July 6, 2000
TEMPE, Ariz. - Entering the 2000 football season, Arizona State Head Coach Bruce Snyder has a number of reasons to be optimistic. With 47 returning letterwinners, including seven starters on offense and six on defense, an incoming recruiting class that has been ranked as high as eighth in the nation and a wide-open Pac-10 Conference field, the future looks bright for the Sun Devil football program heading into the fall.
But what doesn't show up on the depth chart or the statistics sheets is what could be called the X-factor for the Sun Devils, a quality that Snyder sees as one of the most exciting aspects of his team as he and his staff prepare for the upcoming season.
"We have a lot of returning players and if we do it right, that will work to our advantage. But one of the most exciting things about this season is that we have some really dynamic leadership on this team," said Snyder, who guided the Sun Devils to the team's third bowl appearance in four years last season with an invitation to the Jeep Aloha Bowl. "There is a real sense among this group coming up through this program that sees where we could be and where we haven't been. They are determined to not let that happen again.
"There are some really good young leaders on this team and the way they recruited for us this year is one of the signs of that young, emerging leadership. The nationally ranked class that we signed is squarely on the shoulders of our returning players," he said. "A lot of good things are happening with this team. Players like Brian Forth, Mike Aguirre, Todd Heap, Levi Jones, Scott Peters, Davaren Hightower, Craig Koontz and Willie Daniel are good, young leaders, good people and good students. There is not any extra baggage with those players that could hurt you."
While the Sun Devils have some areas to address and some roles to define, Snyder expects his team to be up to the challenge of becoming a championship football team. He knows reaching their goals will take hard work and patience, in other words, "One at a Time."
"Our objective has been to really put a premium on finding out our personnel situation, in terms of finding out where we are strong, were players playing the right position, where did we need help. Spring ball gave us an opportunity to see how many of those freshmen that we redshirted last season can make an impact now into their first year of competing for playing time," Snyder, who is only second to the legendary Frank Kush in wins at ASU, said. "We also have two new coaches on offense in running backs coach Vincent White and offensive line coach George Yarno. That transition has been terrific ? as good as it could be. I'm really pleased with Coach White and Coach Yarno, and I believe the players feel like it was a really smooth transition for them, too. On defense, we want to have a more attacking style. That's what we are hopefully striving for and want to continue heading into the season.
"In addition to our emerging leadership, this team has a very good work ethic. If all of this comes together, we will have a real advantage going into the season. One of our goals is going to be consistency. Every day we are going to be coming to work and concentrating on being as good as we can be."
THE OFFENSE
QUARTERBACK DEPTH CHART
| Ryan Kealy | QB | 6-2 | 210 | Sr.* | Scottsdale, Ariz. (St. Mary's) |
| Jeff Krohn | QB | 6-2 | 190 | RS-Fr.* | Phoenix, Ariz. (Horizon) |
| Griffin Goodman | QB | 6-1 | 212 | Sr. | Mesa, Ariz. (E. Arizona JC) |
| Matt Cooper | QB | 6-5 | 228 | So.* | Pleasanton, Calif. (Amador Valley) |
Although the Sun Devils return seven starters, the biggest question mark that Snyder faces on offense is who will be the signal-caller for the Sun Devils this year. For Snyder and offensive coordinator John Pettas, who was promoted from quarterbacks coach this winter, that "complicated" situation rests squarely on the knees of senior Ryan Kealy.
Just 443 yards from becoming the second all-time passer in Arizona State history, Kealy would give the Sun Devils the most experienced quarterback in the nation. He has made 31 career starts and led the Devils to two bowl games in his three seasons at the helm, but knee injuries have kept the senior from playing in those postseason berths he helped ASU achieve. Kealy had the fifth knee surgery of his career after tearing the ACL in his right knee late in the third quarter of the Arizona game last year and missed the Aloha Bowl. There is no doubt that Kealy can excel as ASU's quarterback after completing 55.4 percent of his passes and throwing for 1,976 yards and 10 touchdowns last year, but what will have to be determined this fall is whether his knees will hold up for his final campaign.
"This is really complicated because we have these things we have to be concerned about from a purely humanistic standpoint about Ryan's well being," Snyder said. "Then on the flip side, if he's healthy, it's a huge asset. Experience, leadership, toughness, Ryan's been there, he's done that. Our plan is to head down the road that he's going to get healthy. He wants to try to play if given clearance by the medical staff.
"At the same time, we're going to develop another quarterback. Hopefully one of our candidates will really step up and become a starting quarterback."
Finding a second quarterback continues to be the task at hand for Snyder. Freshman Jeff Krohn, a walk-on who redshirted and ran the Sun Devil scout team last season, emerged from spring workouts as the leading candidate, while senior Griffin Goodman and sophomore Matt Cooper could also figure into the mix.
"We knew coming into spring practice that Jeff had some qualities that looked really intriguing to us, but we wanted to make sure that we gave our players a legitimate chance for all of them to compete. After the eighth practice, it became clearer to us that Jeff, with four years of eligibility remaining, had really an efficient throwing motion, good mobility and was bright. We felt like with more repetitions, he would make the kind of progress that was needed. Probably the one thing that he does not have ? and we can't do anything about it right now ? is experience. I think with more and more experience, we're going to find a really good quarterback."
TAILBACK DEPTH CHART
| Delvon Flowers | TB | 5-11 | 185 | Sr. | Torrance, Calif. (El Camino CC) |
| Davaren Hightower | TB | 6-1 | 214 | Jr.* | Richardson, Texas (Lake Highlands) |
| J.R. Peroulis | TB | 6-1 | 205 | So.* | Grand Junction, Colo. (Grand Junction) |
When looking at the Sun Devil running game, what may jump out is that the team lost its top rusher from last season in first-team All-Pac-10 performer J.R. Redmond. Selected as the team's offensive Most Valuable Player last season by his peers, there is little doubt that the loss of Redmond, the team's top rusher in each of his last two seasons, will have an impact, but what may not be as obvious is that there is a wealth of talent at the tailback position for the Sun Devil squad which has consistently ranked at or near the top of the Pac-10 in rushing offense in recent years.
Leading the way for Snyder and new running backs coach Vincent White will be senior Delvon Flowers, who may even have had a better season than Redmond last year. A talented playmaker who scored six touchdowns and rushed for 512 yards last year in his debut season, he averaged 6.4 yards per carry and 17.5 yards per catch, both of which led the team. Flowers made his first career start at Oregon and responded with 161 yards and one touchdown on 23 carries and followed that up a month later with his second 100-yard effort, rushing for 103 yards and two TDs in just 15 carries vs. Arizona. For Flowers, the 2000 campaign will be his turn to shine.
"This will be his year to step up and be the guy," Snyder said of the honorable mention All-Pac-10 tailback. "There's no question that Delvon is really talented, and if you look at our conference, he's the best returning tailback or one of two or three best returning tailbacks in our conference. However, I don't believe in our system one guy can do the job. We've always had two to three, so we need to develop another player."
Other players who will be looking to fit into the mix at tailback are junior Davaren Hightower, who was fourth on the team in rushing last year despite switching to wide receiver halfway through the season, and sophomore J.R. Peroulis. The Sun Devils will also look to a pair of highly touted freshmen who may have a chance to make an immediate impact in Derick Arnold, who was listed as the top running back out of the state of Texas, and Mike Williams, a USA Today honorable mention All-American who comes to ASU as the most decorated tailback the team has signed in recent memory.
"Davaren Hightower is a veteran player and we have two young tailbacks coming out of high school that are highly regarded in Derick Arnold and Mike Williams," Snyder said. "Then another one who I think has the ability to be very good after being in our program for two years is J.R. Peroulis. So in my way of thinking, as I lie down at night and dream about my team, I can imagine us being very good at the tailback position. I think we have not only talent, but we have a chance to be really, really deep."
FLYBACK DEPTH CHART
| Stephen Trejo | FB | 6-3 | 250 | Sr.* | Casa Grande, Ariz. (Casa Grande) |
| Darrel Turner | FB | 6-0 | 237 | So.* | Bellflower, Calif. (Mayfair) |
Finding a flyback will be one of the main goals of the Sun Devil squad heading into spring football after losing Terrelle Smith, who started 11 games at the position after switching from the defensive side of the ball last year. Sophomore Darrel Turner is the only returning player listed on the depth chart, but senior Stephen Trejo, a five-game starter at inside linebacker last year who gained 1,478 yards and scored 19 touchdowns as a senior in high school, will move to the other side of the ball and looks to figure in the mix for the flyback position.
"We basically had one player at that position, but we need more than one and Stephen was the best choice. His transition to fullback has been really smooth, outstanding in fact. He's enjoyed it, he's taken right to it, and his teammates appreciate what he can do. I think that has been a really successful move."
WIDE RECEIVER DEPTH CHART
| Richard Williams | WR | 6-0 | 170 | Sr. | Miami, Fla. (Mesa CC) |
| Shaun McDonald | WR | 5-9 | 168 | RS-Fr.* | Phoenix, Ariz. (Shadow Mountain) |
| Ryan Dennard | WR | 6-4 | 212 | Jr. | Albuquerque, N.M. (Phoenix CC) |
| Brian Forth | WR | 5-11 | 182 | Sr.* | Yorba Linda, Calif. (Esperanza) |
| Donnie O'Neal | WR | 6-2 | 185 | Jr. | Olathe, Kan. (Coffeyville CC) |
| Justin Taplin | WR | 6-0 | 180 | So.* | Tempe, Ariz. (Tempe) |
| Mike Aguirre | WR | 5-11 | 196 | Sr. | Mesa, Ariz. (Mountain View) |
Solidifying the receiving corps will also be another task at hand for the Sun Devils. While there are a number of players who have seen action at wide receiver in their careers, Snyder will be looking for someone to step up after losing its most experienced receiver in Tariq McDonald. McDonald finished third on the team with 33 catches and 386 yards but decided to leave school early for the NFL Draft. Headlining that position is senior Richard Williams, who was the top wide receiver for the team last season after catching a pass in all 12 games for the Sun Devils last season. One of the fastest players on the team, he came on strong toward the end of the season, finishing second on the team with 37 catches for 608 yards and a team-high five touchdowns.
Other candidates who will be competing for playing time at wide receiver are senior Brian Forth, who has been a steady possession receiver, senior Mike Aguirre, who played in all 12 games last year, junior Ryan Dennard, who played in seven games before dislocating his ankle last year, and redshirt freshman Shaun McDonald, a small but dynamic speedster who is the younger brother of Tariq McDonald. Another player to consider will be junior Donnie O'Neal, a strong, athletic receiver who transferred to ASU from Coffeyville (Kansas) Community College in the spring, while sophomore Justin Taplin will also be a starting candidate as he comes off his one-year team suspension. ASU will also gain the services of a trio of true freshmen when Riccardo Stewart, a 5-11, 185-pound receiver out of Carson (Calif.) High School, and Mike Smith, a 6-2, 184-pound receiver from Carson (Calif.) High School, arrive in the fall.
"I don't think we're really strong at wide receiver," Snyder said. "Rich Williams is the only real returner, the real veteran in terms of starting a lot. He was a bit inconsistent last year but showed flashes of being really good. Hightower started against Stanford and Arizona, but I'm moving him back to tailback, and we lost Tariq McDonald. So all of a sudden, we take 2-3 players away from the position and it doesn't look as strong. We did recruit a junior college player who's already in the system in Donnie O'Neal, we have Brian Forth coming up in his senior year, we will get Justin Taplin back in the fall and we redshirted Shaun McDonald, so I think there's talent there. I think you could say that the cavalry's on its way, but it hasn't arrived yet at that position."
TIGHT END DEPTH CHART
| Todd Heap | TE | 6-5 | 242 | Jr. | Mesa, Ariz. (Mountain View) |
| Jason Moore | TE | 6-6 | 250 | Sr.* | Phoenix, Ariz. (Horizon) |
| Frank Maddox | TE | 6-3 | 250 | RS-Fr.* | Celina, Texas (Celina) |
| Mike Pinkard | TE | 6-5 | 270 | So.* | Thornton, Colo. (Thornton) |
While other positions may be up in the air heading into spring ball, there is no question about who will be roaming the field at tight end. With his nose to the ball and hands of glue, junior Todd Heap has already established himself as one of the best tight ends in Arizona State history. After just two short seasons, the "Golden Retriever," as Snyder calls his star, is tied for third in ASU history with 67 catches and third with 1,041 yards. The first Sun Devil tight end to ever earn first-team All-Pac-10 honors, he rewrote the ASU history books last year with 55 catches and 832 yards, both school records for a tight end. A preseason selection on virtually every list, his goal for this season is to become Arizona State's first All-American tight end.
Backing up Heap will be a veteran tight end in senior Jason Moore. A tremendous big, mature blocker, Moore saw action in seven games last year. The Sun Devils will also be looking to a pair of young players to replace seniors Brian Jennings and honorable mention All-Pac-10 performer Kendrick Bates. Sophomore Mike Pinkard, who has made the move to tight end from the defensive front may be a factor, while another likely candidate is redshirt freshman Frank Maddox, a first team all-state performer from Celina (Texas) High School.
"We are set from our starters standpoint in Todd Heap," Snyder said. "Todd has proven that he's the best tight end in our league and probably the best in the United States, but we play an offense that uses that two and three tight ends. The other three players we have there are inexperienced at the college level, so I worry a little about our depth."
OFFENSIVE LINE DEPTH CHART
| Victor Leyva | RT | 6-4 | 303 | Sr.* | Porterville, Calif. (Monache) |
| Kyle Kosier | RG | 6-6 | 290 | Jr.* | Peoria, Ariz. (Cactus) |
| Scott Peters | C | 6-3 | 312 | Jr.* | Pleasanton, Calif. (Amador Valley) |
| Kenneth Williamson | LG | 6-4 | 314 | Sr. | Blue Jay, Calif. (San Bernardino Valley CC) |
| Marquise Muldrow | LG | 6-3 | 327 | Sr. | Glendale, Ariz. (Glendale CC) |
| Levi Jones | LT | 6-6 | 305 | Jr.* | Eloy, Ariz. (Santa Cruz) |
| Damien Niko | OL | 6-3 | 304 | RS-Fr.* | Apache Junction, Ariz. (Mountain View) |
| Brandon Macias | OL | 6-7 | 320 | Fr. | Hacienda Heights, Calif. (Los Altos) |
| Regis Crawford | OL | 6-3 | 291 | RS-Fr.* | San Diego, Calif. (Morse) |
| Travis Scott | OL | 6-6 | 300 | Jr. | Mesa, Ariz. (Mesa CC) |
Entering spring practice, one area where the Sun Devils appear to be set is the offensive line. With a new offensive line coach at the helm in longtime coaching veteran and 13-year NFL performer George Yarno, ASU's group in the trenches could be the best in the league. Despite losing first-team All-Pac-10 left tackle Marvel Smith one year early to the NFL draft, Arizona State appears to be well-stocked on the offensive line.
"I really trust my instincts," Snyder said, "and my instincts tell me that we have a chance to be really pretty good on the offensive line. We have a new offensive line coach and we are all very excited about what he will bring. Losing Marvel will hurt because he would have probably been the best player in the league on the offensive line, but my instincts tell me our offensive line will be one of our strengths."
The trio of junior Levi Jones, junior Scott Peters and senior Victor Leyva will anchor ASU's starting front this season.Jones will move to left tackle after starting all 12 games at left guard last year. Peters will begin fall as the starter at center but is able to play all three inside positions well enough that he earned honorable mention all-conference honors last year after starting all 12 games at either center or right guard. Leyva, an All-Pac-10 selection who started all 12 games at right tackle in 1999, is a four-year starter.
Seniors Kenneth Williamson and Marquise Muldrow will battle in camp for the starting left guard position while junior Kyle Kosier will attempt to hold off Travis Scott, an All-American at Mesa Community College, at right guard.
A trio of talented youngsters ? redshirt freshman Regis Crawford, true freshman Brandon Macias, and redshirt-freshman Damien Niko ? provide valuable depth.
"I think our tackles are going to be fine," Snyder said. "On the inside, Scott Peters is a veteran player who will play one of the three inside spots. We have a number of candidates for the other two inside positions, and I think we are going to find a nice combination in there this season."
THE DEFENSE
Like the Sun Devil offense, Snyder and his defensive coordinator Phil Snow face the task of cultivating a number of tried and true veterans at some positions and finding the right combination of talented but inexperienced players at the other spots. With experienced and fast veterans on its linebacking corps and in the secondary, the Sun Devils will be looking to develop a more attacking defense.
Arizona State returns 24 letterwinners and six starters on defense, including three linebackers and both of its starting safeties from last year. According to Snyder, that back seven will form the core of the Sun Devil defense this year.
"We are very deep at linebacker," Snyder said. "That will be the strength of our defense. Our safeties are also returning, so I like our linebackers and our safeties. We do need to replace two starting corners and we've got a lot of work to do on the defensive front, so I think the whole defensive scheme needs to be a little more attacking."
DEFENSIVE LINE DEPTH CHART
| Kurt Wallin | RE | 6-2 | 273 | Jr. | Mesa, Ariz. (Mountain View) |
| Tommie Townsend | DRT | 6-2 | 290 | Jr.* | Las Vegas, Nev. (Bonanza) |
| Danny Masaniai | DRT | 6-3 | 310 | Jr. | Milpitas, Calif. (Foothill CC) |
| Quincy Yancy | RE | 6-8 | 270 | Sr.* | Glendale, Ariz. (Ironwood) |
| Jamall Anderson | RE | 6-1 | 245 | Jr.* | Hitchcock, Texas (Long Beach City CC) |
| Tony Aguilar | DRT | 6-2 | 325 | RS-Fr.* | Superior, Ariz. (Superior) |
| Ch? Britton | DRT | 6-1 | 268 | Sr. | Los Angeles, Calif. (Dorsey) |
| Brian Montesanto | RE | 6-6 | 245 | RS-Fr.* | Simi Valley, Calif. (Royal) |
| Chad Howell | RE | 6-4 | 211 | RS-Fr.* | Mesa, Ariz. (St. Mary's) |
| James Beal | DRT | 6-1 | 277 | So.* | DeSoto, Texas (DeSoto) |
| Ben Fox | DRT | 6-2 | 238 | RS-Fr.* | Clovis, Calif. (Buchanan) |
| Paul Glass | RE | 6-7 | 310 | Jr. | Bakersfield, Calif. (Bakersfield CC) |
Shoring up the defensive line will be one of the main orders of business for the Sun Devils as they look to replace three key members from the team last year in first-team All-Pac-10 rush end Erik Flowers, honorable mention all-conference tackle Junior Ioane and 11-game starting tackle Ryan Reilly.
Fifth-year senior Quincy Yancy returns to the defensive front after starting all 12 games last year. He recorded 24 tackles, including four for a loss, and one sack, and according to Snyder, Yancy is ready to step up this season.
"I'd love to lay out a challenge to Quincy. He needs to play much better than he's been playing," Snyder said. "When you've played as much as he has and you've been around as much as he's been around, you need to start dominating your position."
Junior Kurt Wallin emerged from spring practice as the leading candidate to start at the other end position. Backing up Yancy and Wallin, who played in all 11 regular-season games last year before missing the Aloha Bowl due to injury, will be redshirt freshmen Brian Montesanto and Chad Howell and junior Jamall Anderson. Junior Paul Glass, an honorable mention All-American out of Bakersfield (Calif.) Community College, will also be competing for playing time at those spots.
At defensive tackle, juniors Tommie Townsend and Danny Masaniai, a transfer from Foothill College in Los Altos, Calif., also solidified their positions on the depth chart during spring workouts. Townsend will be looking to step up this season after playing in five games as a backup after honorable mention All-Pac-10 selection Junior Ioane suffered a season-ending knee injury. Also returning at defensive tackle is senior Che' Britton, a three-year veteran who stepped into the starting role after Ioane went down last year.
Four newcomers will also look to compete for playing time at defensive tackle including sophomore James Beal and redshirt freshmen Tony Aguilar and Ben Fox, who is moving to the defensive after starting his Sun Devil career as a tight end.
"We are really going to need our defensive line to step up," Snyder said. "We need Tommie Townsend to step up play. Three defensive linemen - Brian Montesanto, Tony Aguilar and Chad Howell - got a ton of reps this spring, which is really what they needed. They're not quite ready to start, but they're going to be good depth players this fall, and eventually will all end up starting. I think we have some pretty good players there, some really willing, coachable players. But they've got a lot of work ahead of them."
LINEBACKER DEPTH CHART
| Adam Archuleta | WLB | 6-0 | 213 | Sr. | Chandler, Ariz. (Chandler) |
| Solomon Bates | MLB | 6-2 | 251 | So. | Moreno Valley, Calif. (Canyon Springs) |
| Eric Fields | SLB | 6-3 | 231 | Jr.* | Las Vegas, Nev. (Western) |
| Josh Amobi | OLB | 6-2 | 220 | So. | Phoenix, Ariz. (Shadow Mountain) |
| Adam Tanke | MLB | 6-2 | 231 | Sr. | Pleasanton, Calif. (Chabot CC) |
| Elza Gennicks | OLB | 6-5 | 230 | Jr.* | Kearny, Ariz. (Ray) |
| Mason Unck | SLB | 6-2 | 221 | So.* | Ogden, Utah (Bonneville)? |
At linebacker, Snyder has a problem that any coach in the nation would envy. That cupboard is full of talented young players, so full in fact that he decided to move senior Stephen Trejo to flyback.
Headlining that linebacking crew are three starters from last year in senior Adam Archuleta and sophomores Mason Unck and Solomon Bates. One of the preseason favorites for Pac-10 Defensive Player of the Year, Archuleta has grown into one of the leaders on the Sun Devil defense after starting his career as a walk-on. A first-team All-Pac-10 honoree last season, became the first Sun Devil to register more than 100 tackles since Scott Von der Ahe had 106 in 1996. Archuleta finished the season with a team-best 111 stops and paced the Pac-10 with 21 tackles for a loss of 102 yards despite missing ASU's season opener with a hamstring injury.
In Bates and Unck, Snyder has some of the best young players in the conference. Winner of the team's most outstanding freshman award and a Sporting News All-Freshman Team selection, Bates finished eighth on the team in tackles with 42 as a true freshman despite not starting until the third game of the season and suffering a season-ending knee injury at Oregon. He will return to the team this year as a seasoned veteran but didn't even turn 18 until the end of spring football. He burst onto the conference scene in his first season, starting 10 of 12 games and finishing up as the fourth-leading tackler for the Sun Devils with 57 tackles en route to the team's most improved defensive player award and All-Pac-10 Freshman team honors.
Unck, however, will spend the 2000 season learning from the sidelines, after suffering a severe knee injury in spring workouts. Stepping into that starting spot will be junior Eric Fields, an explosive athlete who has started 11 games and collected 66 tackles, including 19 for loss, the last two years.
Snyder will also have the services of a quick, young linebacker in sophomore Josh Amobi. Amobi was one of four true freshmen to play last year, seeing action in 10 games, mostly on special teams. Other players that will figure into the mix include seniors Jamall Anderson and Adam Tanke. Snyder will also gain the services of three true freshmen this fall in Connor Banks out of St. Mary's High School in Richmond, Calif., Eric Keefner our of Chicago's De La Salle High School and Zack Mims out of Kingwood (Texas) High School.
"We need to use our linebackers' speed, mobility and experience," Snyder said "It appears to me that we not only have good starters but good backups as well. In Archuleta we have one of the best players in the country, Mason and Solomon are awfully good players and Eric Fields is a great young player too. Then we have two junior college players who haven't really matured yet, so maybe this is their year, and we signed three really good-looking linebackers out of high school.
"I have a dilemma there with what to do with our depth. But that's a nicer problem than not having enough players. I am really confident about our linebackers. Our linebacker spot looks healthy and competitive, but we are going to have to get this thing solved, and this fall, because playing behind Archuleta is like playing behind Todd Heap. How much playing time are you really going to get?"
SAFETY DEPTH CHART
| Willie Daniel | SS | 6-0 | 203 | Jr. | Phoenix, Ariz. (St. Mary's) |
| Alfred Williams | FS | 6-1 | 199 | So.* | Irvine, Calif. (Irvine) |
| Patrick Wilson | SS | 5-10 | 195 | So.* | Glendale, Ariz. (Ironwood) |
| Brandon Falkner | FS | 6-0 | 198 | So.* | Peoria, Ariz. (Peoria) |
| Craig Koontz | FS | 6-0 | 205 | Sr. | Redding, Calif. (Shasta CC) |
| Monte' Franks | SS | 6-1 | 206 | Jr.* | Sacramento, Calif. (Sacramento CC) |
Experienced players also fill the ranks at both of the safety positions for the Sun Devils this year with all of the team's players from last year returning to the secondary. Snyder will have six tested veterans competing for the two starting spots.
Headlining that group are senior Craig Koontz, junior Willie Daniel and sophomore Alfred Williams. Those three players accounted for 20 of the 22 starts at safety last year, while Koontz finished second on the team with 76 tackles. All three players showed the ability to make things happen with Daniel snagging a team-leading two interceptions and forcing a fumble and Williams causing a pair of miscues and recovering one. Other players who look to make an impact and compete for playing time include junior Monte' Franks, who is returning from a season-ending liver injury last year, and sophomores Brandon Falkner and Patrick Wilson.
"Our safeties are all veterans who have played a lot of football," Snyder said. "They are going to play so much better this fall just by the nature of going through what they have. You learn by playing and they have made all of their errors. I feel confident that we are going to be very good at safety."
CORNERBACK DEPTH CHART
| Nijrell Eason | CB | 6-1 | 204 | Sr. | Long Beach, Calif. (Long Beach CC) |
| Machtier Clay | CB | 5-11 | 171 | So. | Long Beach, Calif. (Carson) |
| Kenny Williams | CB | 5-11 | 190 | Sr. | Alta Loma, Calif. (Chaffey CC) |
| Christon Rance | CB | 6-2 | 206 | Sr.* | San Francisco, Calif. (Sacred Heart) |
Another huge emphasis for Snyder is finding replacements for ASU's two starting cornerbacks from last year due to the graduation of All-Pac-10 performers Courtney Jackson and Kareem Clark. Jackson and Clark both started every game for the Sun Devils last year, while Jackson missed only one start in three seasons.
Despite losing its starters, Arizona State returns a lot of players who have received a lot of playing time over the past few years, including senior Nijrell Eason who played in all 12 games and led the team with two fumble recoveries last year. Other likely candidates include seniors Kenny Williams and Christon Rance, and sophomore Machtier Clay, who saw action last year as a true freshman.
"We are going to need to replace our two starting cornerbacks," Snyder said. "They both had played a lot of football and Courtney played in the Rose Bowl, so that's a lot of experience to replace. We have some players with some experience, but the question is going to be can they hold up at corner. We have some good young players, but they just don't have the same experience together from what we just lost, so that is a huge emphasis."
KICKER DEPTH CHART
| Mike Barth | K | 6-0 | 201 | So. | Phoenix, Ariz. (Mountain Pointe) |
| Nick Murphy | P | 6-0 | 190 | Jr. | Scottsdale, Ariz. (Scottsdale CC) |
| Travis Cloyd | K/P | 6-0 | 185 | Fr. | Englewood, Colo. (Cherry Creek) |
| Greg Pieratt | K | 6-0 | 165 | So.* | San Diego, Calif. (Patrick Henry) |
| Brian Biang | P | 5-11 | 192 | So.* | Hacienda Heights, CA (Los Altos) |
Another area that the Sun Devils seem pretty solid at heading into the season is their kicking game. Despite losing junior Stephen Baker, who handled the majority of the placekicking duties last year, the team returns a pair of kickers in junior Nick Murphy and sophomore Mike Barth and will feature even more depth when high school All-American Travis Cloyd joins the team in the fall.
Murphy handled the punting responsibilities last season, booting 68 punts for an average of 38.4 yards, while Barth was one of just four true freshmen to see action on the Sun Devil squad. He took over the kickoff duties for the team at UCLA and nailed all nine of his extra-point attempts throughout the season, including five against Arizona.
"I like the talent we have at punter and placekicker," Snyder said. "Nick Murphy and Mike Barth are young, talented players, and we just signed Travis Cloyd and he can do both. We have three guys who make us two deep at both kicking positions. Right now, they're inconsistent, but I've just got to believe that they're going to get better and they're talented."
The biggest concerns for the Sun Devil special teams unit are finding a long snapper and determining who will be returning the ball. Long snapper is of particular concern due to the graduation of Brian Jennings, who had handled both long and short snapping for the team for the past three years.
"It's a real talent to turn yourself upside down, throw the ball 15 yards and get hit, all at the same time. Not many people can do it," Snyder said. "Right now we have one walk-on candidate, so that's a big concern. We've got to find somebody else."
ASU will also be looking to find the right combination on its return teams after losing first-team all-conference selection J.R. Redmond. The kickoff return duties are solidly in the hands of senior Delvon Flowers, who handled 21 returns for an average of 22.3 yards each, but the Sun Devils will be searching for a punt returner. While Redmond handled most of the punts last year, junior Davaren Hightower returned nine punts for an average of 12.8 yards per return, including one for a touchdown against Stanford. Also competing for the position will be redshirt freshman Shaun McDonald.
"It's always easier to find kickoff return guys because of the nature of how the ball flies," Snyder said. "I think we're going to be all right on kickoff returns, but the tough one is the punt return. J.R. Redmond was terrific at it, and of course he's gone. Shaun McDonald is a good candidate, and Davaren Hightower did it a little bit. So the punt returning situation is a little bit more iffy than the kickoff return. Those are the two spots on kicking that I'm really concerned about and need to be addressed."
THE SCHEDULE AND PAC-10 CONFERENCE RACE
In 2000, the Sun Devils will face a favorable schedule that sees them play three nonconference games before opening the Pac-10 Conference slate. Arizona State will hit the road to open the season for the first time since the 1995, this year at San Diego State on Thursday, Aug. 31. The team will then return home for nonconference contests against Colorado State and Utah State before opening the Pac-10 season at UCLA on Sept. 30.
The winningest Pac-10 team (31-16 overall and 23-9 conference marks) over the last four seasons, Arizona State looks to figure into the wide-open Pac-10 Conference race. After the team's Pac-10 opener at UCLA, the Sun Devils will host Cal and Washington before heading to Washington State on Oct. 21. The team will then return to Sun Devil Stadium to host Oregon and USC before wrapping up the regular season with games at defending Pac-10 Champion Stanford and Arizona. The byes for the team fall after the season opener in San Diego and then between the Stanford and Arizona games. That means that the Sun Devils will have to play a stretch of nine games without a break through the middle of the season.
"We proved last year that we prognosticators don't know what we're talking about," Snyder said. "You look at the teams picked at the top last year: UofA, UCLA, USC, and they didn't go to a bowl. Stanford was picked last and they went to the Rose Bowl. I think there's something in the water in the West because something has leveled the playing field so much that the conference race is wide open.
"There's not a clear-cut leader, nor is there an actual lock for last place in the Pac-10. We're all in there. In my opinion, it's the play of the quarterback and how healthy your team stays. If you can avoid the injury bug somehow, you're going to win a lot of your games from the middle of October to the middle of November. That's when the conference championship is won and lost. If we can stay healthy and play nine straight, we've got a shot at winning the whole thing. We've got as good a shot as anybody."