ASU Football: All49ers Publisher Grant Cohn Discusses Brandon Aiyuk and How He Fits in with the 49ers
With NFL training camps gearing up this week, former Sun Devil Brandon Aiyuk is one step closer to his dream of playing in an NFL game. Camps, however, look a little different due to the pandemic, but it's one step closer nonetheless.
Here at AllSunDevils, we called on the 49er's expert, Grant Cohn, to get the inside scoop of how realistic it is to think that Brandon Aiyuk can make an immediate impact.
"The Niners made it real clear that he's here to replace Emmanuel Sanders, who was their starting, number one, number two wide receiver last season. So the pressure is on … ready or not here comes Brandon Aiyuk."When it comes to how Aiyuk can fit into this offense, Cohn had this to say,
"The Niners have figured out that they need wide receivers who become running backs when they get the ball, guys that specialize in yards after the catch. Every single wide receiver doest that; it's the best part of their game. Brandon Aiyuk was the yards after the catch monster … So he fits into the offense perfectly. He just has to show that he can learn the offense quickly ...(He) does a lot of the same things Deebo Samuel did last season did during his fantastic rookie year."
It's now Brandon Aiyuk's turn to have the stellar rookie season.
During his time at ASU, Aiyuk went over 2,000 all-purpose yards with 2,725 in his career. The receiver was in Tempe for less than two full seasons but still made a significant impact before being selected in the first round of the 2020 draft. "Among the top-15 players nationally in total yards, no other player was within 8 yards per touch of Aiyuk's 19.9 tally," according to TheSunDevils.com.One of the best things about Aiyuk is his grit. There was a game last season where he was battling a nasty stomach bug, and he used it to push him; you could call it his MJ/Flu game.On October 12, 2019, Aiyuk, recorded the longest touchdown reception in ASU's history. With the Sun Devils trailing 17-7 halfway through the second quarter against the Washington State Cougars, Aiyuk caught a bullet from QB Jayden Daniels and sprinted for an 86-yard touchdown. Shortly after that play, Aiyuk went to the locker room to shake off the stomach bug. In the end, Aiyuk finished with 196 receiving yards on the day, the most by an ASU player since Devin Lucien had 200 receiving yards against Cal, back in 2015. Brandon also finished with three touchdowns in the game, proving that no Bear or bug would stop him that day. The Devils went on to beat the Washington State Cougars, 38-34.This is who the 49ers are getting, a big-time player, with no give-up.