ASU Football: Quarterback positional breakdown

ASU football head coach Todd Graham and new offensive coordinator Billy Napier have a big quarterback room leading to a competitive training camp battle.

Every day leading up to the start of practice on July 25, there will be a breakdown of a positional breakdown of the ASU football team.

Today it’s the quarterbacks, arguably the most competitive battle heading into training camp.

Last season Arizona State sent three quarterbacks under center with revolving door of injuries.

Manny Wilkins suffered a leg injury in a loss at USC in Week 5 and thus beginning the carousel of quarterbacks.

Brady White took over for only a game suffering a season-ending foot injury the following week versus UCLA causing Graham to go to third-string quarterback Dillon Sterling-Cole removing the redshirt.

Arizona State ended up finishing the season with a six-game losing streak as the offense never got back on track with opposing defenses primarily focused on stopping the running game of Kalen Ballage and Demario Richard forcing the ASU’s quarterback to beat them.

Heading into this season, depth should not be a problem at the quarterback position with the transfer of Alabama quarterback Blake Barnett and incoming freshman Ryan Kelley.

So how is the quarterback race shaping up?

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Well from the outside, it appears it’s a two-horse race between Wilkins and Barnett with Sterling-Cole as the third-string, White recovering from injury and Kelley a freshman and could be redshirted.

Manny Wilkins led one of the most prolific offenses in the nation through the first month of the season throwing for 1,085 yards on a 68 completion percentage with five touchdowns and three interceptions.

What made Wilkins so effective was his dual-threat of running.

During those four games, Wilkins rushed for 312 yards and seven touchdowns leading Arizona State to a 4-0 start.

Wilkins never reached that playing level when he came back from his injury possibly because he hurried back with the injuries to his backups.

The redshirt junior struggled to play through his injury and the offense never regained the steam they picked up in September.

Coming into this season, Wilkins will have competition for the starting job in Barnett.

The Alabama transfer committed to Arizona State in December after being replaced as the starting quarterback in Tuscaloosa by Jalen Hurts.

Barnett, who will be eligible for season opener versus New Mexico State August 31, joins Napier from Alabama and that familiarity is certainly an advantage for Barnett.

In Alabama’s season-opening win versus USC, Barnett started the game and threw 100 yards and a touchdown on 5-of-6 passing before he was replaced by Hurts in the 52-6 win.

Barnett is a former five-star recruit and has all the tools of a prototypical stay-in-the-pocket passer.

Head coach Todd Graham has preferred to have dual-threat quarterbacks like Taylor Kelly and Mike Bercovici, but Barnett is not quarterback who fits that profile.

It will be a fascinated quarterback between Wilkins and Barnett and the starter might not be decided for the first couple of weeks with games vs. NMSU and San Diego State.

Graham could start each quarterback a game and name the starter for its toughest non-conference game, Week 3 at Texas Tech.

Next: ASU Football: Sun Devils land on three more watch lists

After all the injuries Graham and the Sun Devils encountered last season, the quarterback depth is certainly welcomed and competition will be good for both quarterbacks.

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