ASU Football: Nelson Switching to Defense
By Mike Slifer
ASU football has been officially practicing for only a week. At this stage of the season, it’s not unusual for coaches to tinker with personnel in order to find the right chemistry and depth. Coach Todd Graham is no different. All week, he has been playing different players at various positions to see how it works out.
But this move is unusual. De’Mariyea Nelson, who played primarily offense last year, is reportedly moving to the defensive side of the ball. He is getting reps at Devil Backer, the position vacated by Carl Bradford (Green Bay Packers).
Last season, Nelson did get some game time reps at rushing the quarterback on some third downs. He also was very active on special teams. Some people in the program say that last year, Nelson was the best hitter on the field when it came to special teams.
It’s not necessarily unusual at the college level to have some players flirt with both offense and defense. As players get more mature, their bodies and skills can change. Or the needs of the team change. Marcus Washington is another example of a running back turned H back, turned Devil Backer.
But what makes this move unusual is that Nelson was a big part of the offense last season. As Chris Coyle’s backup, Nelson got significant playing time at Tight End/H Back. Coming into the season, he was the heir apparent for the departed Coyle to take over the full-time duties of Tight End.
The coaching staff, led by Graham, apparently feel comfortable enough with the TE/H Back position on offense. Couple that with the fact that he is not comfortable with the DevilBacker position on defense, and you’ve got a switch like this. According to Graham, Nelson is “unblockable” in team scrimmages.
That’s high praise. And for a defense that is unproven and in need of depth, coach Graham will do anything to solidify that position and put the best players on the field. According to Graham, Nelson will still be involved in some offensive packages, but it appears that his days of wearing a maroon jersey at practice are over.
It’ll be interesting to watch this situation develop.