ASU Football: AllSunDevils Breaks Down Former Sun Devil Brandon Aiyuk for All49ERS Grant Cohn
Former ASU Sun Devil Brandon Aiyuk has been making quite the impression the last few days during the 49ers NFL training camp. All49ers reporter Grant Cohn stopped by to check in and see what the former Devil was like at ASU and to see what the 49ers are getting. Here are the main takeaways from BA at ASU:
1. Team player
BA does not mind flying under the radar. This was evident when he was backing up N'Keal Harry during the 2018 season. When it's his time to shine, he lets his talent do the talking. That is the guy the Niners are getting. A team player that will do whatever needs to be done to make sure they are winning.
2. Great hands, feet, quickness
Not only is Aiyuk a YAC master averaging 9.9 yards after- catch in his last season at ASU, but he also has fantastic hands and feet. He has long arms that help him be able to go up and get balls that others might not be able to grab. His footwork is fantastic. Just watch his film, and he can keep defenders off-balance with his juke moves and quickness. Speaking of great hands, during his whole career at ASU, he never dropped a deep ball (20+ yards) catch. That is some smooth running, hands and long arms coming together.
3. In space, goodbye
If BA gets space, watch out. Defenders can not catch him. His burst will have you beat before you even know what happened. He ran a 4.5 40, but that doesn't reflect his real speed during a game. He is a lot faster than that, especially that burst. Former 49er Jerry Rice ran a 4.6 and was never caught from behind.. that is something Niner fans have to look forward to again, watching Aiyuk take off and not get caught.
4. Physical
The former Devil is under the radar with his physicality, but he is athletic and very physical. He can run through the middle of the field, run through a defender and shook off 13 tackles last season at ASU. He isn't afraid to sacrifice his body.
5. MJ state of mind
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 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. BA 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. There's something about the flu that pushes the great ones to dig deep and raise their game to the next level. BA flu game like MJ.