Arizona State Sun Devils
Until the final two games of the season, Arizona State was overachieving. Of the six top 25 teams that they had to face up until that point, Arizona State won four of those games (Wisconsin, USC, Washington, and UCLA). Aside from Wisconsin, Arizona State was not a better team than the main four that they beat. Unfortunately, they ended their season poorly. A second loss to Stanford in the PAC 12 championship game and a loss to Texas Tech in a bowl game derailed what could have been a phenomenal season.
Ultimately, Arizona State’s struggles in big games were because of quarterback Taylor Kelly. He is a serviceable college quarterback, but against top notch opponents, Kelly is not capable of being much more than an Alex Smith type player. What that means is that Kelly can not handle being much more than a facilitator, as opposed to being a player that can elevate the talent around him. More than anything else talent-wise, Kelly was what held the team back.
Top Newcomers
Derik “DJ” Calhoun, Linebacker: If one word can describe Calhoun, it is “power.” He flies around the field in a tremendous rampage as he punishes ball carries for daring to run past him. To a degree, he is an Alec Ogletree type linebacker in the sense that he is reckless.
Tyler Whiley, Wide Receiver: What separates Whiley from many others is his intense focus no matter the situation. Whether he be leaping for a high pass or falling to the ground trying to track the ball, Whiley does a superb job of securing the football.
Top Returning Players
DJ Foster, Running Back: Though he saw only a sixth of the team’s carries, Foster was the most talented rusher on Arizona State’s roster in 2013. Foster is an all-around back not just in regards to running skill set, but receiving as well.
Jaelen Strong, Wide Receiver: Even among names like Marqise Lee and Kasen Williams, many touted Strong as the best receiver in the conference, and he certainly earned that hype. He is, as his name suggests, a strong, physical receiver at the catch point. If Strong continues to be as dominant as he was, he will be the best receiver in the conference.
Position Breakdown
Quarterback: Kelly is not the caliber of quarterback to be able to an average passer, much less one that can carry an offense on his back. That said, Kelly will not be dethroned until he is off campus. Arizona State is stuck with a mediocre quarterback for the season.
Running Back: Obviously Foster will take a bulk of the carries as a feature back, but Marion Grice’s void is still a tough one to fill. defensive back convert Deantre Lewis and freshmen Kalen Ballage are set to take the rest of the carries, but neither have proven much yet.
Wide Receiver: Much like last season, Strong will see most of the receptions from receivers. That is because he is by far the most talented receiver and Arizona State’s offense likes to spread the ball out more to other skill positions. Gary Chambers and Cameron Smith will see a lot of the other touches, but Chambers has never been more than a depth player and Smith is still relatively unproven.
Tight End: As stated before, Arizona State likes to spread the ball around and tight end Chris Coyle was a major contributor. Unfortunately, he will not be returning because he graduated. De’Marieya Nelson, who only caught seven passes last season, will be stepping into a huge role that he may not be able to fill.
Offensive Tackle: Right tackle Tyler Sulka will be back to provide a veteran presence on the edge, but Tyler Finkenberg has graduated. In replace of him will be Evan Goodman, who is a promising first year starter.
Offensive Guard: Both Jamil Douglas and Vi Teofilo will be returning as the left and right guards, respectively. Neither are superb, but at the collegiate level, they are more than sufficient.
Center: In replace of Kody Koebensky will be junior college transfer Nick Kelly. Kelly is a subpar talent that should not be expected to be anything more than adaquate.
Edge: With the loss of Carl Bradford, Arizona State has a massive void to fill. Darrius Caldwell, the top junior college edge transferee, is not the fastest player on the field, but he has incredible size and power. In Arizona State's scheme, Caldwell's role, the "Devil" role, is the only true stand-up rush linebacker.
Interior Defensive Line: Much like the loss of Bradford, losing Will Sutton is going to hurt. Dalvin Stuckey is going to replace Sutton, but do not expect to see the same type of production. Alongside him will be a returning player in Jaxon Hood and a first year starter in Marcus Hardison.
Linebackers: Though only a freshman, Derick "DJ" Calhoun slated to start as the "Will" linebacker. It will have its ups and downs, but ultimately, Calhoun will be a solid starter. Alongside him will be Fiso Salamo, who was one tackle away from being tied for second in tackles on the team.
Defensive Back: One of Arizona State's safeties from 2013 will no longer be on the team. Damarion's Randall, a second year starter who has not proven much, and Marcus Ball, a middling former athlete recruit, will take over as the new safety tandem. At "Spur," which is a hybrid safety/linebacker role, will be Viliami Moekiola. For Arizona State, that is not ideal considering Moekiola is not very talented.
Robert Nelson, who is a bit slight in his frame, is a solid No.1 cornerback for the Sun Devils. Across from him will be Kweishi Brown, a junior college transfer, will do what he can to hold down his side, but he is not a talent of note.
Biggest Strength
Arizona State has two star skill position players on offense. Strong is a physically dominant mismatch that has the skill set to win the matchup against any cornerback in the nation. His ability at the catch point is invaluable. He can and will be the bulk of Arizona State's receiving production. Aside from him, Foster is a do-it-all back that will find his way into the end zone both as a runner and as a receiver. The two will have to be absolutely dominant in order for Arizona State's offense to prosper, but they can manage to do so.
Biggest Weakness
Due to the loss of key veterans, Arizona State's pass rushing attack will underperform. Including Bradford and Sutton, their two best pass rushers from last season, 34 of Arizona State's 40 sacks from 2013 have either graduated or left for the NFL. Even despite solid replacements at important positions, the Sun Devils will not be able to create the same type of pressure that they did the year before.
2014 Arizona State Sun Devils Schedule | 8/28 | vs Weber State |
| 9/6 | @ New Mexico |
| 9/13 | @ Colorado |
| 9/25 | vs UCLA |
| 10/4 | @ USC |
| 10/18 | vs Stanford |
| 10/25 | @ Washington |
| 11/1 | vs Utah |
| 11/8 | vs Notre Dame |
| 11/15 | @ Oregon State |
| 11/22 | vs Washington State |
| 11/28 | @ Arizona |