Notebook: Sun Devils Begin Second Week of Spring Practice

TEMPE -- Arizona State's second week of spring practice is now underway at the Kajikawa football practice fields.

Week 1 was admittedly a slow week by the coaching staff, who focused on introductory verbiage and install in their first taste of action with the players.

"So far has been pretty simple (for) what I've put in. I put in a couple of little close defenses, so that part's been pretty successful. Up front, we haven't got a lot of moving parts. It's just been straight ahead. I've made it pretty simple. Next week now, we're gonna get into a little bit more movement and blitzing and coming from different sides. So it's been pretty vanilla right now, I have to say so. It's been pretty simple," said Arizona State defensive coordinator Donnie Henderson last week.

Now, after three practices, installation (and expectations) will be ramped up for ASU.

Monday's session was the first taste of what's to come for the Sun Devils in Week 2. This will be Arizona State's first full week of padded practices.

Sun Devils Begin Second Week of Spring Practice

Last week, we saw quarterback Daylin McLemore take reps with the starting unit during the beginning installation period of practice. Offensive coordinator Glenn Thomas was adamant Arizona State would do their best to give all five quarterbacks on the roster an opportunity to compete despite limited reps. Monday, we saw quarterback Finn Collins walk through with the starters during the installation period. Significant? Probably not, but at least the Sun Devils are trying to give all potential suitors a chance to show what they know.

With four starting spots in the secondary up for grabs, both Markham brothers were with the first unit in practice with Kejuan at safety and Keon playing as a boundary corner. Henderson stated last week ASU would likely use five defensive backs frequently, and both brothers figure to be on the field for snaps if that's the case.

Freshman defensive lineman Robby Harrison has received a considerable amount of coaching from position coaches Shannon Forman and Robert Rodriguez through spring practice, and Monday was another case of that. Harrison was shadowed by Forman through most of the individual position work. Expectations for Forman are high at ASU.

Linebackers worked in pass coverage assignments, dropping into zones and rallying to the receiver while spending a large amount of time aligning and discussing pre-snap priorities. Arizona State retains a veteran starting trio with Merlin Robertson, Kyle Soelle and Eric Gentry, but has a considerably young cast behind them.

Special teams alert! The third phase of the game hasn't been overlooked, and in practice Sun Devils punter Eddie Czaplicki managed to nail four consecutive punts inside the opposing 20-yard line. Czaplicki played well for ASU last season, and more improvement could pin opposing offenses deep into their own territory on a consistent basis.

The team portion was short for viewing, as nothing notable happened during the period before media left practice. Quarterback Trenton Bourguet overthrew a receiver to the right side of the field, while Paul Tyson handled a high snap from his center (a reoccurring situation for Tyson) and managed to hand the ball off to his running back.

Thank you for making AllSunDevils.com your choice for Arizona State Sun Devils coverage! Make sure to give us a like on Facebook and follow us on Twitter for more news, updates, analysis and more!

Sun Devils Begin Second Week of Spring Practice

RELATED STORIES