Blogging with the Devils

There was a lot of information that could not fit into my story on Arizona State’s football recruiting class in Thursday’s edition of the Tribune. I will get to the extras in a moment, but this blog entry begs to be led with mention of the coach at ASU’s rival school, who on Wednesday continued his rapid descent to cartoon-character status:

As if Mike Stoops’ sixth grade-level sideline behavior during Arizona’s loss at Arizona State in December were not embarrassing enough for the school, he managed to top himself with yet another open-mouth, insert-foot statement on Wednesday. Asked a general question on how graduation rates affect how a school compiles a recruiting class, Stoops said this:

“Each school has to recruit to their school and what kind of requirements they (have). Arizona State has turned into a junior college, and we’re a four-year college. According to all the players, they say it’s easier to go to school there.”

Laughing, Stoops added: “I thought we all had the same requirements.”

Put aside for a moment the fact that admissions standards for each of the three in-state public universities are virtually identical, which has been well-documented since Stoops’ assertion last year that ASU admitted some junior-college players that “we couldn’t get in.” For the coach whose program has taken a healthy dose of Academic Progress Rate scholarship losses the last two years, making fun of any other school’s scholastic reputation takes Schlitz beer-level gusto.

(ASU did not receive APR scholarship penalties in football last year. That is something that all but one of the 65 Bowl Championship Series conference schools can say.)

“I’m really not sure what he’s talking about,” Sun Devils coach Dennis Erickson said in response, a comment that can be made about many of Stoops’ delusional diatribes.

While many readers will find comedy gold in Stoops’ Wednesday comment, you can bet that his words will be in large type in the ASU locker room the week of the Arizona game. And Stoops, who is 1-3 against the Sun Devils, wasted no time in giving ASU’s 28 new players their first taste of the rivalry.

As Erickson described his recruiting class on Wednesday, the biggest themes were athleticism and versatility, two qualities important to a coach that frequently experiments with position switches.

For example, Gerell Robinson, Jarrell Barbour and Keelan Johnson can play receiver or safety. Clint Floyd is capable of lining up at receiver, cornerback or safety.

As a result, ASU was not hesitant to sign six wide receivers, a position that is already crowded. If a player is a good enough athlete, a place for him on the field can be found.

“With JC players, you are dealing with need,” Erickson said. “For freshmen, it’s what kind of athlete you’re getting. We had some need at positions, but we were going to take as many athletes as we could. And in Arizona, we were going to take as many guys as we could get.”

Internet message boards have been buzzing with fan concerns that such players as running back Ryan Bass, receiver Jarrell Barbour and defensive lineman Lawrence Guy might not academically qualify. Asked specifically about Bass, Erickson said that he is “close” to qualifying and spread that confidence across the entire class.

“(Bass) has got work to do, and some other guys do too,” Erickson said. “If he takes care of business like I know he will, he’ll make it.”

Last year, ASU’s 23-member recruiting class had one academic casualty, offensive lineman Po’u Palelei.

Ryan McFoy made eight starts at safety as a freshman in 2006 but moved to linebacker before last season. He struggled to to learn the assignments of the position, so his play was limited primarily to special teams.

Erickson indicated that McFoy has made progress at linebacker and will stay there. The athletic 6-foot-2, 201-pounder gives the coach the kind of speed he wants at the position.

“He came along the second half of last year,” Erickson said. “He’s the kind of guy you want at linebacker. You watch him in practice, and he didn’t know where he was going all the time, but he has that acceleration. Once he picks that up in the spring, he’ll be able to help us.”

Erickson, who has already moved defensive lineman Jon Hargis to offensive tackle and is contemplating returning Dane Guthrie to tight end, said that more position moves could be made before spring practice. Guthrie played defensive end last season.

Linebacker Morris Wooten, who was suspended for the Holiday Bowl for an unspecified team rules violation, has been reinstated and will take part in spring drills.

This entry was posted on Wednesday, February 6th, 2008 at 10:50 pm and is filed under Football. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.