Arizona State Football: Projected 2-deep depth chart for 2017
The 2017 opening kickoff for Arizona State football is just weeks away, and here is the projected two-deep depth chart for this season’s Sun Devils.
With the season fast approaching some positions are set, while others remain a mystery. Fall camp helps illuminate the depth chart more clearly. Even prior to camp, fans gather a sense of how things will look based on both last season and the annual spring game.
The Sun Devils return 13 starters from last season’s squad, which is middle of the pack for the Pac-12 conference. In 2016, Arizona State entered the season with just 10 returning starters and the team was hit hard by injuries, so depth certainly became a major issue.
Head coach Todd Graham is already riding the hot seat. Does he have enough talent and depth to right the ship and guide the team to a bowl-eligible season?
Graham has plenty of players who sat out 2016 returning from injury, 13 starters from 2016 returning, and has brought in a number of transfer players who will compete for starting spots.
Let’s take a look at the 2017 two-deep projected depth chart with uncertainty surrounding which players start this season based on health, experience and talent.
Offensive Line
Starting tackles: Cohl Cabral (LT), Quinn Bailey (RT)
Backups: Tyson Rising, Cade Cote, Mason Walter
Offensive tackle is the biggest area of weakness on the line after the team lost left tackle Evan Goodman. Cabral played in 11 games as a true freshman in 2016 and is one of the most talented players on paper. Obviously, he lacks experience, especially at left tackle as a starter. On the other side, the Sun Devils should be in good shape with Bailey who started nine games at the position last year.
Rising redshirted the 2016 season due to injury. He came to the school as a JUCO transfer from Ventura College.
Cote and Walter played in games last season, although neither has played meaningful minutes. Cote’s versatility should be valuable — he can play all three positions on the line.
Starting center: A.J. McCollum
Backup: Tyler McClure, Mitchell Fraboni
McCollum is one of three returning starters on the line. He started eight games at center in 2016 after entering the school as a JUCO transfer from City College of San Francisco. He is one of only three seniors with experience on the line and one of the offense’s strongest players.
McClure and his backup, long snapper Mitchell Fraboni, are the other experienced seniors on the line. So, center is the strongest position on the line. McClure started three games last season and is a capable backup.
Starting guards: Sam Jones (LG), Zach Robertson (RG)
Backups: Steven Miller, Alex Losoya
Jones is probably the best player on the line. He started the first seven games of the 2016 season before sitting out the remainder of the season with injury. Jones also started three games in 2015. Jones is an excellent run blocker.
Right guard is a little more unsettled. Robertson played right tackle and right guard last season and has done the same in fall camp because of injuries. He started two games in 2016 at right guard. Steven Miller started two games at left guard and one game at right guard. Either player could easily earn the starting right guard job. Robertson gets the nod for now simply because he holds a slight edge in experience.
Losoya is another JUCO transfer who found limited playing time last season. He is a capable backup.