Jayden Daniels left ASU with a massive question at the most important position in football. Is Emory Jones the answer?
The Sun Devils have had a very interesting off-season which has felt like an eternity. With the reports about recruiting misconduct, transfer announcements from players on the roster, and the Pac-12 headline story with USC and UCLA leaving the conference, it has been a roller-coaster summer.
One of those transfer names was star quarterback Jayden Daniels, who announced he was leaving the desert for the bayou and joining Brian Kelly at LSU. With that movement, ASU is looking for not only a quarterback but also a leader for this roster that has seen better days.
One quarterback leaving, another one coming in. When Daniels announced his entry to the transfer portal in mid-February, it gave Herm Edwards less than a month until spring practice to find solutions.
Spring ball came and went, and the QB competition looked like it was ramping up, until the transfer portal struck again. On May 5th, former Florida quarterback Emory Jones announced his decision to join Edwards and staff in Tempe and become a Sun Devil.
With it being all but certain that Jones is QB1 in Week One, what does he bring to the table, and what can ASU fans expect to see from the former Gator?
DevilsDigest TV: ASU landed 4-star transfer QB Emory Jones on Thursday. In an interview with @DevilsDigest, Jones makes it clear that he wants to win over his teammates with leadership and passion for the game. Check out my video on the former Gator: https://t.co/cA16sBlmtF pic.twitter.com/KrM6P1J5Qz
— Nick Borgia (@Nick_Borgia) May 7, 2022
Emory Jones to ASU
The former 4-star recruit out of Georgia was highly sought after in the class of 2018. With offers from Alabama, Ohio State, and Clemson, Jones decided to stay south and went to The University of Florida.
After an up and down career in Gainsville, Jones couldn’t find consistency, and with pressure from the head coach and Anthony Richardson looming over in the backup spot, Jones ultimately decided to move on.
Jones can and will bring versatility to the Sun Devil offense as he did for the Gators. A dual-threat athlete who can make plays with his feet, Jones racked up over 700 yards rushing last season to go along with his 2,700 yards in the air. He had 19 touchdowns to 13 interceptions, and that is where he needs the most improvement if he wants to shine this season.
When Emory Jones was on, he was ON. Going 21-27 for 209 yards, 2 TDs, and no turnovers in a crushing win over Tennessee gave fans hope, but then he would go 12-19 for less than 170 yards and 2 picks thrown. He just couldn’t find his footing. Now, that is against top-tier defenses which made everyone look average. And maybe moving to the Pac-12 will be the best move for his career and it can catapult him to his potential and bring ASU to the top of a shaken conference.
https://twitter.com/theScore/status/1441953272584183810?s=20&t=Mq5pak9hAqKU8ahabs5vlg
Regardless, the pressure and the weight of the team is on Jones’ shoulders. A transfer from the SEC regardless of stature gives the fanbase hope that we can make a difference immediately. Jones can do it; will it be consistent? We will soon find out.