From QB battle to offensive overhaul, key storylines for ASU spring football

Arizona State, coming off a second consecutive 3-9 season, will look to start putting that in the rearview mirror when spring drills start on Tuesday.

The Sun Devils will practice Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays for the next month, culminating with the spring football exhibition at 6 p.m. on April 26 at Mountain America Stadium. That will be open to the public.

The second year of the Kenny Dillingham era is underway and, much like last year, the team will feature a lot of new faces. Not only is the influx of newcomers adding some energy, but so is the move to the Big 12.

Here are some of the storylines we'll be following for the next month:

Battle for ASU's starting QB is on

This one likely won't be decided in the spring, especially with freshman Jaden Rashada sidelined with a hand injury that required surgery earlier this year. At best, he might be able to return toward the end of the 15-practice spring schedule. For now, that leaves veteran Trenton Bourguet and Michigan State transfer Sam Leavitt taking the balance of the reps. One person who could benefit here is newcomer Navi Bruzon, a product of Peoria Liberty High School and the reigning Gatorade Arizona High School Football Player of the Year, who will get more meaningful reps than he would have if he were the No. 4 quarterback in the pecking order, which would be the case if Rashada was available.

New offensive coordinator, new scheme for ASU

Marcus Arroyo is the third offensive coordinator in as many years for the Sun Devils. He follows Beau Baldwin, whose stop in Tempe consisted of just one season. In some scenarios, a quarterback might have the advantage if he had played in that system and others had not, but being a new coordinator, all the quarterbacks come in on even footing. In a lot of ways the ASU offense was limited with what it could do last season because of all the offensive injuries, so hopefully the weapons Arroyo has will be more on display come this campaign.

Who emerges from the talented Sun Devils wide receiving group?

ASU had some talent and depth here last season but injuries on the offensive line meant the Sun Devils didn't have enough personnel to stretch the field and go deep. You start with Elijhah Badger, who is explosive and difficult to tackle. Xavier Guillory had a drop in the second game of the season against Oklahoma State and never seemed to be a preferred target after that, but his speed makes him a deep threat and, for reasons already stated, ASU wasn't able to go deep often. Among the other returning threats are Melquan Stovall and Troy Omeire. Then there are a couple of x-factors in Jake Smith and Jordyn Tyson. Smith was a transfer and needed a waiver from the NCAA to participate right away but didn't get it; Tyson missed the balance of the season with a leg injury he had before coming here.

ASU should be more physical during the week

Because of the injuries, Dillingham couldn't work his team as hard in practice as he would have liked because by the end of the season, it was difficult to field a team and a scout team. With a fresh start and more depth, Dillingham has pledged to up the intensity as well as the expectations. Having to go lighter is one reason the coach said his team stopped progressing when it got about halfway through the season. That is also when the team hit its toughest opponents on the schedule which was reflected in the lopsided scores toward the back end of the season.

Special teams overhaul for ASU

This is a unit that boasted fifth-year seniors at placekicker, punter and long snapper last season, so new faces will be occupying those jobs come the fall. Punting was a spot the team was particularly deficient last season, especially because the offensive injuries made it difficult to move the ball and so it was a more glaring problem than it might not have otherwise been. Parker Lewis, previously of USC and then Ohio State, is the likely heir to the kicking job with NAU transfer Tyler Wigglesworth the projected long snapper. Phoenix Horizon product Kanyon Floyd is among the punting candidates. Badger looks to be the most potent kick returner and Melquan Stovall held his own on punt return units; the coverage teams will also be looking for some newcomers to contribute.

How will Brian Ward's defense evolve?

ASU graduated six starters on defense but return a boatload of players that got significant minutes and they have knowledge in Ward's defensive scheme now, so there is a foundation. The defense had moments of brilliance, most notably the performance against national runner-up Washington in which the Sun Devils did not give up an offensive touchdown. While most of the injuries were on offense, there were some on defense late in the season and the Sun Devils didn't have a lot of depth, so many players took far too many snaps. The Washington game was an indication of just what Ward's unit can do; now the key will be having that kind of effort on a more consistent basis. There is a newcomer at defensive line coach in Diron Reynolds, who has developed players at all levels. Look for the Sun Devils to be more aggressive up front.

How will Arizona State's offensive line come together?

There might not have been a unit anywhere in the country hit harder by injuries than the ASU offensive front, as nine players were out for a combined 30-plus games. Most teams don't have nine offensive linemen in their regular rotation, so having that many out, and most for five or more games, made life difficult for position coach Saga Tuitele. The positive is that a lot of players saw significant time, such as true freshman Sean Na'a, so their development will be a plus moving forward. Ben Coleman, a transfer from Cal, missed the entire season and Emmit Bohle, one of the most veteran players on the unit, sustained a broken leg in the second game. Both are returning so the unit is light years ahead of where it was last season.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Key storylines to watch as Arizona State kicks off spring football