ASU Football: Kalen Ballage, Koron Crump named to award watch lists

After a strong junior season, ASU football running back Kalen Ballage and linebacker Koron Crump were named to preseason award watch lists.

ASU football are gearing up for training camp to begin in two weeks with two of their best players named to preseason award watch lists.

Beginning on the defensive side of the ball, senior linebacker Koron Crump was named to the
Chuck Bednarik Watch List, the award given to the collegiate defensive player of the year.

Crump was the only Sun Devil named to the list and one of 13 Pac-12 players named.

The second-team All-Pac-12 linebacker is coming off his best season posting a team-high nine sacks (fifth in the Pac-12) and ranking second on the team with 10.5 tackles for loss.

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Crump’s inclusion on the Bednarik Watch List marks the third straight season a Sun Devil was named on the list with Lloyd Carrington and Salamo Fiso each named to the watch list in each of the last two seasons.

Switching to offense, running back Kalen Ballage was named to the Maxwell Award watch list, which is awarded to the college football player of the year.

Last season, Ballage posted 536 rushing yards and a team-high 14 rushing touchdowns, including an FBS record-tying eight touchdowns versus Texas Tech.

Ballage marks the fifth straight year a Sun Devil was named to the Maxwell Award watch list and is one of 11 Pac-12 players listed.

Still expected to split tailback duties with Demario Richard, Ballage received some national attention this week.

On NFL.com, Ballage was named the eighth-best running back in the nation to watch by draft analyst Lance Zierlein.

"Ballage’s build and running style are very similar to David Johnson’s when he was coming out of Northern Iowa. I questioned Johnson’s willingness to run with physicality matching his size coming into the draft and I feel that way about Ballage. But then again, I was wrong about Johnson and might be wrong here, too. Like Johnson, Ballage is an excellent receiving threat who has the ability to line up in the slot and return kicks if needed. Ballage has the type of size and skill set that could push him way up the draft board if he has a strong 2017 campaign. – Lance Zierlein"

In addition to Zierlein’s ranking, Sports Illustrated’s Bruce Feldman posted his yearly Freaks List with Ballage listed at No. 14.

"A huge back with sprinter speed, the 227-pound Ballage was at his best in his NCAA-record-tying eight-touchdown game against Texas Tech last year. On one of those scores, a 75-yard TD run, Ballage was clocked by Arizona State’s GPS tracking system at 21.6 MPH. This off-season he’s vertical jumped 37 inches and whipped through a 4.03 20-yard shuttle time, which is .15 seconds faster than any running back delivered at the 2017 NFL combine. – Bruce Feldman"

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Ballage and Crump are poised for big years hoping to lead Arizona State back to contending in the Pac-12 and challenging for the division title.

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