Las Vegas Bowl Presents Opportunity for Young Sun Devils to Prove Themselves

After key players for Arizona State withdrew from the Las Vegas Bowl, these young Sun Devils will have an opportunity to reap the benefits.

"Do you know what my favorite part of the game is? The opportunity to play." -- Mike Singletary

In the days leading up to the Las Vegas Bowl, attention surrounding both the Arizona State Sun Devils and Wisconsin Badgers hasn't been in the most positive light. 

While the Badgers continue to deal with problems concerning COVID and the depth of their squad impacted by the virus, the Sun Devils also have had to learn to deal with the loss of some of their key starters, but for different reasons. 

Arizona State will be without four of its most talented players Thursday evening at Allegiant Stadium, as running back Rachaad White, linebacker Darien Butler and cornerbacks Jack Jones and Chase Lucas have all opted out of playing Wisconsin in favor if NFL draft preparation. 

In God’s hands 🙏🏾 pic.twitter.com/50iMHWsWgp

— Darien Butler (@DarienButler20) December 24, 2021

3️⃣ Out 🔱⬆️ 4️⃣Life pic.twitter.com/OlcogcqQDQ

— Rachaad White 1️⃣ (@Chaad_1) December 8, 2021

In addition to Jack Jones and Rachaad White, Arizona State coach Herm Edwards says CB Chase Lucas will opt out and not play in the Las Vegas Bowl. Said he had a nice talk with Lucas about what he’s meant to the program.

— Doug Haller (@DougHaller) December 14, 2021

Those openings leave plenty of opportunity for younger players to step up and prove themselves worthy of more playing time next season. 

Young Sun Devils Prepared for Battle

The heaviest of absences will come in the backfields of both offense and defense, with Arizona State's top two players in each positional group not available for the Las Vegas Bowl. 

With Lucas and Jones out of the picture, cornerback Timarcus Davis (redshirt senior) is the only player in ASU's secondary with more than two years of experience. 

Cornerbacks Keon Markham and Jordan Clark (redshirt sophomores) along with Ed Woods and Macen Williams (redshirt freshmen) are all young players that will now see increased roles. 

With White and fellow running back Chip Trayanum (transferred to Ohio State) not on the roster, all eyes will be on redshirt freshman Daniyel Ngata to carry the load for an Arizona State offense that prides itself on running the football whenever it pleases. 

Ngata, in a small sample size, has looked fairly strong and should complement incoming running back Tevin White next season. Ngata has gained 286 yards on 45 carries (6.4 average) and has scored three times this season for the Sun Devils.

Butler's absence in the front seven leaves a considerable hole thanks to his impact on the field. 

While many would think linebacker Eric Gentry (an impressive freshman who's athleticism has already paid dividends for Arizona State) would get the nod in place of Butler, Arizona State's depth chart released ahead of the game has redshirt freshman Connor Soelle (brother of fellow starting linebacker Kyle) as the WILL linebacker. 

Gentry, as usual, should still find plenty of snaps on the field even if he's not a designated starter. 

However, opt-outs aren't the only cause for replacements. 

Dohnovan West (hand surgery) will be absent from Las Vegas, as utility lineman Jarrett Bell will get the start at center for Arizona State. 

Right guard Henry Hattis, who missed the final three games of the year with a knee injury, will be replaced by Spencer Lovell. 

As the Arizona Republic's Michelle Gardner points out, the remainder of the offensive line consisting of sophomore left guard LaDarius Henderson, senior left tackle Kellen Diesch and redshirt sophomore right tackle Ben Scott have a combined 54 starts between them.

The transfer portal has seen two ASU receivers (Johnny Wilson and Geordon Porter) depart from the program, potentially opening doors for redshirt freshmen Chad Johnson Jr. and Elijah Badger to see more action in the Las Vegas Bowl. 

Receivers will need to step up in order to help restore balance to Arizona State's offense moving forward, and the aforementioned players could be key pieces to the puzzle if given an extended opportunity. 

While the Sun Devils won't be near full-strength, Arizona State will now have a valuable look at some of the top younger players in a position they may not have found themselves in before: Getting live reps against strong competition in a game with meaning. 

On Thursday evening in Allegiant Stadium, the lights will shine as bright as ever for a good portion of Arizona State's roster. Time well tell if they will embrace the opportunity or run for the dark.