Emory Jones Named Sun Devils Starting Quarterback
The answer to who the starting quarterback will be for the Sun Devils to start the season was answered Thursday with Emory Jones officially winning the battle that began after Jayden Daniels announced his transfer to LSU.
Jones, who started for Florida in 2021, is coming off a season in which he passed for 2,734 yards with 19 touchdowns against 13 interceptions. Jones also led the Gators in rushing yards with 759 while averaging 5.3 yards per carry.
Jones transferred to Arizona State in May. At the time, the leading candidates for the starting job were Trenton Bourguet and Paul Tyson, the latter of whom had transferred from Alabama. Upon Jones's arrival, it became clear that Bourget and Tyson hadn't shown enough to assure the coaching staff that they would be getting the play they wanted at the quarterback spot.
With Jones now being named the starting quarterback, at least to begin the 2022 season, a few things have become clear.
First, Arizona State wants to continue its usage of a mobile quarterback to help power its rushing attack. Last season, Daniels finished second on the team in rushing yards with a career-best 710. Daniels's ascension as a runner helped power a Sun Devils offense that needed a boost with a disappointing passing game and kept defenses honest against good running back depth. With Jones at the helm, Arizona State can continue its philosophy as a run-heavy team with a dual-threat quarterback.
The second important factor to consider is that Jones is a more competent passer compared to his competition. Bourguet and Tyson have combined for only 28 career pass attempts, which isn't a substantial sample size to gauge past success. It also may have shown on the practice field that neither had enough experience to stand out. Jones, on the contrary, has 432 career pass attempts that included 346 in his lone year starting. With a 64.6% career pass completion percentage, Jones clearly has a lot more history to back up his play on the field.
Finally, Jones may have shown off more upside than anyone else on the roster. Jones combines good passing ability with dynamic running to pair together for a dual-threat quarterback that can make plays whenever he touches the ball. A proven resume' and some highlight-worthy plays both in games and in practice may have very well pushed Jones over the top for the final decision.
Jones's announcement as the starting quarterback may not be too surprising for most, but the confirmation tells us that the coaching staff believes in him to best replace the void that Daniels left upon transferring. Jones could help Arizona State not fall too far behind the rest of the Pac-12 and deliver a record to keep head coach Herm Edwards and Co. safe for another season.