King_of_lion Posted January 17, 2020 Posted January 17, 2020 Arizona State quarterback Jayden Daniels (5) reacts toward the bench after throwing for an 81-yard touchdown against Oregon during the second half of an NCAA college football game Saturday, Nov. 23, 2019, in Tempe, Ariz. Arizona State won 31-28. (AP Photo/Matt York) It’s easy to find optimism about the Arizona State football program. Head coach Herm Edwards’ recruiting has picked up steam as he puts his roster together for 2020, and his Sun Devils closed 2019 on a three-game winning streak to finish with a 8-5 record. Their star freshman quarterback, Jayden Daniels, projects to make a leap as a sophomore. But there are questions to be answered. One of the most talented running backs in school history, Eno Benjamin, is off to the pros. Edwards needed to hire new coordinators on both sides of the ball, replacing fired offensive coordinator Rob Likens with Zak Hill, who was previously at Boise State. Defensive coordinator Danny Gonzales left for the New Mexico head-coaching job, and his replacement was Tony White, an in-house promotion. Related Links Arizona State extends football coach Herm Edwards through 2024 ASU football garners votes in final AP Poll of season There’s even noise, per NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo, that linebackers coach and recruiting coordinator Antonio Pierce could make a move to the NFL sooner rather than later. That kind of turnover is commonplace in college football, and a lot can change from now until the start of the 2020 season. Turnover, however, can also shift momentum in a bad way. But as it sits today, ASU football is projected to be a force next year. While early top-25 rankings by ESPN and USA Today omit the Sun Devils, several others do include them. Dennis Dodd, CBS Sports No. 24 The Sun Devils should be a challenger for the Pac-12 South. Herm Edwards has done what Todd Graham could not: recruit California. Fourteen starters return, including budding quarterback Jaylen Daniels. Edwards must find a new defensive coordinator for the departed Danny Gonzales. Not to gush, but Edwards’ emphasis on physicality reminds me of the early USC days of Pete Carroll. Quote
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