topped 100 yards rushing in consecutive weeks against Wisconsin, Oregon and Oregon State, averaging 8.8 yards a carry during that stretch.
However, his season took a turn for a worse thereafter, as he battled nagging injuries for the remainder of the season that limited his explosiveness.
For the year, he had 10 plays that topped 20 yards from scrimmage, including three over 50 yards. Like his idol Reggie Bush, Lewis is a dynamic game changer in both the running and passing games, and his fit into Noel Mazzone's offensive schemes is excellent.
Quite simply, he is ASU's best offensive weapon.
ASU would be very well served in getting Lewis 15-20 touches on offense per game, as there are few players in the nation with his brand of home run ability.
3: LB Vontaze Burfict
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Not since Terrell Suggs in 2002 had Arizona State had a player make The Sporting News' First Team All-American list.
That is, until Vontaze Burfict's sophomore season in 2010.
ASU's highest rated recruit ever, Burfict built upon his fantastic freshman season by making 90 tackles (8.5 for loss), forcing two fumbles and breaking up three passes on his way to appearing on that prestigious list, among many others.
Burfict's name is now on every preseason All-American squad and defensive award watch list, as well as most early first round 2012 NFL draft projections, and rightfully so.
He is arguably the best linebacker in the country. At 6'3", 252 pounds, he covers ground ridiculously fast and hits ridiculously harder. Just as Idaho State's Russell Hill after this hit. His play has drawn numerous comparisons to one of the greatest linebackers of all time, future Hall of Famer Ray Lewis.
The one major criticism against Burfict is his lack of discipline, illustrated by this play against Oregon State. There is a fine line between aggression and stupidity, and too often, Burfict has found himself on the wrong side, receiving costly penalties for his late hits.
He has pledged to play with greater intelligence, and that is something the Sun Devils will desperately need. With Omar Bolden's injury, there is a leadership void on the defense that Burfict will need to help fill.
2: DE Junior Onyeali
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It may come as a shock that a near consensus All-American and future first-round NFL draft pick isn't the highest rated Sun Devil defender on this list. However, that's both a testament to the talent of Junior Onyeali and a commentary on the team's needs.
As mentioned before, ASU managed a paltry four sacks in their first five games, including a 10-quarter drought.
To remedy that problem, head coach Dennis Erickson inserted the speedy and undersized freshman defensive end into the starting lineup in their Week 6 matchup against Washington.
The results were immediate.
He continually harassed Husky quarterback Jake Locker, and Onyeali's presence allowed his teammates to generate three sacks. Two weeks later, he became the fist ASU true freshman in 22 seasons to win the Pac-10 Player of the Week award for his three-sack performance against Washington State.
Onyeali finished his debut season with team highs in sacks (6.5) and tackles-for-loss (11.5), numbers which made him the second consecutive Sun Devil to win the Pac-10 Defensive Freshman of the Year award.
At 5'11", 233 pounds, Onyeali is an undersized defensive end who relies on his tremendous speed and technique, much like former ASU great Terrell Suggs. Like Suggs, Onyeali could have a mantle's worth of awards by the time his career in Tempe concludes.
The Sun Devils will lean heavily on Onyeali to lead their pass rush, a need that grew much greater given cornerback Omar Bolden's ACL tear.
1: QB Brock Osweiler
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It should come as no surprise that the sport's most important position tops this list. When you factor in the nature of the offense that Arizona State runs, it becomes downright essential.
Anyone who spent any amount of time following the 2010 ASU football team knows that their undoing was almost entirely self-inflicted. Penalties, and most critically, turnovers led to several of ASU's close defeats. Of those, it was the interceptions of former starting quarterback Steven Threet that proved to be the most damning.
Whether it was his three fourth-quarter interceptions in the fourth quarter of a very winnable game against eventual BCS runner-up Oregon or the three picks he tossed against Oregon State, Threet's miscues hurt the Devils time and time again. Despite missing nearly the final two games of the season, Threet's 16 interceptions were only two off the national high.
When Brock Osweiler replaced Threet in the UCLA game, Osweiler accounted for five touchdowns in ASU's 55-34 win, putting on display an astounding command of the offense.
In the season-ending victory against Arizona, Osweiler was less impressive. He made several bad reads and was rescued when those would-be interceptions were dropped by Wildcat defenders, yet he made the plays when it counted. Osweiler also showed a Ben Roethlisberger-like sixth sense in the pocket, evading the pass rush and extending plays for key ASU gains.
Like Big Ben, Osweiler has a massive frame (6'8" 235 pounds) with surprising athleticism to complement a rocket arm. While his physical skills are impressive, concerns abound over whether he can be the quarterback ASU needs him to be.
Will he avoid the costly turnovers that proved to be Threet's downfall?
Going into his second season in this offensive system will surely help. Also in Osweiler's favor is his unquestioned status as the starter, something that didn't occur with last offseason's intense quarterback battle.
If ASU is going to have any chance to fulfill their vast potential in 2011, it starts with Osweiler.
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