As Arizona State opens fall workouts in Tempe, nobody is sure what to expect on the field from Todd Graham’s first team.
After unceremoniously leaving Pitt for Tempe in December, Graham has gone above and beyond any Sun Devil football coach off the field in hopes of spreading the word and removing the bad taste left behind from Dennis Erickson. Whether conducting interviews, headlining speaking engagements, or sitting in the ASU student section for the men’s basketball game against UofA, he is making a positive impression both locally and nationally.
“He’s been a winner everywhere he’s gone,” ESPN College GameDay analyst Lee Corso told Brad Cesmat Thursday on ‘Big Guy on Sports.’ “He made the right decision to go to [ASU]. He felt Arizona State has everything.”
Graham inherits a roster mixed with newcomers from his first recruiting class this spring and Erickson’s leftovers from the past. There are question marks across the depth chart and many experts believe the Devils will be no better than a seven-win team in 2012.
Corso believes ASU has the potential to do big things.
Very big things.
“That team should be a contender every year for the national championship,” he explained to Cesmat. “They’ve got facilities…they’ve got athletes. I’ve watched Arizona State since Frank Kush [coached]. They are sleeping giants. They could be one of the best teams in the nation [in the future]. Arizona State has everything.”
The Devils start workouts Friday with several story lines to follow including who will succeed Brock Osweiler at quarterback.
ASU opens the season August 30 hosting NAU.
Related posts:
Eric Sorenson
A Valley native, Eric has had a passion for the Arizona sports scene since an early age. He has covered some of the biggest events including Super Bowls, national championships and the NBA and MLB playoffs in his near 20 years in local media.