There is a bevy of Pac-10 and ASU related news barreling down the cardboard tubes that make up the internet, as the opening game comes up this weekend.

I will run through all things remotely ASU related that I can find, and sprinkle in some things that people are saying about our conference rivals.

Kirk Herbstreit, college gamedays quarterback, has chalked up his eighth annual "Herbie Awards."  Naturally banal, Herbstreit manages to completely ignore the Sun Devils, while peppering his rankings with WILDCAT references. Pac-10 sleeper? Coach that will exceed expectations? #3 team that is "movin' on up"? 5th best dropback quarterback? 2nd best tight end? 6th best wide receiver? GOODNESS KIRK! It will be a tad silly when Arizona goes 4-8 and loses to us by 2 touchdowns or more in Arizona.

ESPN's Pac-10 blogger, Ted Miller, checks in with the Pac-10's toughest schedules and puts the Sun Devils squarely in the middle at #5. A lot of his rationale on his rankings seems a tad off. He seems to be giving a lot of credit to the teams who play BYU... hmm.

Miller also throws up his 10 Pac-10 games to watch list, with the Sun Devils taking home 30% of the honors. #3, #4, and #7 respectively, I find it a little odd that Oregon at USC gets number 2, but Georgia at ASU gets number 4? Hmm. And somehow, Oregon at ASU gets #3... I mean, we all love the Sun Devils, but who really thinks the Oregon game is as big of a matchup as the Georgia game? If we beat Georgia suddenly we have national title aspirations...if we don't... eh.

3. Oregon at Arizona State, Oct. 25: This one could be for the Holiday Bowl berth. Or perhaps, if USC plays for the national title, a Rose Bowl. Basically, the Ducks visit to Tempe likely decides who plays second fiddle to USC. The Sun Devils will be looking for revenge after last year's 12-point loss in Eugene, their first defeat in 2007 after an 8-0 start.

4. Georgia at Arizona State, Sept. 20: This is more a test for Georgia, which is the preseason No. 1 in both polls. The Bulldogs haven't traveled outside the Southeast in decades for a non-conference game, but it's worth noting they have been an outstanding road team in the SEC under coach Mark Richt. If the Sun Devils win, it would be a landmark victory announcing the program as a team headed for the elite.

7. Arizona State at California, Oct. 4: Arizona State's biggest win of 2007 in terms of perception was over California, and that shows the lack of big wins among the Sun Devils 10 victories because the Bears were at the time riding a two-game losing streak (it turned out the biggest win was a stunning comeback victory over Oregon State in the Pac-10 opener, but that's not the point here). It's possible that the loser here will fall out of the race for second place.

Oregon seems to be a bit of an enigma heading into the season - some polls value them highly and have them as a trendy sleeper pick, other analysts seem to be discounting them entirely. Obviously Miller feels they will challenge ASU for second place in the Pac-10, and it will be interesting to see if it does come down to that game in October for all the marbles and a Rose Bowl berth.

The Arizona Republic checks in from Sun Devil camp, and everyone will be pleased to see that Chris McGaha has returned to practice after missing the past 10 practices.

There are also some very interesting tidbits. A list of true freshman who will be playing against NAU is listed:

Although personnel discussions continue, Erickson said at least eight true freshmen probably will play this season: defensive end Lawrence Guy, linebacker Brandon Magee, linebacker Shelly Lyons, cornerback Josh Jordan, tailback Ryan Bass, receiver Gerell Robinson offensive lineman Zach Schlink and safety Clint Floyd.

Another option is Andrew Sampson, recently promoted to second-team center because of an ankle injury to redshirt freshman Garth Gerhart.

Asked if he was surprised by any of the freshmen's progress, Erickson mentioned Schlink and Floyd but said, "I think anybody that plays as a freshman is kind of a surprise."

 

Also, this:

ASU expects to pass 50,000 season-ticket packages sold, which would be the most in two decades. As of late last week, about 1,900 ticket packages remained.

Sun Devil nation is coming out this year. Good news, we will need everyone we can get for some tough road games against USC, Oregon, and Georgia.

Lets check back in a month later with some of the Sun Devils who were drafted this June and see how they are doing.

1. Brett Wallace - 3B/DH Class A Quad Cities River Bandits (STL)
.327 avg / .418 OBP / .490 SLG / .908 OPS
5 HR, 25 RBI 17/32 BB/K

After an extremely hot July (.994 OPS) Wallace has regressed in August (.781 OPS) whether from pitchers adapting or from fatigue, Wallace has seen his K% increase and his BB% decrease. He should finish the year out in A ball, and start the 2009 season either in A+ or AA ball. I doubt he will stick at 3B in the minors either, because of his frame, but we will see how he does as he progresses through the Cardinals system.

2. Ike Davis - 1B Class A- Brooklyn Cyclones (NYM)
.235 AVG / .302 OBP / .307 SLG / .609 SLG
0 HR, 11 RBI, 15/31 BB/K

Davis has struggled mightily in his first summer in pro ball.  After some considered him a reach at 17th overall in the first round, Davis has a lot of weight on his shoulders. His bat will need to heat up considerably if it is to play well at first base, and the 11 XB hits (all doubles) in nearly 200 ABs at low A ball is disconcerting. He has had absolutely no power since June, but should grow more comfortable with an extended look at A ball in 2009.

3. Petey Paramore - C Class A Kane County Cougars (A's)
.185 AVG / .361 OBP / .292 SLG / .654 OPS
1 HR, 12 RBI, 17/21 BB/K

After dominating the rookie league to the tune of a 1.017 OPS, Paramore has struggled to adapt to Midwest League pitching.  A long year behind the plate after the season with the Sun Devils, Paramore can be forgiven his slow start and will just look to build upon what he has learned for the 2009 season.

4. Kiel Roling - 1B/DH Rookie Casper Ghosts (COL)
.344 AVG / .417 OBP / .641 SLG/ 1.057 OPS
4 HR, 17 RBI, 8/11 BB/K

Roling has been absolutely mashing the ball in the past few weeks and should earn a promotion before the end of the season.  If not, expect the slugger to at least jump to A or high A ball to start 2009.  His is a bat that should be pushed.

5. Stephen Sauer - Middle Reliever RHP Rookie Great Falls Voyagers (CWS)
G 19, 3W-2L, 29.0 IP, ERA 3.41, 27/7 K/BB

Sauer has been nearly unhittable in the month of August, but he should be since he is 22 and is playing against kids ranging from 17 to his age.  He should get a look at a higher level, A-, and spend 2009 in A ball. Sauer has been dominating right handers (16k vs 1 BB, 2.55 ERA, .185 avg) and has been decent, but prone to walking lefties. (4.55 ERA, 11k verses 6 BB, .165 average).

6. Reyes Dorado - Middle Reliever (?) RHP Rookie Orem Owlz (ew) (LAA)
14 G, 1GS, 19.1 IP, 1W-0L, 6.98 ERA, 25/9 K/BB, 3 SV

The Angels are not quite sure what to do with Dorado.  Getting simply tagged in Rookie ball, Dorado has been a starter (owned) middle reliever (ok) and closer (eh). Dorado should be a tad worried that he is getting touched so much in Rookie ball, lets see where the 14th round pick goes from here.

7. Marcel Champagnie - LF, Rookie Orem Owlz (LAA)
.250 AVG / .308OBP / .250 SLG / .558 OPS
0 HR, 1RBI, 1BB/1K

A late sign, Champagnie has only played in 5 games for the Owlz (extreme!! z!!) and so we do not have a lot to go on. We will keep an eye on him

That covers the first 15 rounds of the 2008 draft, we will continue with the rest later this week.

 

The East Valley Tribune has some valuable insight into the developments of the offensive line, the most obvious concern of the team heading into the season.

Our pal, Dan Zeiger, brings some interesting tidbits about who will be protecting Rudy Carpenter this season.  Jon Hargis, a defensive line convert, looks most likely to be the starter at left tackle. They mention he has been a "pleasant surprise" and has handled his duties against Dexter Davis adroitly.

Hargis' backup will be junior college transfer Tom Njunge.  Erickson dubbed Njunge the "third tackle" and he got work the past week at both tackle spots since starting right tackle Matt Hustad went down with a knee injury.

Zeiger also checks in with injuries:
McGaha (toe) should be back in time for the NAU game. He has missed the past 8 practices.

Center Garth Gerhart (high ankle sprain) is day-to-day, so are DE James Brooks, RB Shaun DeWitty, WR Brandon Smith, and S Rodney Cox.

The AZ Republic takes a look at how All Pac-10 DE Dexter Davis overcomes somewhat of a size disadvantage to dominate the conference.  A RS JR this season, the 6'2, 252 pounder has started all 26 games in his career, and is coming off a spectacular 10.5 Sack sophomore campaign.

The article notes that Davis has become a quiet team leader on defense, leading by example with his extreme effort in practice, and his ability to translate coaching into immediate change on his technique.

Davis has been able to overcome his size with his solid technique and his great quickness off the edge, something he will refine this year.  Likely to face some more double teams after his big season, and inclusion on the 2008 Bronko Nagurski trophy watch list, he will put his skills to the test and prove whether he should be playing on Sundays or not.

With the first game approaching we will finish up the charting the depths segments, then move on to some season analysis.

Sorry for the sparse posting - we have been gearing up for the semester as well!

Back from vacation with your favorite ongoing segment, this time taking a look at running back.  Lets get to it.

 

1. Keegan Herring, Sr, 5'10, 195lbs

via www.sportswriters.net

2007 Stats - 154 att, 815 yards, 5.3 average, 5 TD, lng 76, 10 receptions for 88 yards.

The elusive, big play back is the defacto starter entering the season, and it will be interesting to see what he can pull of his senior year.  The definiton of a "boom" or "bust" back, Herring had some incredible performances (161 yards 8.5 average 2 tds against SD State/119 yards 11.9 average 1 TD against Washington/ 116 yards 5.5 average 1 td against UCLA) and some complete duds (19 yards, 1.9 average against Colorado/ 6 yards 2 average against Oregon State / 5 yards .05 average against USC)... was this result of our blockers failing against superior D-Lines? Or Herring failing against said D-Lines? For our sake, let us hope it is the former...

Herring combines unique speed with excellent vision, and a penchant for holding onto the ball (0 fumbles in over 400 career carries). He is not much of a threat receiving out of the backfield, but that really is not a part of our offense. He should see continued growth and look for him to eclipse the 1,000 yard mark this season.

2. Dimitri Nance, Junior, 5'10, 220lbs

via www.asu.edu

2007 stats - 133 carries, 500 yards, 3.8 average, 7 TD, 13 receptions for 120 yards.

The "thunder" to Herring's "lightning", Nance will be the complimentary power back to show a different look to defenses and provide short yardage carries for the Devils.  Nance had no real big games last season, except a strong showing against Washington, and will look to use his increased size to try and shed a few more tacklers this season.  Nance also has a surprising ability to turn his receptions up field for positive yardage.

After the top two, it gets a little muddled so we will just talk about who else is competing for PT this year.

3. Shaun DeWitty, RS-JR, 6'2, 227lbs (!)

A huge back, DeWitty is an absolute beast and is a great blocker. He played in 2005 and 2006, but then redshirted last season.  It will be interesting to see how Erickson will use him this year, but it will most likely be in a power role, or a pass blocking, single back type role.

4. Ryan Bass, Fr, 5'10, 200lbs

The super freshman recruit who runs a 4.4 40 with power should be an intriguing component to the offense.  Freshman can never really be counted on, but Bass was ranked in the Rivals.com top 100 (91) and was the #2 all purpose back in the country.  His senior year he ran 345 times for 2,608 yards and 47 TDs. Uh. Wow.

5. Jarrell Woods, Jr, 5'10, 212 lbs

JC transfer from 2007, only game he played in was the Holiday Bowl.  Should see some playing time this year.

6. Cole Ptacek - Practice squad walk on.

EDIT: Thanks to user mlev

7. James Morrison - walk on player who had a nice showing at the scrimmage, 12 carries for 85 yards. Shown interest from half the Pac-10 schools and Boise State, but offered no scholarships. Not listed on the official school roster, we will see what happens with him.

Overall grade: B+

With Herring and Nance the Sun Devils have two capable, but not supurb, backs who will be able to carry the load.  Herrings speed and Nance's power will be talked about plenty, but their inconsistency against top rush defenses and a shaky O-line will put the run game to the test.  Georgia will be tough. DeWitty is an interesting tool for certain formations, and if Bass is able to contribute as a freshman this grade could go up by the end of the year.

Some compelling storylines are starting to emerge from Sun Devils camp now that season has begun to inch closer and closer.  Many of our questions have yet to be answered, but lets take a look at some of the interesting items that trickled out in the locals this past week.

The Arizona Republic took a look at everyone's favorite backup quarterback, Danny Sullivan.  Sullivan's frustration with being the backup for the past 26 regular season games is beginning to show.

"To know that it's going to be my third year being the backup (is frustrating)," Sullivan said. "But I got to take it in stride and just got to go with it. Hopefully my time comes, because he's (Carpenter) the guy right now, and I got to support him."  

Despite his somewhat underwhelming command of the English language, Sullivan has shown that he has the skills to be a competent backup with his performance in the Holiday Bowl. Something Sullivan is quick to remind his possible detractors.

"Everyone can say that it was meaningless," he said, "because I don't know how many people have told me that. Well, shame on you. I'll take it as a real personal issue, because I'll strive off that if you think that."

Shame on you. Sullivan has the support of Erickson, though, and is definitely the number 2 quarterback.  Whether he has the starting job locked up once Rudy graduates is another matter, and something that probably is not guaranteed given the potential of the players behind Sullivan, but for the upcoming season Sullivan is your backup quarterback.

One receiver that Sullivan will not have next season is Michael Jones.  The East Valley Tribune catches up with Jones after his short stint in the Yankees farm system this summer, and has a few quotes from the coach and Jones on the upcoming season.  Reading between the lines you can tell that Erickson was none too pleased that Jones decided to sign with the Yankees and waste some crucial training time hitting .189 and striking out twice as many times as he reached base with a hit. (18k vs. 9 hits) Jones also lost his scholarship from signing - sucks for him - but, technically, this is a boon to ASU because it allows us to give his scholarship to another player who would rather spend his full time being a Sun Devil student athlete as opposed to pretending he has major league talent.

If Jones has a solid season and builds on the flashes of brilliance he displayed last year, he will easily be a first day pick and could even be a first ROUND pick.  Some of the ESPN mock drafts have him going in the first round, and nearly all of them have Jones ranked as one of the top 100 college prospects for the 2009 NFL draft.

The East Valley Tribune really either needs A) A better editing staff, B) Better journalists, or C) Both because this story features quite a blatant contradiction between the reporter and athlete. The journalist, Dan Zeiger, writes:

His tall frame and leaping ability have made Jones ASU's big-play receiving threat, with a team-high 10 scores last season. He would like to build speed and strength before the 2009 NFL draft.

Oh, so Jones will be focusing on building strength and speed this coming season then? The very next setence Zeiger drops this quote from Jones:

"Now is not the time to worry about getting fast and strong," Jones said. "Now is the time to worry about building chemistry with my teammates and getting ready for the season....

 

Simply brilliant.

Zeiger also has a story about Freshman linebacker, Brandon Magee.  Magee, the 26th best outside linebacker recruit according to Rivals.com, was also selected in the 29th round of the Amateur Baseball Draft in June.  The Tampa Bay Rays offered Magee a larger signing bonus than most 29th round picks get, but Magee decided to go to ASU instead. 

ASU is lucky, because Rivals.com has Magee's 40 time listed at a very impressive 4.44.  If anyone remembers last season's Thanksgiving Day Massacre versus USC (I know, I know - you spent months trying to forget...) then you wil remember our biggest problem, aside from the O-Line and Lawrence Jackson, was trying to contain USC's speed.  Our linebackers simply were not in the same league as USC's running backs and it showed everytime JDB handed off the rock.  Erickson's ability to recruit players like Magee is a huge step forward for the program.

The first full contact practice for the Sun Devils was on Friday, and two-a-days start this weekend.  Things are starting to get interesting, folks.

Continuing with our segment of breaking down your 2008 Arizona State Sun Devil football team, lets take a look at one of the most key pieces to Erickson's spread offense: receiver. 

With base sets using 3 receivers, and many formations with 4 and 5 receivers, receiver is one of the most important offensive positions on the team.  With new offensive coordinator Rich Olson making depth and versitility a key issue lets take a look at where we stand.

1. Michael Jones, 6'4 203 LBS, RS Senior

via www.eastvalleytribune.com

2007 Stats -  46 Receptions, 769 Yards, AVG 16.7, 10 TD, LNG 64

Mike Jones. Who? Sorry, I could not help myself. Anyway, the presumed number 1 receiver this season is coming off his most productive year at ASU.  He has developed a solid rapport with Rudy and has become a truly viable option to stretch the field and catch the jump ball.

A fantastic two sport athlete (Jones was selected in the 29th round by the New York Yankees in the 2008 draft) Jones is prepped for a monster year.  The only question marks I have with him are - how tired is he after the long baseball season? and has he put on any strength? Last year he was a little timid in times when he was fighting for the balls against safety help.

Overall, Jones is set and I could easily see another 10 TDs and over 1,000 yards for our big #1 target.

2. Chris McGaha, 6'1 193 lbs, RS JR

via cache.daylife.com

2007 Stats - 61 receptions, 830 yards, 13.6 AVG, 1TD, LNG 42

Love this guy. It is not a stretch to call McGaha ASU's "Wes Welker". He catches everything thrown his way, has solid run after catch ability, and is not afraid to go across the middle. Absolutely valuable in a spread offense, McGaha should see his numbers climb further. Hopefully Rudy can find the guy for more than 1 TD this year.

 

3. Kyle Williams, 5'10 185 lbs, Junior

via blogs.eastvalleytribune.com

2007 Stats - 29 receptions, 360 yards, 12.4 average, 6 TD, Lng 35.

Kyle Williams, son of Chicago White Sox General Manager Kenny Williams, has become an all-purpose threat for the Sun Devils.  He got noticeably more comfortable as the year wore on and has great speed and field vision.  It will be important for him to work on his routes and his focus, because at times he would quit on his routes if he felt the ball was not coming his way.

4. Kerry Taylor, 6'0 191, Soph

See Cory's writeup below.

The DEPTH:

The battle for the last few receiver spots will be pretty intense. Some of the candidates are:

Nate Kimbrough (RS Senior, 6'1, 208) : The former top recruit who has fallen by the wayside.  Kimbrough's injury and disciplinary history is long and storied.  If he can pull it together he could be a weapon.

Gerrell Robinson (Freshman, 6'4, 210): The current top recruit from Erickson's 2007 class, Robinson is a freak of an athlete.  Rated as the #77 player in the nation by Rivals.com and the #1 player in the state of Arizona, Robinson could be one of the team's Freshman Phenoms. If he can adapt to the offense, the sky is the limit. Played three positions his senior year in high school totaling 843 yards through the air, 543 yards on the ground, and 524 yards receiving.

Brandon Smith (RS Junior, 6'2, 213): A no show in 2007 after a promising 2006 campaign, Smith is just hoping to get on the field.  Bulked up by adding 10 pounds of muscle in the offseason and scored a 44 yard touchdown in the spring game for the white team. Wait and see.

Question Marks:
Kemonte Bateman - the highly touted freshman might be academically ineligible...
A.J. Pickens - Redshirt candidate..but good enough recruit that he could earn a spot.

T.J. Simpson - Redshirt freshman who might find his way onto the field at some point.

Dustin Driscoll - Walk on, only here for injury depth.

Tony Simmons - Walk on transfer from University of San Diego.

Allante Battle - Redshirt?

Bryant Piva - Walk on depth

Gerald Montgomery - Walk on depth

Brian Matsumoto - Same thing

 

Overall - A+

With a gamut of talent, athleticism, and fantastic depth, ASU's WR corps are looking great for the upcoming season. With some established players, and some amazing talent incoming, Rudy has nothing to worry about this season from his receivers..the line is another story.

 

You remember the Holiday Bowl? You know that little game the Devils played at the end of last season? Well, sorry Texas, but the Arizona Republic today writes that Rudy and the Devils were just happy to be there, and weren't actually out to prove they belonged somewhere better like those Texas boys.

Rudy Carpenter meant no disrespect to the Holiday Bowl, but the Arizona State quarterback made it clear Sunday that the Sun Devils have to raise expectations, and if need be, change their attitude.

"I think we went to San Diego just happy to be there," Carpenter said of last season's 52-34 loss to Texas. "We were on vacation. We went there thinking, 'Oh, we finished with 10 wins. We're good, we're great.' (Texas was) disappointed to be in that game. I think the expectation level is different, and for us to compete with those teams we have to set loftier goals."

So...let me see if I understand this correctly...you were just happy to be there? But what about all those quotes at the time that suggested our Sun Devils were disappointed for not getting a BCS bowl bid? Like this one from the North County Times which includes this lovely tidbit.

"Missing a BCS bowl kind of sucks," admitted Sun Devils linebacker Travis Goethel, a Vista High alumnus.

Hmm... so how did the coach feel?

On Wednesday, the Sun Devils' Erickson was asked how long his team dwelled on the snub.

"About two seconds," he said. "I've said many times that Missouri is the team that got snubbed. We didn't deserve to be in a BCS bowl, to be honest with you. We had two chances to get ourselves in (losses to Oregon and USC) and we didn't take advantage of them."

 

So, wouldn't that mean your team would go out there to try and prove you were better than the pundits thought? That you DESERVED to be in a BCS game?

The point is that lets stop trying to change what happened Rudy. This is why people do not like you.

via sundevilpride.com

Its okay boys...we will just tell people we weren't trying in 8 months...no one will remember...

A few articles written this weekend about our boys in Maroon and Gold.

AZ Central.com tackled the hype surrounding the program this season, from the high expectations, national media scrutiny, and what it is like to have a Lou Groza award winner on the team.

Weber believes his teammates can handle it.

"One thing I've really noticed lately is how much leadership we have on our team," he said. "It's not just the coaches. During practices (in the spring), players were coaching up other players. Everyone's on the same page."

One of those leaders is quarterback Rudy Carpenter, who isn't afraid to speak his mind and expects as much from his teammates as he does from himself. This is the senior's last chance to leave his mark on the program. If there's anyone in this group who will go down swinging, it's Carpenter.
 

I wrote earlier on how Rudy has evolved as a leader and it would be important to see how he handles being the face of the team.  It sounds like he is ready to give it his all this year, and it will be crucial for him to keep his cool.  He has been known to melt down a bit during big games. Also, one of his biggest problems from last year was addressed.

The subject of sacks with this offense is a tricky one. Carpenter prefers to make something happen and will hold on to the ball, while offensive coordinator Rich Olson has stressed that it's OK to throw it away sometimes.

Finally. Hopefully Olson is more stubborn than Carpenter is, because playing the Bulldogs will be a real test. Their speed, along with USC's speed, won't allow Rudy to hold onto the ball for a 5-alligator count.

Moving along.

The East Valley Tribune also posted a "top 10 questions" article about the Devils, but we will only look at a few points of interests to avoid redundancy. The two interesting tidbits regard the massive bubble that has appeared across from the baseball field, and every student's favorite, Grades.

 

The opening of Arizona State’s $8.4 million, 103,000-square-foot “bubble” structure — the first scheduled practice inside it is on Saturday — means that the Sun Devils are trading tradition for convenience. There is no longer a need to escape the Valley’s heat at Camp Tontozona outside Payson, so the team can utilize its own meeting, training and weight rooms. For players, dorm rooms on campus are much more conducive to sleeping than a cabin in the forest. It adds up to what coach Dennis Erickson expects to be a more productive camp.

Interesting. I knew the building was a practice bubble, but I did not know it was actually that large or that expensive.  This is a big step for the program though, and something i feel like will help during recruiting as well.  The trip to Payson must have been awful too. No one wants to go up there.

Bass and linebacker Brandon Magee have reportedly been green-lighted by the NCAA freshman-eligibility clearinghouse, and ASU feels good about Guy's status. Receiver Kemonte Bateman remains a question mark. The Sun Devils typically have the eligibility of at least one veteran player hinging on summer grades. Although summer school ends on Aug.8 - with final grades due four days later - the Sun Devils could have their academic questions, for current and incoming players, ironed out as soon as today or Monday

 

Gulp. Bateman was our highly touted 4-star receiver recruit, one of the rivals.com top 150. And who knows what that vague reference to veteran players might mean. Lets just close our eyes and pray the grade gods are kind to our poor, academically challenged Sun Devils.

A recurring segment where we tackle your 2008 #16 Arizona State Sun Devils football team, position by position, and see what our strengths and weaknesses should be for the upcoming campaign.

We start where every football team starts: Quarterback.

1. Rudy Carpenter

6'3, 220 lbs senior. 2007 stats - 246/398 62%comp rate, 3202 yards, 25TD/10INT good for a 145.09 rating.  Rudy was also sacked a record-breaking 54(!) times.

2008 outlook - A couple things to note about the incumbent starter. First, at the beginning of the 2007 season Rudy was listed by most media outlets, and ASU, at 6'2, 202 lbs. Apparently he has grown an inch and put on 18 pounds (of what we can only hope is muscle) in the offseason.  This is good, because who knows what kind of pounding he will take with our young offensive line. 

Rudy's confidence, judging from comments he has made in the offseason, appears to be at an all time high.  It is his second year under coach Dennis Erickson, however, it is the first year under offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach Rich Olson.  Olson has followed Erickson around throughout his career, with pit stops in Miami, Seattle, and San Fransisco.  He is considered to be a good coach, and it will be interesting to see what they do with the spread offense in the pac-10 this year.

I am not sure if we will be serious title contenders though, if Rudy is the same Rudy as he has been in the past. With a not-so-great deep ball and the tendency to be one of the most streaky quarterbacks in division I, it will be key to see if Rudy has taken some steps forward as a senior.

2. Danny Sullivan
6'5, 240, Jr. 2007 stats - 7 games, 19/29, 66% comp, 212 yards, 2TD/1INT, 142.79 rating. 

2008 outlook- Most of those stats came in Sullivan's 7/14, 114 yard, 1TD performance in the 4th quarter of the Pacific Life Holiday Bowl last winter against the University of Texas. That performance likely firmly entrenched himself as Rudy's backup, but it would be a strong signal that the season is over if Sullivan is forced to step onto the field.  A timid player, he has at times flashed a cannon arm, but with a lack of confidence and experience, lets hope Sun Devil nation does not have to see him playing unless we are blowing some scrub team out like NAU or Stanford..

The Others:

Jack Elway, Samson Szakacsy, and Chasen Stangel. Elway (Yes, he is the son of THAT Elway.) is a true freshmen, and Stangel and Szakacsy are redshirt freshmen.  They are all in the mix for the 3rd spot on the depth chart and it will be interesting to see how it plays out. Stangel was the top recruit out of the three, but is the smallest at 6'0, 210 pounds.  Rivals.com ranked him as the #16 pro style quarterback in the nation in his recruiting class. Szakacsy is known for his accuracy and mobility and is considered a goof fit for Erickson's offense.  Elway has the name, and the arm, reportedly able to throw it 60 yards or more already. How this one plays out will simply come down to how the three are able to grasp the offense.

Depth: A-

With a solid starter, a solid backup, and three projectable freshmen waiting in the wings, Quarterback is not a position of need for the Sun Devils, and fans should be pleased with what the team is putting on the field for 2008.  The grade is lowered due to Rudy being a known commodity, and one that is just not quite an elite college player. But a very good one.