Who will be the Sun Devils’ go-to receiver?
Editor’s note: As the 2020 Arizona State football season approaches we’ll be looking at the Sun Devils, position-byposition. Today: wire receivers
Last season the Sun Devil receivers totaled 3,235 yards in receptions, but three of the top four athletes factoring into that total have departed, most notably Brandon Aiyuk who accounted for 1,192 yards.
Aiyuk was selected by the San Francisco 49ers in the first round of the April NFL draft, giving ASU back-to-back seasons in which it had a receiver selected as N’Keal Harry was chosen by the Patriots in 2019.
So to whom do the Sun Devils turn to next? The likely answer is senior Frank Darby (6-1, 200), whose 31 catches for 616 yards were second on the team behind Aiyuk, although his 19.87 yards per catch did rank first on the team.
One player who won’t be in the mix this season is sophomore Jordan Kerley (6-2, 184), who saw time last season as a true freshman with six catches for 81 yards. Kerley opted out of the season due to concerns over the coronavirus pandemic. He was the only player on the squad to do so.
Kerley’s absence should not make a difference as the Sun Devils have some depth at the position, even if Darby is the lone athlete with considerable experience. Several other freshman saw some time last season including Ricky Pearsall (6-1,190) and Geordon Porter (6-2, 190).
Redshirt freshman Andre Johnson (6-3, 190), out of Tolleson Union, and speedy senior Brandon Pierce (5-11, 175) should also be in the picture.
3 questions to be answered
1. Who is the heir to Brandon Aiyuk? When N’Keal Harry departed in 2018 all wondered who would step up and Aiyuk responded with a monster year. Now Aiyuk is gone and the same question is being asked but this is perhaps the deepest position on the team although a lot of the talent is young. The most veteran receiver returning is senior Darby who has bigplay ability but has also had issues with dropped balls. If he can remedy that problem, he can be the marquee player the Sun Devils are looking for. Darby has been working on intermediate routes which makes him an all-around threat.
2. Will the tight ends factor into the offense? It is a position that had not been fully utilized in recent years but that is expected to change with the offense now under the direction of Zak Hill, who came to ASU from Boise State where he served in the same capacity. Two local products have seen time with the first team in 6-foot-8 Curtis Hodges (Mesa Mountain View) and Case Hatch (Perry). Sophomore Nolan Matthews (6-5, 246) saw some time last season as a freshman and could factor in as well.
3. Who could be the X-factor? Hodges is still a bit of a mystery. He’s had a couple of injury plagued seasons and with the tight end not an integral factor in past offenses he never had a prominent role. That could change. At 6-8 he’s an imposing figure.
About the newcomers
Oh where to start. ASU signed four four-star wide receivers out of high school. They are:
● Johnny Wilson (6-7, 230), graduate of Calabasas (Calif.) had committed to Oregon before flipping to ASU. Regarded as a Top-100 overall prospect by all major recruiting outlets and considered one of the Top-16 receiving prospects in the nation by all major outlets.
● LV Bunkley-Shelton (5-11, 180), out of Gardena Serra (Calif.) was rated the No. 27 wide receiver in the country and
No. 17 overall
247Sports.
● Chad Johnson (6-2, 180), out of Cathedral High School in Los Angeles, is the son of former NFL standout by the same name. Ranked by 247 Sports as the No. 292 overall prospect nationally and the No. 53 wide receiver prospect.
● Elijhah Badger (6-1, 190), product of Folsom (Calif.) where he was a teammate of ASU running back Daniyel Nagata. Will not play because he did not meet academic requirements to do so, but is working out with the team.
ASU also added John Stivers (6-2, 255), a graduate transfer from Harvard, and Kyle Horn, a walk-on transfer from UMass to give them depth at tight end.
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About the coaches
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This is a position that has had some change with Charlie Fisher departing and the young dynamic duo of Prentice Gill and Derek Hagan taking over, with Hagan focusing on tight ends.
Gill, 30, comes to ASU from Pac-12 rival Oregon where he served as an offensive analyst last season.
Hagan, 36, was appointed receivers coach in December after two seasons on staff as an analyst. Hagan, who was inducted into the ASU Sports Hall of Fame in 2015, played receiver for ASU from ’0205 and left as the Pac-12 record holder for career receptions with 258. He also ranks second all-time in the conference with 3,939 yards, and broke five school records, including receptions, receiving yards, receiving touchdowns, 100-yard games and receiving yards per game.