54 days until kickoff, and Case Hatch's intensity set the standard for Arizona State

The countdown to kickoff continues, and after honoring a hometown hero offensive lineman yesterday in Christian Westerman, today we spotlight a recent all-time fan favorite in fullback Case Hatch.

The Arizona native was originally recruited as a tight end and linebacker, and he would later go on to say that his recruitment was impacted by his insistence on taking a two-year mission with the LDS Church before beginning college football.

Hatch ultimately accepted an offer to play for FCS Southern Utah, but at the conclusion of his mission, he was contacted by Arizona State about joining the team as a walk-on. Convinced he could succeed at a Power 5 school, Hatch backed out of his Southern Utah commitment and became a Sun Devil.

Joining Arizona State in 2019, the second season of the Herm Edwards era, Hatch was initially put at linebacker, where his tenacity on the field quickly caught people's eyes. In his own words, Hatch was perhaps a little too physical starting out, as his desire to prove he belonged was easy to see:

"The first day I got back, we started spring ball and as a linebacker I was hitting every guy I could. My coach had to come up to me and tell me to calm down a bit. Because I wasn’t on scholarship, I was working construction everyday to pay for school. "

As the 2019 season went on, though, Hatch just didn't see much playing time on defense due to the Sun Devils having more experienced linebackers ahead of him on the depth chart. However, as the offense shifted to a more run-heavy tilt to support true freshman quarterback Jayden Daniels, Edwards and offensive coordinator Rob Likens tinkered with Hatch as a fullback.

The transition was an immediate success. Hatch's physicality helped open up holes for Eno Benjamin, who had been struggling with more loaded boxes after breaking the program record for single season rushing yards the previous year.

Shaun Aguano, who was then in his first year coaching the running backs at Arizona State, saw Benjamin hit 1,000 rushing yards on the year despite a slow start. He would later see both Rachaad White and X Valladay also cross 1,000 yards on the year, all with Hatch often leading the way.

Hatch was more than just a lead blocker, though. He had real ability to make plays out of the backfield as a pass catcher and even take handoffs as a runner. That led to Hatch's expanded role in 2022, his final season in Tempe, and Aguano even highlighted how Hatch was an ideal talent to have:

"He’s that swiss army knife. He can do everything coming out of the backfield. He can catch the ball, and he’s dangerous because he’s a big, fast guy. We got to slow him down in practice because he’s going to knock himself out. But from a physicality standpoint, he does everything right, and so I wouldn’t be surprised that he could come into the backfield and carry the ball."

Hatch was a fan favorite for his entire time in Tempe, and rightfully so. For the older fans, Hatch brought back memories of the legendary Mike Karney. For younger fans, Hatch helped them fall in love with the fullback position at a time when the position is largely being phased out of offenses.

Ultimately, Hatch was unable to make a career in the NFL for that exact reason. However, he's enjoyed a career reset, recently switching to wrestling. He joined the WWE NXT as a professional wrestler, going by the name of Tate Wilder, and is a bit of a rising star in the ring.

That shouldn't surprise anyone, seeing as how the former fullback broke four different facemasks during his playing days. Hatch seems to be happy with his new role, and he certainly left his mark on the Sun Devils (and opposing defenders) during his time in Tempe.