Secondary a key focus as fall camp nears
One of the last images Arizona State fans saw last season was he Sun Devils being torched by West Virginia’s passing game in the Motel 6 Cactus Bowl.
That game ASU allowed 532 passing yards in a 43-42 loss and one of the biggest questions around this year’s team is how the secondary will rebound after allowing 337 passing yards per game.
One of the lone bright spots in last year’s secondary was true freshman Kareem Orr who earned freshman All-American status after snagging a team-high six interceptions in 2015.
This season, Orr moves from safety to corner, which coach Todd Graham addressed in his first preseason press conference Thursday.
“Kareem played safety last year out of necessity and did a solid job for us as a freshman,” Graham said. “We really like some of the things we’ve seen out of him at corner and feel like right now that’s where we’re looking at (him).”
While Orr stays in the secondary while moving positions, redshirt senior Laiu Moeakiola moves back to the secondary at the Bandit safety spot after spending two years at Spur linebacker.
Moeakiola was a critical playmaker totaling 51 tackles with 6.5 TFLs, two sacks and five pass breakups in 2015.
“He’s a very smart player, very instinctive player (and) he’s done a great job for us,” Graham said. “Laiu is a guy…what an example he is of what our program is all about.”
But the secondary isn’t the only area of concern as preseason camp, which begins Aug. 3 at Camp Tontozona, kicks into gear.
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Quarterback is the most obvious position of concern, featuring a three-way battle between redshirt freshmen Bryce Perkins and Brady White and presumptive frontrunner redshirt sophomore Manny Wilkins.
With so many demands on the quarterback position from both a play and leadership standpoint, Graham said the player who wins the job will be the one who can make those around him better.
“At the end of the day, it’s the guy who elevates the other 10 guys on the field, the guy who can take his team down and score,” Graham said. “The number one factor will be – the guy who’s going to quarterback our team – is going to be the guy that activates those other 10 people and can lead them.”
Whoever wins the quarterback job will be protected by a fleet of newcomers on the offensive line which Graham noted – along with the secondary – will be the two most inexperienced position groups.
But Graham lauded the work of offensive line coach Chris Thomsen, whom he compared to legendary Dallas Cowboys coach Tom Landry, giving confidence to his ability to shape a group that welcomes three new starters.
“He’s a master teacher,” Graham said of Thomsen, “He doesn’t get real animated very often but he just does a tremendous job.”
While Thomsen is a familiar face, there are several new coaches on the staff including quarterbacks coach and offensive coordinator Chip Lindsey and wide receivers coach Jay Norvell among others.
What was important, Graham said, was the coaches’ personality, in addition to keeping things like terminology and scheme similar to what the players are familiar with.
“When we go to put together a staff…(I’m) really looking for diversity in talents,” Graham said. “We needed a coordinator that was obviously a great developer of quarterbacks.”
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While it’s easy to draw some comparisons to past offseasons, most notably in 2012 which featured similar questions at quarterback, Graham reiterated it’s a new season with new players and new staff and a clean slate.
“Just being honest I really don’t think much about 2012,” Graham said. “Yes we’re going to have a new quarterback but nothing is the same as 2012 and most of the guys that were here would say the same thing.
“It’s just completely different…going into year five it just has a completely different feel for me.”
