ASU finds leadership on O-line from Cabral
Offensive lineman Cohl Cabral was halfway through his freshman year at Arizona State when he first thought about the possibility of playing football professionally. It wasn’t that he was overly confident in his own abilities; it was the feedback he was getting from those he respected.
Billy Napier, who was then the offensive coordinator, and Rob Sale, who as then the offensive line coach, told Cabral, then a left tackle, that he re
minded them of a first round draft pick they had who had switched positions.
“It was the same scenario I was in,” said Cabral, who moved to center last season. “I thought, `You believe in me that much at a position that I have yet to play, maybe I do have a chance.’”
Cabral (6-foot-5, 304-pounds) is well on his way to becoming the player the previous Sun Devil coaching regime had predicted. He leads a senior-laden front five that is looking to pave the way for a potent offense.
With the graduation of former quarterback Manny Wilkins, Cabral has also assumed a leadership role. When Pac-12 Media Day was held in Los Angeles last month, Cabral was one of the two players coach Herm Edwards chose to represent the Sun Devils. The other was junior running back Eno Benjamin.
“It’s his turn and he knows that,” Edwards said. “He’s a three-year starter and he is one of our veterans. The guys definitely take a cue from him. We are going to be leaning on him a lot.”
Cabral, out of Los Osos High School in Rancho Cucamonga, Calif., played some as a freshman then moved into the starting spot at left tackle as a sophomore. It was only as a junior in 2018 that he moved over to center, which current offensive line coach Dave Christensen said best shows off Cabral’s agility and athleticism.
He is coming off a stellar season as one of just 15 Power 5 conference centers not to allow a sack, earning secondteam All Pac-12 honors. Those accolades helped earn him spots on preseason watch lists for the prestigious Remington and Outland awards.
He thought about declaring for the NFL draft after his junior season but chose to return for his senior year in hopes of improving his stock. It wasn’t something he took lightly. He spent a month mulling over the potentially lifechanging decision.
It helped to have the resources at his disposal that Edwards could provide.
“He knows everybody and if he doesn’t know a particular person he knows someone that does know that person,” Cabral said of Edwards. “I got a lot of feedback from a lot of people to see just where I stood and I talked to over with my family.”
Cabral said the appraisal he got was that he could go a high as the fifth round but that was no guarantee since there are just eight rounds. Thus, his decision to return for a final season at ASU.
“That wasn’t going to be life-changing money and there was no guarantee I would get drafted,” he said. “I am still new at that position so there is more I can still learn and I can get better and be in better shape for the next draft.”
The Sun Devils have yet to play their first game and Cabral’s “team-first” mentality is already showing. He was ready to improve his skills at center in preparation for another shot at the draft, but the Sun Devils were thrown for a loop when Zach Robertson, the projected starter at left tackle, was sidelined indefinitely with “personal matters.”
So Cabral has been moved back to his old position. He’s also had to help tutor his replacement at center — redshirt freshman Jarrett Ball. True freshman Dohnovan West has been getting the second-team reps behind Bell.
“A Pac-12 championship means more to me than any individual accolade,” Cabral said. “If I have to go back to tackle because that is what the team needs, I will do it.”
Christensen has no doubt that Cabral will improve his draft standing.
“He has good technique but we’re always working on little things,” Christensen said.
“He can play any position on the line and with limited rosters, teams are always looking for guys that have that flexibility.”