ASU Football: Three Players to Watch in 2016

It’s been more than 234 days since the last down of college football was played. Now, just four days separate the Arizona State Sun Devils from their Kickoff Week matchup against Northern Arizona.

In the spirit of the final countdown, I’m going to evaluate three players who can potentially make or break the 2016 season for ASU.

Without further ado, lets get started.

1) Evan Goodman- Left Tackle, 6’4” 300lbs (Redshirt Senior)

Once a highly touted prospect, the Lakeland, Fla. native is now the lone returning starter from a unit that gave up 37 sacks in 2015. Head Coach Todd Graham is placing a tremendous amount of trust into his tackle to protect the blind side of either Manny Wilkins or Brady White, who both have yet to register a passing attempt in their careers. Goodman is a stellar athlete whose advantages are his athleticism, balance and tenacity. All three will be necessary in a season with major turnover on the offensive line.

Best Case Scenario: Goodman stays healthy, plays at an All-Conference level and allows a new quarterback to get comfortable quickly. His example sets off a chain reaction and the rest of the offensive line follows his lead.

Worst Case Scenario: Overwhelmed by being the only returner, Goodman cracks under pressure and the quarterback transition only becomes more difficult. A flustered Goodman and four new starters give up over 40 sacks to a new signal caller.

2) Kareem Orr- Defensive Back, 5’11” 198lbs (Sophomore)

As a true freshman, Orr was a bright spot for a secondary that gave up 88 plays of 20+ yards last season. He finished with 20 tackles, six interceptions (one returned for a touchdown) and earned consensus Freshman All-American honors. Named a starting corner, Orr is playing under the expectation that he can improve on an impressive freshman campaign.

Best Case Scenario: Orr further develops, improving his ability to make plays in the open field, continues to show he can be a factor in run defense and can adjust in coverage to Graham’s blitz-happy defense. Alongside Armand Perry, Laiu Moeakiola and De’Chavon “Gump” Hayes, the ASU secondary takes a giant step forward.

Worst Case Scenario: Orr goes through a sophomore slump and struggles to find his 2015 form. Unable to cover the deep ball, the secondary endures a second straight year of being torched by opposing receivers and Graham finds his seat to be very hot at the end of the year.

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3) Cameron Smith- Wide Receiver, 6’0” 203lbs (Redshirt Junior)

Back after knee surgery that held him out in 2015, Smith returns to the Sun Devils as a viable deep threat option in a strong receiving corps. Smith brings elite speed and veteran leadership to the starting lineup and will lineup opposite 5-star recruit N’Keal Harry. His 2014 season was very strong as he posted a 41/596/6 line while sitting out two games. Now, he serves as a veteran presence for an offense looking for an identity.

Best Case Scenario: Smith finds his form early as he and Harry stretch the field vertically, giving Wilkins or White multiple downfield weapons. Harry, Smith and Tim White become one of the most tantalizing receiving trios in the NCAA.

Worst Case Scenario: Smith shows early rust and does not have the same speed that he possessed prior to his surgery. Harry sees double teams for much of the season and the Sun Devils struggle to put up points through the air.

The football season is getting closer to kick-off by the day. Make sure that you stick with Devils in Detail for all your ASU Football coverage all season long!

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