ASU’s Report Card Half Way through the 2025 Season
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It seemed like it was very recent when ASU was kicking off against NAU; however, the team is already in the middle of the season. They have 6 games down, and have 6 games left to go. The past two weeks were interesting for ASU, including an amazing win against TCU and a blowout defeat by Utah. So, how does the team look after two different weeks?
Quarterback: A-, before B
Grading the Quarterback position is a bit tricky, as Sam Leavitt played one game and Jeff Sims played the other. Sims played fine against Utah, but he was starting on somewhat short notice, so it is hard to be that critical of Sims's game, plus he did have some solid throws.
The main reason the grade went up was due to how great Sam Leavitt played against TCU. There is an argument to be made that it was his best regular season game as a Sun Devil.
In this game, Leavitt showed composure in the pocket, the ability to extend plays and great accuracy that helped ASU win over TCU in a tense Big 12 game.
Running-backs: A+, before A+
ASU's running game continues to be one of its greatest strengths. Raleek Brown has had two strong games against Utah and TCU. The running game has been a great foundation for the offense.
Wide Receivers: A, before B+
Finally, after weeks of fans waiting, the ASU receiver room started to get going. Jorydn Tyson has continued to be amazing, but other players have started to get going. Jalen Moss got his first catches of the year against Utah, Jaren Hamilton had a big catch against TCU, and Derek Eusebio has gotten things going.
Offensive Line: C+, before B
It is fair to say that the ASU offensive line regressed over the past two games. They played well against TCU, but they allowed a lot of pressure in the Utah Game. It is also a huge loss that Ben Coleman is out for the year for ASU.
Secondary: B, before B+
The ASU secondary takes only a small step backwards, but this is still a pretty good unit. Against TCU early, they allowed Josh Hoover to complete a lot of passes. However, in the second half of the TCU Game and the entire Utah Game, the secondary played good. One player that stood out is safety Adrian "Boogie" Wilson, who has been on a hot streak.
Linebackers: B+, before A
Now, to give credit where credit is due, linebacker Martell Hughes's interception, as well as linebacker Keyshaun Elliott's big game, helped ASU defeat TCU. However, the linebacking core struggled against Utah. Utah's QB Devon Dampier ran all over ASU, and part of that blame does get placed on the linebacking core, thus their grade dropping.
Defensive Line: B+, before B+
The defensive line grade stays the same, even though ASU's line was hot and then cold. They were special against TCU, pressuring Hoover late, including a strip sack by Prince Dorbah to help win the game. Also, credit to Elijah O'Neal and Clayton Smith, who were both disruptors in that game.
However, the D-Line immensely struggled against Utah. Utah's fantastic o-line was unbothered for most of the game, which allowed Dampier to have a great game on the ground.
Overall, ASU has some issues to fix. The Utah game and parts of the TCU game were a reality check that hopefully ASU can learn from to have stronger showings in the future.
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Tanner Cappellini holds a mass communications degree from Arizona State University and is pursuing his dream of being the person at the games, practices, and events who takes others inside the team they love.