Eight Winners from Sun Devils Spring Showcase

Arizona State now wipes their hands clean of spring ball, and the program saw a few players rise during the course of 15 practices.

Donnie Druin | Apr 13, 2022

Eight Winners from Sun Devils Spring Showcase /

The Sun Devils arrived at their first day of spring football with questions.

Who would take over the offense after quarterback Jayden Daniels hit the transfer portal? How would a coaching staff with five new replacements fare in their first opportunity to install new offensive and defensive schemes?

Fifteen practices have now come and gone for the Sun Devils, as their spring period of football is over.

We've learned a lot over the last month, whether it be defensive line coach Rob Rodriguez's uncanny ability to tie in pop-culture references to his teachings or quarterback Bennett Meredith's impeccable swagger in the locker room.

A handful of players have improved their stock before preseason camp is underway later in the summer.

You won't find any starters on this list. We know the likes of Messiah Swinson and Ricky Pearsall will be great for the Sun Devils moving forward.

This list of winners highlights players who are fighting for spots on the depth chart and have made strides throughout the spring, capping it off with a strong outing at the spring showcase. These players showed fans, media and perhaps even coaches that they might be worth some time on the field.

No official jobs have been awarded, but here's eight Sun Devils who improved their standings after the spring showcase:

Winners From Sun Devils Spring Showcase

QB Daylin McLemore: While the starting job will ultimately go to Paul Tyson or Trenton Bourguet, it was McLemore who saw the most improvement from the first day of spring practice to the last. In the spring showcase, McLemore displayed a little bit of everything, including the ability to move the ball with his legs. He is a name to watch starting in 2023 thanks to his early progress.

RB Deonce Elliot: All running backs had solid outings throughout the spring, yet it was Elliot that shined most in the live parts of the spring showcase. Elliot showed his vision and ability to keep the chains moving, constantly picking up first downs playing behind the starters. Xazavian Valladay and Daniyel Ngata are still the top guys in the room, but Elliot made his presence clear on Saturday.

WR Giovanni Sanders: The Sun Devils desperately need another receiver besides Pearsall to step up. A handful of guys such as Bryan Thompson, LV Bunkley-Shelton and Andre Johnson will see regular time on the field, but keep an eye out for Sanders. A shifty route-runner, he caught a significant amount of passes during the spring showcase, and even saw his number dialed for a jet sweep. Sanders won't finish as Arizona State's WR1 anytime soon, yet he could be a sneaky player to emerge on the field.

T Emmitt Bohle: The story of Bohle, who transferred from Division II program Northern State after playing nine-man football in high school, has been well chronicled since his arrival. Many were curious as to how Bohle would adjust, and although it took Bohle a week or two, he made his mark on the coaching staff. Bohle finished spring practice as the starting left tackle and showed he could hold his own in the showcase.

DL T.J. Pesefea: Arizona State's defensive line is littered with talent, as the position group proudly proclaims to be the heart and soul of the team. With talented players such as Jermayne Lole and Omar Norman-Lott among others, Pesefea steadily improved over the course of spring practice and was in the backfield time and time again on Saturday night, proving he could be a force in the interior.

DL Dylan Hall: The quarterbacks had difficulty finding time to throw the ball in the spring showcase, partly thanks to the presence of Hall. He gathered multiple "unofficial" sacks throughout his time on the field, and could factor into pass-rushing situations. The Sun Devils need to strengthen their efforts on getting to the quarterback and Hall could become part of the solution when used properly.

S Khoury Bethley: If there is any "obvious" pick on this list, it would be Bethley. His experience as a starter at Hawaii got ASU fans excited when he transferred to Tempe. The safety room is highly competitive with multiple spots up for grabs. Yet, Bethley had a solid night Saturday, breaking up passes and flying downhill to the football in run support. He looked the part of his All-Mountain West selection.

P Eddie Czaplicki: Punters are people too! Special teams is often underrated, but when Czaplicki bombed a 61-yard punt on Saturday, you better believe that's the kind of field-flipping the Sun Devils are in the business of doing. What was perhaps more impressive was Czaplicki managing not one, but two low snaps before quickly getting them up as a holder on field-goal tries last weekend. Little stuff like that can be the difference between winning and losing.

Other notable players from Saturday: WR Chad Johnson Jr., DL Travez Moore and B'Ahmad Miller, and DB Keon Markham.

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Winners From Sun Devils Spring Showcase

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