Blogging with the Devils

Shamefully, Devon Kennard could suffer a wrath from ASU’s overzealous if he dares to make a leap and play elsewhere. (Ahwatukee Foothills News photo)

There was Phoenix Desert Vista senior-to-be Devon Kennard decked out in a blinding red suit on Sunday night, talking high school recruiting with Ross Shimabuku on Ch. 3.

Before Kennard revealed his top five schools of choice (Southern California, Arizona State, Texas, California and UCLA, in no particular order), Shimabuku listed his top five schools for Kennard, all of which were ASU logos.

This blog is normally a fan of Shimabuku, but he upstaged an already over-the-top premise of some baited-breath TV announcement, not even for a school of choice, but five schools of choice.

A top-five announcement-turned-TV-event is bad enough, but a top five of ways to force ASU down a kid’s throat was beyond homerish and pandering. It was embarrassing.

Kennard is a freak athlete, clearly the best in the past few years to come out of Arizona. He’s also an intelligent (academically and otherwise), grounded kid. His father, former Arizona Cardinal Derek Kennard, and older brother, Derek Jr., make sure of that.

ASU has more than a viable shot at him, which they wouldn’t have had a short time ago, and the fan base should be delighted.

But if Kennard chooses — gasp! — a school other than ASU, he’ll be villified by the desert masses, and a group of Sun Devil zealots might build a wall to keep him out.

Traitor for life!

It’s out there; a scary, but very real sentiment. It’s considered blasphemous for a local prep star to find his own way, without the jeers, behind-his-back jeers from local cronies and snide comments of “disgracing” the hometown ‘U.’

Is Shimabuku one of those? Doubtful, but the charade reinforced a sad state of affairs: Kennard, and other big-time East Valley recruits, will learn the hard way should they dare don a visitor jersey.

Michael Jones gets a high-five from ASU teammate Ike Davis after hitting a home run against Oklahoma during the 2008 NCAA tournament. (Darryl Webb/Tribune)

Arizona State football coach Dennis Erickson does not relish the thought of his most experienced wide receiver playing minor-league baseball, but he will allow Michael Jones to pursue his diamond dreams.

Jones, an outfielder, was drafted in the 29th round by the New York Yankees earlier this month. He recently told PinstripesPlus.com that he “hopes to get started right away and get into the Yankees’ organization.”

An NFL prospect, Jones can still play college football if he signs a pro baseball contract.

“We’ve talked about it,” Erickson said. “Obviously, there is a chance for him to make a little money. We should know something in the next week or so.”

Since his arrival as coach in December 2006, Erickson has been fine with Jones playing baseball for the Sun Devils. In three years, Jones has played in 94 games (34 starts), batting .225 (21-for-93) with a home run and 11 RBIs.

Erickson, however, is not as enthusiastic about Jones living the minor-league life, far away from Tempe, with a football season looming.

“But you have to let him do what he feels is best for him and his future,” Erickson said.

In 2007, playing minor-league baseball during the summer did not affect Oregon quarterback Dennis Dixon once the season started. He was the Heisman Trophy front-runner and had the Ducks on the brink of the Bowl Championship Series title contest until suffering a season-ending knee injury in the 10th game.

The 6-foot-4, 203-pound Jones has 70 receptions for 1,109 yards and 13 touchdowns in three football seasons at ASU.

In other football matters, Erickson has been pleased with the progress of quarterback Rudy Carpenter, who had surgery on his right (throwing) thumb after spring practice.

“He’s close to 100 percent, a lot better than he was at the end of the year,” Erickson said. “He’s got more mobility, and he told me that he’s throwing the ball really well. He’ll only get better as the summer goes on.”

Many players are currently taking part in on-field, non-pads workouts that, per NCAA rules, cannot be attended by coaches.

Erickson is not concerned about the tight end position after the departure of projected starter Dane Guthrie, believed to be due to academics, and backup Lance Evbuomwan.

The training-camp competition figures to be wide open, with returnees Andrew Pettes, Jovon Williams and Dan Knapp and junior-college transfer Stanley Malamala leading the pursuit. ASU also signed incoming freshmen Steven Figueroa and Toa Tuitea (who might play defensive end).

In 2007, Pettes and Williams had one catch each, and Knapp redshirted.

“I still like what we have,” Erickson said. “Jovon, Pettes and Knapp have shown what they can do, and we brought Stanley in because we think he adds something for us. We kind of expected the thing with Guthrie might happen, so we weren’t off-guard.”

The Sun Devils plan to utilize more four- and five-receiver packages in the fall, meaning that a tight end will not be on the field as much.

There have been no position changes since the end of spring drills.

The Oct. 5, 2013, game between ASU and Notre Dame at the Dallas Cowboys’ new facility in Arlington, Texas, will be broadcast nationally and in prime time.

As part of the contract extension through 2015 reached between NBC and Notre Dame on Thursday, the Fighting Irish’s annual off-site home game (beginning in 2009) will kick off at night, presumably at 8 p.m. Eastern time. The ASU game is one of three off-site dates confirmed; Notre Dame plays Washington State in San Antonio in ’09 and Army in Chicago in ’10.

The Arizona State football team getting down to the 85 scholarship players allowed by the NCAA before the start of the 2008 season has been a hot topic since December. Here is a look at how the issue has evolved:

A check of the roster after the Holiday Bowl revealed 64 scholarship players with eligibility remaining. One of those 64 was defensive lineman Tranell Morant, who at that time was expected to petition the NCAA for a sixth season of eligibility. He did not, reducing the number to 63.

Twenty-seven players were signed in February, and another recruit, junior college tight end Stanley Malamala, came in later. Wide receiver Jarrell Barbour is not going to qualify academically, keeping the incoming number at 27, for 90 total.

Three reserves — wide receiver Rodney Glass, defensive lineman Zach Niusulu and linebacker Antone Saulsberry — have since left the program. And on Thursday, it was learned that backup tight end Lance Evbuomwan is departing.

As a result, the Sun Devils are believed to be at 86 scholarship players, barring any other academic casualties among the current roster and recruits scheduled to arrive in the fall.

If a player has to catch up during summer school, his eligibility status might not be known until after ASU begins fall practice on Aug. 4. Summer classes end on Aug. 8, with final grades due four days later.

Three Arizona State football players — wide receiver Rodney Glass, defensive lineman Zach Niusulu and linebacker Antone Saulsberry — are no longer with the program.

Glass, a converted running back, was sidelined for spring drills due to academics, Niusulu was low on the depth chart at defensive tackle and Saulsberry never found a position home after being recruited as a linebacker, switching to running back, then moving back to LB.

Saulsberry has one year of eligibility remaining, Glass and Niusulu three.

More departures are likely to come, as the Sun Devils must be down to the NCAA limit of 85 scholarship players in the fall.

There are several jersey number changes. Most notably, quarterback Samson Szakacsy is switching to No. 10 so incoming QB Jack Elway can wear the No. 7 that his father, John, donned at Stanford and in the NFL.

Cornerback Omar Bolden goes from No. 32 to No. 3, defensive end Luis Vasquez from No. 97 to No. 49, and receiver Brandon Smith resumes wearing No. 2 after donning No. 9 fro two seasons. In 2006, Smith switched numbers with Sam Keller because the quarterback wanted to honor ASU signee and former high school teammate Angelo Richardson, who was paralyzed in a random shooting the previous spring.

Arizona State linebacker Travis Goethel breaks up a pass intended for wide receiver Brandon Smith during the Sun Devils’ intrasquad scrimmage on Saturday. (Darryl Webb/Tribune)

The end of spring drills for Arizona State brought more notes and quotes than could be stuffed into my story that appeared in Sunday’s edition of the Tribune. Fortunately, there are no word-count limitations in cyberspace:

Perhaps the most inspiring part of the 17-17 tie in Saturday’s intrasquad game was the performance of sophomore defensive end Jamarr Robinson, whose end to spring 2008 directly contrasted a year ago.

In the ’07 spring game, Robinson, then a linebacker, suffered a knee injury that kept him out until October. On Saturday, Robinson had three of the game’s seven sacks, the best evidence yet that he has found a home in the DE rotation behind starters Dexter Davis and Luis Vasquez.

Jamarr Robinson

“This year has been a lot more fun,” the 6-foot-2, 233-pound Robinson said. “I’m blessed to be in the situation that they have presented me, and I’m just loving it.

“When (defensive coordinator Craig) Bray called me into his office, I thought I was in trouble. But he just said we could use more depth at end, and it was an opportunity for me to get on the field. I just went for it.”

During his career, ASU coach Dennis Erickson has often moved defensive players closer to the scrimmage line — switching safeties to linebacker and linebackers to the line — to take advantage of their speed. In Robinson and redshirt freshman James Brooks, the Sun Devils appear to have ends that can be especially quick off the edge.

“(Defensive line) coach (Grady) Stretz has been a great teacher, and I’ve learned a lot by watching Dexter and Luis,” Robinson said. “I’ve been able to rush and play freely. I have to gain a few pounds to stop the run better, but I’m excited (about the season). I think we’ll have one of the best defensive lines in the Pac-10.”

Running back Shaun DeWitty has rarely been able to show off his athleticism at ASU due to injuries, most notably a sore back that healed while he utilized a redshirt last season. On Saturday, the junior was the leading rusher, with 71 yards on 13 carries, including a 29-yard touchdown.

The biggest ASU running back at 6-feet-2 and 227 pounds, DeWitty’s lanky frame makes him more difficult to slow down and wrap up with an arm tackle. It also makes him susceptible to getting the ball knocked out — he lost a fumble on Saturday — if he is too upright while running.

“I’ve been working with the coaches on getting my pad level down,” DeWitty said. “I feel like I’ve gotten better at it during the spring. I’m still up at times. I’m a tall guy and have had back problems, so I got into some bad habits. It’s like anything you work at, really. It will get better over time.”

DeWitty’s best year at ASU was in 2006, when he ran for 121 yards in the spring game and — when he was not limited due to back stiffness — was used as a third-down back in the fall. With Keegan Herring, Dimitri Nance and Jarrell Woods also options in the backfield, DeWitty will likely be limited to a situational role this season.

However, DeWitty said that performing up to his capabilities is his biggest concern.

“I hope I’m ready to do that,” DeWitty said. “That’s my goal. If I keep working, I know I’ll be able to contribute.”

Jarrell Holman also redshirted in 2007, but it was not by his design. At ASU’s football media day last August, I approached Holman to ask about cornerback, where he was expected to compete for a starting job after transferring from Phoenix College. He disappointingly told me that, after just two practices, he had been moved to safety.

“It was very discouraging,” Holman said earlier this spring. “I sat up at nights, thinking about whether I made the right decision to come here. But I had to fight through it. I changed my perspective. I had some good talks with family members, and they told me to just work hard. I know I can play. It’s just a matter of having the right attitude.”

Holman learned the nuances of safety with the help of watching starters Troy Nolan and Josh Barrett and backups Jeremy Payton and Rodney Cox. The payoff was an impressive spring that culminated in seven tackles on Saturday.

In addition to being in the safety rotation behind first-stringers Nolan and Cox, Holman has gotten playing time at nickelback.

“I’m not playing tentative anymore,” Holman said. “My motto has become: ‘Hit them before they hit you.’ “

Lastly, here are the pertinent statistical details from the spring game:

SCORING SUMMARY
Maroon 17, White 17

Maroon — DeWitty 29 run (Z. Richards kick)
White — B. Smith 43 pass from Carpenter (Weber kick)
Maroon — FG Z. Richards 45
White — Nance 1 run (Weber kick)
Maroon — Kimbrough 31 pass from Sullivan (Z. Richards kick)
White — FG Weber 46

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

RUSHING: DeWitty 13 for 71, TD; Nance 13 for 44, TD; Herring 10 for 14; Woods 9 for 12; Carpenter 1 for minus-5; Stangel 1 for minus-10; Sullivan 2 for minus-14; Szakacsy 4 for minus-26

PASSING: Sullivan 13 of 28 for 115, TD, INT; Carpenter 7 of 21 for 88, TD, INT; Stangel 6 of 12 for 77; Szakacsy 2 of 2 for 19; Williams 0 of 1

RECEIVING: Williams 5 for 39; Kimbrough 3 for 47, TD; Nance 3 for 43; Driscoll 3 for 12; Taylor 2 for 26; Simpson 2 for 20; Simmons 2 for 18; Knapp 2 for 17; Evbuomwan 2 for 10; B. Smith 1 for 43, TD; Piva 1 for 9; DeWitty 1 for 8; Herring 1 for 7

MISSED FIELD GOALS: None

DEFENSIVE SUPERLATIVES: Bertrand (sack); Brooks (sack); Montt (sack); Munns (11 tackles, pass deflection); Nixon (interception); Parker (fumble recovery); Robinson (three sacks); Singfield (interception); Vasquez (sack)

David Bertrand

The most unlikely first-team defensive player for Arizona State during spring practice was, at this time last year, playing for the Sun Devils’ in-state rival.

Defensive tackle David Bertrand is a junior who, frustrated at Arizona’s unwillingness to offer him a scholarship after two years as a backup, transferred to ASU shortly before the start of last season. The Scottsdale Horizon High product played in six games for the Wildcats in 2006 and three in ’05, collecting seven career tackles.

“I’m really happy to be here and happy not to be there,” Bertrand said. “I had some personal problems and decided to leave there and wound up here. I played the first two years, and they just weren’t going to give me a scholarship. I had to get out of there.”

The 6-foot-1, 283-pound Bertrand has practiced with the first team since the second week of spring drills. Even as Saia Falahola (triceps) and David Smith (concussion) have returned from injuries, Bertrand has remained with the top unit.

Smith and Jonathan English are listed as the first-team tackles on ASU’s depth chart, and ex-Michigan player Eugene Germany (who can play tackle or end), junior-college transfer Spencer Gasu and highly-touted freshman Lawrence Guy are among seven defensive linemen arriving in the fall.

However, coach Dennis Erickson said that Bertrand has potential to contribute.

“I think he can help us. He’s had a good spring,” Erickson said. “He’s not big, but powerful, and he is getting an opportunity with other guys hurt. We need guys to step up at defensive tackle.”

Bertrand is one of two former Wildcats on the roster; redshirt freshman running back Avory Battle — whose brother, Allante, will play football and run track at ASU starting this fall — is the other.

“I can’t wait to get on the field against (Arizona),” said Bertrand, who will get a chance to line up against his former school on Dec. 6 in Tucson.

Tuesday’s practice was the next-to-last workout in pads this spring. ASU will don helmets only on Thursday before concluding drills with the spring game at 1 p.m. Saturday at Sun Devil Stadium.

“We had to get something done (on Tuesday), and we did,” Erickson said. “Thursday, we won’t do much in shorts. We’ll split into two teams and practice for about 45 minutes, and then we’ll have the game. By the time Saturday comes around, we should be ready to go. We should get something out of it.”

Asked his assessment of the team with the end of spring looming, Erickson said: “I’m happy with where we are defensively. We’re way ahead of where we were last year at this time because we have a lot of players back. Offensively, (quarterback) Rudy Carpenter has had an outstanding spring. Our front is getting better all the time. You can sense an improvement in that group since the beginning of spring ball.”

Erickson said that left tackle Jon Hargis, a converted defensive lineman, has improved in recent practices. Hargis is battling for one of three vacant starting spots on an offensive line that Erickson said has responded well to the simplified protection schemes.

“I thought we had too much last year,” said Erickson, whose offense surrendered a school-record 55 sacks in 2007. “Even if we had all of those (starters) back, I would still cut back on the stuff we did, because it was confusing. Things are easier. You aren’t going to pick up every blitz, but assignment-wise, we’re in good shape.”

Gerald Munns

During the three weeks that Arizona State has been in spring drills, coach Dennis Erickson said, it has not been difficult to identify the defensive player with the biggest knack for finding the football.

“Any time there is a collision, Gerald Munns seems to be involved,” Erickson said. “He’s been making as many plays as anyone.”

Munns, a junior, has displayed enough awareness, anticipation and aggressiveness to claim the first-team assignment at middle linebacker, a status he held very briefly last season before a knee injury caused him to miss four games.

Now healthy, leaner and with two years of college-level learning experience, the Hamilton High product believes that he has gained the maturity to be a regular impact player. This upcoming season, he feels, is his time.

“I’m starting to see the field a lot better,” said Munns, who recorded 20 tackles (15 solo) and a sack last season. “With experience I have, I feel a lot more calm out there, and things are starting to slow down. I can react a lot faster and go out and make plays.”

ASU linebacker Gerald Munns brings down Southern California running back Stafon Johnson last season. (Jennifer Grimes/Tribune)

The 6-foot-4, 238-pound Munns — listed at 240 pounds last year, he said that his weight has remained steady as he has added more muscle — impressed during fall camp and early-season practices, earning the starting nod for the San Diego State game on Sept. 15. On the second series, he suffered the knee injury.

After his return, Munns backed up Morris Wooten and Mike Nixon in the middle.

“It was hard to get back into shape for a while,” Munns said. “I had to get my knee back in shape, and my overall endurance was tough to get back. But everyone goes through injuries. It was something I had to get over and keep fighting.”

Munns’ biggest asset, Erickson said, is his ability to read and recognize a play developing, which enables him to “play faster,” as it is known in coaching parlance.

“He’s smart and knows what’s going on,” Erickson said. “You watch him on tape, and he looks like a guy who runs 4.4 (seconds in the 40-yard dash) because he knows what he’s doing. I don’t think he’s that fast, but he looks that fast on the field.”

A soft-spoken nature belies Munns’ torpedo style on the field. Middle linebacker is a position where leadership is usually expected, and Munns said that as he grows more comfortable in the spot, he will raise his voice more often.

“We have a lot of guys on the team that need to step up vocally, and I’m probably one of them,” Munns said. “But I primarily try to show leadership with my effort and hustle to the ball. I’m a guy that can be held accountable. That’s the most important kind of leadership, I think.”

The most talked-about happening at Thursday’s practice was a shoving match between guard Shaun Lauvao and defensive tackle Jonathan English that turned into a skirmish involving several players.

Erickson could only chuckle afterward, saying that the pile-up was big, but tame.

“They couldn’t hurt each other,” Erickson said. “It wasn’t vicious. That was like it was almost planned. There’s a coaches’ clinic here, so (the players) had to do something to show how tough they are. It wasn’t really exciting to me. I almost fell asleep.”

There indeed appeared to be theatrics. As the fracas broke up, running back Keegan Herring shouted at cornerback Omar Bolden, “I was looking for you in that huddle!” Herring’s usual mile-wide smile indicated that he was not even half-serious.

Two of the special-teams vacancies appear to be filled, as Erickson said that Thomas Ohmart is “by far” the best long-snapper in camp and that backup quarterback Danny Sullivan will likely hold on placement-kick attempts. Kicker Thomas Weber is still the first-team punter, but Zach Richards and two junior-college walk-ons will get a chance at the job in the fall.

The scrimmage, the second of the spring, is at 9:45 a.m. Saturday at Sun Devil Stadium. It will follow a format similar to the first. There will be several street closures around ASU due to Sunday’s Arizona Ironman triathlon, so the school is offering travel tips for those planning to attend the scrimmage and other athletic events this weekend.

The Sun Devils have a wrinkle when they employ an empty-backfield formation, occasionally splitting a running back out where a wide receiver normally lines up. When Dimitri Nance has lined out wide in recent workouts, an outside linebacker has covered him — a favorable matchup that ASU would like to create whenever possible.

“We’ll throw those (running backs) around different places,” Erickson said. “We’re doing a lot of things out of an empty formation, and you’ll see a lot more by the end of spring. We were pretty successful out of the empty in the first scrimmage.”

Tight end Dane Guthrie (shoulder), safeties Jonathan Clark (shoulder) and Jarrell Holman (back) and defensive linemen Luis Vasquez (ankle) and David Smith (concussion) did not practice on Thursday but should be back on Saturday.

Construction on ASU’s indoor practice facilities for football and basketball is expected to begin by the end of April, a school spokesman said.

Jon Hargis

Jon Hargis had every reason to believe that his football career at Arizona State would play out as a defensive lineman after a move to offense last spring lasted all of one practice.

That belief was fortified in the fall, when the Mesa Red Mountain High product, serving as a backup defensive tackle, showed improvement as the season went on. After suffering a separated shoulder against UCLA, Hargis was lauded as a tough guy, as he not only finished that game but played in the year’s three remaining contests.

Expecting to compete for a starting spot at defensive tackle in 2008, Hargis instead received news during the offseason that he was getting another stint on offense. Since then, he has undergone a crash course at left tackle that has intensified since the start of spring drills.

“It was a little surprising to be making the switch,” said Hargis, a 6-foot-4, 310-pound sophomore. “I started out as filling a gap on the defensive line, but I really progressed. I was going to be fine with anything that the coaches decided, though, and this is going to be the best move for me and the team.”

Completely revamping his mechanics in the trenches has been an exercise in patience for Hargis. On defense, he rushed on his toes. On offense, he often backs up on his heels, making sure to keep his feet spread apart. On defense, he tried to drag an opposing lineman aside. On offense, he tries to push him away.

What’s more, there are all kinds of protection calls and reads to learn.

The fact that Hargis is frequently assigned to block Dexter Davis, ASU’s best rush end, has not made the on-the-job training easier. But the coaches have shown enough faith in Hargis to give him most of the first-team snaps this spring, ahead of junior college transfer Tom Njunge and redshirt freshman Mike Marcisz.

“It’s been good and hard,” Hargis said. “The hardest thing is not getting frustrated. There are a lot of new things, technique-wise. But it’s coming along. I’m feeling more comfortable this week. It’s coming along for me in a lot of areas.

“I wasn’t expecting to be first team, but I’m doing my best to go with it. I’m trying to seize the opportunity, as they say.”

Randy Shannon

More than a decade after he left the Miami (Fla.), Erickson has an opportunity to directly influence what the Hurricanes will do on the field in 2008. Second-year Miami coach Randy Shannon and many of his offensive assistants are visiting Tempe to brainstorm with Erickson and the ASU staff.

Some of the assistant coaches attended Wednesday’s practice. Shannon — who from 1991-97 was a graduate assistant, defensive line coach and linebackers coach at Miami — was due to arrive in the evening, and the Hurricane contingent will stay through Friday.

“They wanted to exchange ideas,” Erickson said. “It will be good to see Randy and sit down and talk.”

Miami’s spring drills ended in March.

Information sharing between coaches from different schools is commonplace, though typically not among conference rivals. For example, Ohio State’s coaches traveled to Gainesville, Fla., to pow-wow with their Florida counterparts in the summer of 2006, months before the teams played in the Bowl Championship Series title game.

Erickson said that his defensive coaches engage in such sessions, sometimes with as many as five other staffs at a time.

“You can’t stand still, you have to keep learning, or you are going to get your rear end beat,” Erickson said.

A handful of players hobbled off the practice field on Wednesday, including tight end Dane Guthrie (shoulder), wide receiver Chris McGaha (leg), defensive end Luis Vasquez (ankle) and safeties Jonathan Clark (shoulder) and Jarrell Holman (back). With 10 practices down and five remaining, it is that time of spring when injuries can pile up.

After Thursday’s practice and Saturday’s scrimmage, players should have time to heal. The final week of drills has just three sessions, one on Tuesday, a non-pads workout on April 17 and the spring game on April 19.

The injuries have especially hit the defensive line, which was further depleted on Wednesday with Davis’ absence due to class. After Vasquez departed, the first-team line consisted of ends Jamarr Robinson (a converted linebacker) and James Brooks and tackles David Bertrand and Jonathan English. Of those four, only English has played in a game on the defensive line at ASU.

Starting DT David Smith, who has been out with a concussion, should return Thursday.

“You go with the guys you’ve got,” Erickson said. “When you have injuries, you try to develop some depth. You have to remember it’s the spring. I’ve had to remember that over the years, because I’m so competitive. Guys got hurt, and you’d get upset because you can’t do things.

“But it’s the spring. There will be guys that are hurt, and you can’t do anything about it. (The NCAA) set the rules at 15 practices, and it was probably right to do that.”

Last season, Terell Carr was rated as the No. 3 junior college cornerback in the nation by JCFootball.com. (Jennifer Grimes/Tribune)

Terell Carr could do a lot worse than follow the lead of Justin Tryon, who came to Arizona State as a junior college transfer, enjoyed two successful seasons as a starter and developed into an NFL draft prospect.

“I don’t want to say I want to follow in his path, because I want to establish myself,” said Carr, who attended Pasadena (Calif.) City College and chose ASU over West Virginia, Minnesota and South Florida. “But he is someone who did a lot of good things here.”

Halfway through spring practice, the junior is right on schedule, as he is first in line to succeed Tryon at the cornerback spot opposite Omar Bolden. He will continue being pushed by at least three other players currently in camp — as well as incoming freshmen Deveron Carr and Josh Jordan, who arrive in the fall — but Terell Carr is confident that he will remain atop the depth chart.

“The competition is there, but I’m going to keep working, said Carr, a 5-foot-9, 180-pounder who had seven interceptions, 13 pass breakups and 45 tackles at Pasadena last season. “I feel that I will be starting come September. …

“The pace is a whole different ballgame coming from junior college. Even the drills are high-tempo. You are definitely at another level up.”

Carr said the biggest culture shock has come from — not surprisingly — the speed of the Division I game. On the Sun Devils’ practice field, receivers are more polished, and quarterbacks get the ball to the target much faster.

However, his junior-college playing time is one of Carr’s biggest assets, first-year cornerbacks coach Greg Burns said. Carr has more successful playing experience the last two years than his current ASU competition: juniors Travis Smith and Grant Crunkleton and JC transfer walk-ons Pierre Singfield and Cameron Harkey.

“Carr is mature, and he understands how to play the position,” Burns said. “He’s been around the block.

“I like Terell. He is learning quickly in a situation where he is having a lot thrown at him in terms of details on coverages. But the athleticism is there. He has to clean up some mistakes, but he’ll be all right.”

During Saturday’s scrimmage, receiver Brandon Smith caught two passes in front of Carr, who was also flagged for a defensive holding penalty that continued a drive. The slower JC game enabled Carr to be more physical, but now, he said that he is trying to find the right mix of muscle and cover skills.

“At this level, you have to cover,” Carr said. “I’m trying to keep my hands off of (the receivers) and not try to bench-press them at the line. It will take time to get the feel of covering and being physical. …

“But I made the right decision to come (to ASU). I’m having a good time on and off the field. Now, it’s time to get to work.”

There were no surprises in the mid-spring depth chart released on Tuesday:

OFFENSE

WR — 1 Michael Jones; 5 Kerry Taylor; 9 Brandon Smith
LT — 59 Jon Hargis or 72 Tom Njunge; 70 Mike Marcisz
LG — 67 Shawn Lauvao; 74 Brent Good; 92 Chris Scott
C — 56 Thomas Altieri or 52 Garth Gerhart; 68 Trent Marsh
RG — 63 Paul Fanaika; 66 Matt Hustad; 69 Curtis Cole
RT — 75 Richard Tuitu’u; 77 Adam Tello; 50 Nick Emanuele
TE — 80 Dane Guthrie; 88 Andrew Pettes; 84 Jovon Williams
WR — 13 Chris McGaha; 16 Nate Kimbrough; 86 T.J. Simpson
SLOT — 5 Kerry Taylor or 6 Kyle Williams; 16 Nate Kimbrough
TE (in two-TE formation) — 84 Jovon Williams; 37 Wes Evans
QB — 12 Rudy Carpenter; 15 Danny Sullivan; 8 Chasen Stangel
TB — 24 Keegan Herring; 31 Dimitri Nance; 20 Jarrell Woods

DEFENSE

LE — 97 Luis Vasquez; 34 James Brooks
DT — 99 Jonathan English; 71 Saia Falahola
DT — 90 David Smith; 65 David Bertrand; 54 Paul Unga
RE — 58 Dexter Davis; 45 Jamarr Robinson; 98 Zach Brown
SLB — 44 Travis Goethel; 30 Derrall Anderson; 46 Jeff Bereuter
MLB — 47 Gerald Munns; 25 Mike Nixon; 52 Morris Wooten
WLB — 2 Ryan McFoy; 18 Oliver Aaron; 21 Colin Parker
CB — 32 Omar Bolden; 6 Grant Crunkleton; 31 Pierre Singfield
CB — 5 Terell Carr; 17 Travis Smith
FS — 14 Troy Nolan; 19 Max Tabach; 15 Angelo Fobbs-Valentino
SS — 22 Rodney Cox; 7 Jeremy Payton; 8 Jarrell Holman

SPECIALISTS

K — 28 Thomas Weber; 43 Zach Richards
P — 28 Thomas Weber; 43 Zach Richards
KR — 13 Chris McGaha; 6 Kyle Williams
PR — 6 Kyle Williams; 13 Chris McGaha; 9 Brandon Smith
SN — 57 Thomas Ohmart; 44 Travis Goethel; 25 Mike Nixon
H — 15 Danny Sullivan; 13 Chris McGaha

ASU did nickel-formation practice work for the first time this spring on Tuesday, and safety Jarrell Holman, who moved from cornerback while redshirting last year, got the first shot at nickelback. Jeremy Payton, who has been a nickel mainstay the last two years, is also a candidate.

“We want to see what he can do,” coach Dennis Erickson said of Holman. “He played on the corner corner for a while, so he has those coverage skills, but he has shown so far this spring that he can be physical.”

Newcomer Tom Njunge, a teammate of Terell Carr at Pasadena City College, lined up with the first-team offense at left tackle, where converted defensive lineman Jon Hargis had been since the start of drills.

Receiver Kerry Taylor was in an orange (non-contact) jersey due to a mild concussion suffered on Saturday. Defensive tackle David Smith (concussion) and linebacker Oliver Aaron (concussion) remained limited, but running back Keegan Herring (neck) and receiver Nate Kimbrough (hamstring) were back at full participation.

Of Herring, who was held to two carries on Saturday, Erickson said, “He could have gone (during the scrimmage), but I said, “Why?’ He didn’t need to be in there to prove anything. But it was almost like a fistfight to get him to sit out. I’m glad it didn’t happen, because I would have lost.”

After what he called a “heartbreaking” 2007, Arizona State receiver Brandon Smith is aiming to keep his eyes on the ball. (Jennifer Grimes/Tribune)

During a recent Arizona State football spring practice, cornerback Omar Bolden took a few seconds on the sideline to get in the face of wide receiver Brandon Smith.

“When are we going to see No. 9?” Bolden kept repeating, a reference to the unfulfilled promise that describes the ASU career of Smith, a junior whose tools have been described by coaches as NFL-caliber. But they were never displayed last season, as Smith did not make a catch while battling ankle and hamstring injuries.

A year ago, Smith was a spring-drills chatterbox after a redshirt freshman season in which he emerged late, totaling six catches for 167 yards and two touchdowns, including one in the 2006 Hawaii Bowl.

Now? Smith never responded to Bolden. After last year’s lesson in humility, he said that he is done talking.

“Last spring, I was out here talking it up to everybody,” Smith said. “This spring, it’s different. Everyone is looking for the hype from me. I still have it, but I’m keeping it inside. I’m motivated. I’m just thinking about what I have to do, which is get out on the field and get better.”

The 6-foot-2, 213-pounder is getting every chance to redeem himself. With Michael Jones playing baseball, Smith has worked with the first-team offense all spring. He feels that he has been productive so far.

“I’m happy with where I am right now,” Smith said. “I’ve had a few mental errors, but I feel I’ve been (focused). The first day of practice was tough, because I expected to get back where I was (in 2006). I realized I had to slow things down.”

Even if Smith starts becoming a playmaker by the end of drills, he plans to remain cognizant that the true test awaits in September. After all, he had a good spring last year.

“When I was hurt last year, it was heartbreaking,” Smith said. “The cornerbacks (joked) about wanting to go up against me to gain confidence. Now, I’m trying to get them back. Every one of them, I want to show them the real me.”

After Saturday’s scrimmage at Sun Devil Stadium, ASU will be halfway through spring drills. Coach Dennis Erickson said that he would love to have more time, but considering that the players have had to digest a lot of new stuff — four-receiver sets and more quick screens on offense; blitz packages on defense — things are going as smoothly as could be expected.

“We’re pass protecting better and getting the ball off quicker,” Erickson said. “And we have more in on defense than we had a year ago. We’re doing what we need to. …

“Saturday will be a landmark for where we are at. Sunday and Monday, (the coaches) will sit down and decide if we need to add things or stay with what we’re doing.”

Erickson said that no clear favorites have emerged at center, where Thomas Altieri and Garth Gerhart are competing for the starting job, and at cornerback, where junior-college transfer Terell Carr is currently on the first team but has at least three others on his tail. The CB competition might not be decided until the fall.

Running back Keegan Herring (neck) and tight end Jovon Williams (concussion) wore orange (non-contact) jerseys. Linebacker Oliver Aaron and defensive tackle David Smith were limited due to what Erickson said were minor injuries. Filling Smith’s spot on the first team was David Bertrand, a walk-on who previously played at Arizona.

As Samson Szakacsy tries to build arm strength after November elbow surgery, fellow redshirt freshman Chasen Stangel might be the No. 3 quarterback if fall practice began today. While at ASU, Stangel has displayed good mechanics but spotty accuracy. Erickson suggested that could be changing.

During a drill on Thursday, Stangel delivered a gorgeous deep pass down the right sideline that went over the cornerback’s shoulder and hit receiver T.J. Simpson in stride.

“The last two practices, a light came on,” Erickson said. “He’s throwing the ball better, getting it where he wants to throw it. I’ve been impressed.”