Arizona State 2012 Recruiting

2012 Arizona State Sun Devils ... Head Coach: Todd Graham

Arizona State Sun Devils

2011 Record: 6-7

Sep. 1 UC Davis W 48-14
Sep. 10 Missouri W 37-30 OT
Sep. 17 at Illinois L 17-14
Sep. 24 USC W 43-22
Oct. 1 Oregon State W 35-20
Oct. 8 at Utah W 35-14
Oct. 15 at Oregon L 41-27
Oct. 22 OPEN DATE
Oct. 29 Colorado W 48-14
Nov. 5 at UCLA L 29-28
Nov. 12 at Washington St L 37-27
Nov. 19 Arizona L 31-27
Nov. 26 California L 47-38
MAACO LAS VEGAS BOWL
Dec. 22 Boise State L 56-24

2010 CFN Prediction: 5-7
2010 Record: 6-6

Sept. 4 Portland St W 54-9
Sept. 11 No. Arizona W 41-20
Sept. 18 at Wisconsin L 20-19
Sept. 25 Oregon L 42-31
Oct. 2 at Oregon State L 31-28
Oct. 9 at Washington W 24-14
Oct. 16 OPEN DATE
Oct. 23 at California L 50-17
Oct. 30 Washington St W 42-0
Nov. 6 at USC L 34-33
Nov. 13 Stanford L 17-13
Nov. 20 OPEN DATE
Nov. 26 UCLA W 55-34
Dec. 2 at Arizona W 30-29 2OT
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The Entire 2012 Recruiting Class

Top 5 Arizona State Recruits To Care About
Player writeups by Scout.com

1. RB D.J. Foster
6-0, 185, Scout.com 12th ranked, four-star running back. It is tough calling a kid a can't miss prospect but there is a lot to like about Foster. He can play multiple spots, lining up at RB, WR, CB and is a dangerous return man. Makes people miss, is a big play threat and a lock down corner. Averaged over 11 yards per carry as a JR and made 7 INTs.

2. OT Evan Goodman
6-4, 290, Scout.com 16th ranked, four-star offensive tackle. While watching Goodman, the superlatives are easy to come up with. He fires off the ball quickly. He absolutely wants to bury the guy in front of him. His athleticism is reminiscent of a linebacker rather than an offensive lineman. He is quick enough to not only engage a blocker, but change his angle of contact and keep his defender constantly off balance. Needs to work on his hand placement as they tend to drop in pass pro.

3. RB Marion Grice
6-0, 210, Scout.com four-star JUCO transfer. Named 1st Team All-Southwest Junior College Conference after rushing for 1,169 yards and 17 TD's as a freshman.

4. CB Richard Smith
5-9, 161, Scout.com 31st ranked, three-star cornerback. Caught 23 passes for 597 yards and eight touchdowns as a 2010 junior at Long Beach (Calif.) Poly.

5. LB Salamo Fiso
6-1, 215, Scout.com 33rd ranked, three-star outside linebacker.

The 2012 Class Was Heavy On... Defense, and lots of it. The last three classes under Dennis Erickson loaded up with offensive talent and firepower. New head man Todd Graham’s biggest job in a short time is to keep everyone already schedule to come in, but mostly he has to work on improving a defense that came up short time and again. The cornerbacks should be good, the linebackers better, and JUCO transfers Mike Pennel and Jake Sheffield are expected to immediately play a big role at tackle.

Team Concerns For 2012: With QB Brock Osweiler leaving early for the NFL, the Sun Devils need one of last year’s key recruits, Mike Bercovici, to be more of an all-around playmaker than the bomber Osweiler was. The defensive front seven needs an overhaul, especially at linebacker, where all three starters are gone including Vontaze Burfict in the middle. In all, seven starters have to be replaced on defense giving all the new recruits a chance at seeing time right away.

Looking Ahead To The 2012 Season: Not only is the program undergoing an overhaul at coach, with Todd Graham trying to right the ship, but several big holes need to be filled. The loss of QB Brock Osweiler a year early to the NFL hurts, top target Gerell Robinson is done, and three starters are gone off the line. RB Cameron Marshall will be fed the ball early and often, but he’ll need help from a steady quarterback – possibly sophomore Mike Bercovici – to take the heat off. For good and bad, linebacker Vontaze Burfict took off for the pros, but that leaves just two starters – tackle Will Sutton and end Junior Onyeali – back on a defense that struggled way too much. Both safeties need to be replaced, but corners Osahon Irabor and Deveron Carr are back on the outside. Jamal Miles and Kyle Middlebrooks should be among the nation’s top returners.

The 2011 Class Was Heavy On … Quarterbacks. The defensive tackles should be strong with Mo Latu and David Moala two big, tough inside presences, and safeties Isreal Marshall and Ezekial Bishop two fast prospects for the secondary. The attention will be paid to the quarterback situation. JUCO transfer Kipeli Koniseti will provide depth, but he’s not likely going to be a starter, while Michael Eubank, the star of the class, is a big, tall bomber who knows how to spread the ball around. Mike Bercovici doesn’t have the tools, but he’s a baller.

2010 CFN Recruiting Ranking: 34. That Class Was Heavy On ... Receivers. Instant help was desperately needed for an offensive line that hasn't kept a quarterback upright since Dennis Erickson took over, and players are on the way in JUCO transfers Aderious Simmons and Brice Schwab at tackle and Calvin Tonga at guard. Four running backs were signed, led by Deantre Lewis, but the offensive stars were at receiver with JUCO transfers George Bell and Mike Willie looking to see time right away, while Kevin Anderson and Randy Kurst are speedsters for the near future.

2009 CFN Recruiting Ranking: 37. That Class Was Heavy On ... Running backs. Four backs are headed to Tempe determined to light a spark under a running game that floundered a year ago. Cameron Marshall, Shane McCullen, and Jamal Miles are three-star Sun Devils and among the top 100 high school runners in the country. While Marshall is a 208-pound thumper, McCullen is an intriguing blend of good size and blazing speed, who could also wind up playing on defense if the need arises.

Dec. 22 - Boise State 56 … Arizona State 24
- CFN Thoughts on the Game

Boise State: The Broncos scored three non-offensive touchdowns. … Kellen Moore completed 25-of-33 passes for 269 yards and two scores and two picks. … Doug Martin ran 31 times for 151 yards and a score, and returned two kicks for 124 yards and a score. … WR Mitch Burroughs caught four passes for 59 yards.

Arizona State: The Sun Devils were stopped for -11 yards on 21 carries. … Brock Osweiler completed 30-of-47 passes for 395 yards and two scores with a pick. … Gerrell Robinson caught 13 passes for 241 yards and a score.

LAS VEGAS (AP) - Doug Martin rushed for 151 yards and returned the opening kickoff 100 yards for a touchdown, giving No. 8 Boise State a lead 14 seconds into the Maaco Bowl Las Vegas on the way to a 56-24 win Thursday night.

Arizona State (6-7) never seriously threatened the Broncos (12-1), even though Boise State had three turnovers and allowed a 97-yard kickoff return for a touchdown by the Sun Devils to start the second half.

Arizona State missed on several opportunities to make the game closer, wasting a bowl-record 241-yard receiving effort by Gerell Robinson, who caught a touchdown in the fourth quarter after the Broncos had already scored 49 points.

Boise State quarterback Kellen Moore - the NCAA's winningest player at the position - played well enough in his last college game to keep his team scoring, despite some missteps. He finished with 266 yards and two touchdowns, plus two interceptions and a fumble in a game that capped his college career with 50 total wins.

Martin finished with 301 all-purpose yards, breaking a bowl record set in 1997 by Air Force's Pat Johnson. His touchdown return also set a record for the longest kickoff return in MAACO Bowl history. It was the first time the opening kickoff had been returned for a score in any bowl game since Ted Ginn Jr. did it in the 2007 BCS title game.

The most costly mistake for Arizona State came in the third quarter, as the Sun Devils tried to capitalize on a fumble by Moore - his third turnover of the game. The Sun Devils drove 49 yards to Boise State's 1-yard line, but quarterback Brock Osweiler's fourth-down pass was intercepted by Jamar Taylor, who returned it for a touchdown to make the score 35-10.

Moments before the play, Arizona State coach Dennis Erickson tried to call a timeout as his team was late to the line of scrimmage, but his attempts weren't acknowledged by the referees.

"I should have just called a timeout," said Osweiler, who threw for 390 yards with two touchdowns in defeat.

Osweiler said his team had some confusion before the play, with the wrong players on the field and a delay in communicating what they wanted to do.

The Broncos led 28-3 at halftime with Martin's kick return, Moore's passing touchdowns and another by wide receiver Matt Miller on a trick play in the second quarter.

Arizona State didn't score after its first interception and failed to pick off a lofty, poorly-aimed toss from Moore's brother, receiver Kirby Moore, that hit a Sun Devils defender in the chest during a trick play. Boise State scored its fourth touchdown later in the drive.

Erickson was coaching his last game for Arizona State, which let him go in November after the Sun Devils finished the regular season on a four-game losing streak.

Erickson said he doesn't think his career is finished.

"I'll be involved in football some way - I'm not sure exactly what," he said.

Nov. 25 California 47 … at Arizona State 38  

(AP) TEMPE, Ariz. -- C.J. Anderson scored three touchdowns, Isi Sofele ran for 145 yards and another score and California ended the regular season with a 47-38 win over Arizona State Friday night.

Anderson scored on two runs and a 74-yard catch, and Giorgio Tavecchio hit four field goals to help Cal (7-5, 4-5) ensure its ninth winning season in 10 years.

Zach Maynard threw for 237 yards and a touchdown and ran for another score as the bowl-bound Bears racked up 484 total yards.

Arizona State (6-6, 4-5) lost its chance of winning the Pac-12 South earlier in the day and may have put coach Dennis Erickson's job in jeopardy with its fourth straight loss.

Cameron Marshall ran for 157 yards and a pair of touchdowns, but had a big fumble in the fourth quarter for the Sun Devils. Brock Osweiler threw for 264 yards and three touchdowns with two interceptions.

Cal had been going the opposite direction as Arizona State.

The Bears came in with two wins in three games, the loss a tight one against No. 8 Stanford last week in a soggy Big Game. Bowl-eligible for the eighth time in nine seasons, Cal was looking for another win to secure a winning record and a better postseason slot.

Cal did just that by keeping Arizona State's defense off-balance, complementing Maynard's passing by running for 247 yards.

The Sun Devils' shot to win the Pac-12 South ended before the game started, with Colorado's victory over Utah.

Arizona State still had plenty to play for, needing a win to get a shot at a better bowl and to give Erickson some breathing room.

The 64-year-old coach was on the hot seat last season and kept his job despite missing a bowl game for the third straight season.

Erickson appeared to be in good shape after Arizona State opened this season 6-2 and clinched a bowl berth in late October. Things deteriorated quickly, though, culminating with last week's deflating home loss to rival Arizona, which was 2-8 before the game.

Even with the Sun Devils bowl being eligible, Erickson could be in trouble -- as early as next week after this loss.

Offense dominated this game from the start.

Cal scored on its first three possessions: a 48-yard field goal by Tavecchio, an 18-yard run by Sofele and a 16-yarder by Maynard that put the Bears up 17-7 in the first quarter.

Marshall scored on a 1-yard run in the first quarter and Osweiler hit Aaron Pflugrad on a 17-yard touchdown pass to make it 17-14 on the first play of the second.

The Bears went up 27-14 late in the second quarter on a 1-yard run by Anderson and a 27-yard field goal by Tavecchio.

Arizona State rallied quickly, though, scoring twice in 29 seconds. Osweiler hit Rashad Ross on a 35-yard pass, then Trevor Kohl on a 4-yarder with 33 seconds left in the half -- three plays after Cal's Richard Rodgers fumbled the kickoff and the Sun Devils recovered.

Cal tried to pull away again in the third quarter.

Anderson scored on a 3-yard run on Cal's first drive of the third quarter, then on a 74-yard catch-and-run to put the Bears up 41-31. Maynard set it up by scrambling left to draw the defense in, then flipped over the top to Anderson, who took care of the last 60-or-so yards on his own.

Arizona State cut the lead 41-38 on a 24-yard burst up the middle by Marshall that tied him with Woody Green (1972) and Terry Battle (1996) for the single-season school rushing touchdowns record.

But on Arizona State's next drive, Marshall fumbled and Cal's Mustafa Jalil recovered -- after a video replay reversal -- at the Bears' 40. Tavecchio followed with a 30-yard field goal to give Cal a nine-point lead with just over 5 minutes left.

Nov. 19 Arizona 31 … at Arizona State 27
CFN Analysis: This is why teams play rivalry games. Arizona might be in the midst of a miserable season, but the win over Arizona State made the year and it showed there are pieces in place for the next head coach to build around. … Nick Foles’ special season was wasted. His 370 yards and two touchdowns kept the team in the game, and Bryson Beirne finished up with his 23-yard scoring pass to pull off the victory. … The secondary might have given up a ton of yards, but it also made its share of plays. The Wildcats might have the second-worst pass defense in America, but it’s partly because the line didn’t generate any sort of a pass rush all season long. … There might be a lot to work on, but the Wildcats can claim they beat UCLA and Arizona State, the two main teams in the hunt for the Pac-12 South title.  

Nov. 12 at Washington State 37 … Arizona State 27
CFN Analysis: Was Arizona State chilly? Playing in wintery conditions, the defense couldn’t seem to heat up and the offense fell flat in the second half. … The Sun Devils will still play for the Pac-12 title because USC can’t, but after losing to UCLA and now to Washington State, a blowout win over Arizona is a must. Losing the rivalry game could be a program-changing disaster, even with a chance to still win the conference title. … Brock Osweiler wasn’t bad, throwing for 351 yards and a score, and Gerrell Robinson caught eight passes for 158 yards and a score, but the defense was too miserable to overcome. … Any time Vontaze Burfict wants to start playing up to the hype, ASU would appreciate it. He has yet to come up with a double-digit tackle game. 

Nov. 5 at UCLA 29 … Arizona State 28
CFN Analysis: Arizona State is going to start hearing about how it’s gagging away the Pac-12 South, but it has three winnable games against Washington State, Arizona, and California to close. UCLA might control its destiny, but it’s not quite good enough to run the table. Call this an aberration for ASU; the offense wasn’t bad, cranking out 465 yards. There weren’t a slew of turnovers, and there weren’t a lot of mistakes; ASU was simply beat by a team that played its best game of the year. However, Brock Osweiler and the offense have to bomb away to beat Wazzu on the road next week to get rid of the taste of this loss and to gear up for the finishing kick.

Oct. 29 at Arizona State 48 … Colorado 14
CFN Analysis: Veteran teams put bad ones away. Instead of sulking after the loss to Oregon, Arizona State was nearly perfect with Brock Osweiler picking apart the Buff secondary and Cameron Marshall running as well as he has all season long with 114 yards and three scores on just 15 carries. Vontaze Burfict set the tone for the defense with nine tackles, but this was a total team effort in the easy blowout. There’s still work to do to seal up the South, but ASU is looking like the clear class of the division doing a great job of not making big mistakes, and with a healthy Marshall, it’s all working for the offense again. But this was against Colorado. The Sun Devils have to keep their focus to not blow the easy road games against UCLA and Washington State.

Oct. 15 at Oregon 41 … Arizona State 27
CFN Analysis: The Sun Devils fell flat in the second half, but everyone falls flat in the second half at Autzen Stadium. Carmon Marshall ran for 97 yards and Brock Osweiler held up well, throwing for 291 yards and two scores, but he had to start forcing things late and the offense stopped working. The defense played with too much of an attitude with too many dumb penalties, but it’s understandable; it was trying to set a tone in a hostile environment. This was a blip. It’ll take a total gack to not win the South title. With Colorado up next in two weeks, there won’t be any problem getting back on track. 

Oct. 8 Arizona State 35 … at Utah 14
CFN Analysis: The defense did its job against the mistake-prone Utes, but the offense did its job too with Brock Osweiler throwing for 325 yards and three touchdowns to make it a blowout. The defense stepped up its game in the third quarter, Osweiler took advantage, and the Sun Devils keep on rolling. Now the South appears to be over with the date at Oregon up next a possible Pac-12 title game preview. The offense could use a bit more out of the running game, but the defense is forcing the mistakes needed and the defensive front seven is doing a great job against the run and getting to the quarterback.  

Oct. 1 at Arizona State 35 … Oregon State 20
CFN Analysis: It took way too much effort to put away a bad Oregon State team, especially after the momentum and the high from the USC win, but it was still a 15-point victory. Cameron Marshall pounded away at the right time with two good scores, and the defense stuffed the Beavers all game long, but the four turnovers kept the game alive. This didn’t necessarily look like an unfocused effort; it just wasn’t a sharp game against a team ASU seemed to know it could put away. On the road for four of the next five games, being mistake free will be a must. The turnovers were only really a problem this week; ASU doesn’t have a big problem.  

Sept. 24 at Arizona State 43 … USC 22
CFN Analysis: This was just the big performance Arizona State needed, and it might have been a program-saving moment, even though it was just the Pac-12 opener. After losing to Illinois, there was a there-ASU-goes-again thought with USC winning 11 straight in the series, and while Matt Barkley made it a game with the lead and the comeback in the third quarter, the Sun Devils didn’t crumble. The defense turned up the pressure when things started falling apart, and the running of Cameron Marshall was too much for the Trojans at the end of some decent drives.  
Sept. 17 at Illinois 17 ... Arizona State 14
CFN Analysis: Coming off the big win over Missouri, Arizona State couldn’t have been more mediocre. Brock Osweiler threw relatively well, but he didn’t get any protection and the running game didn’t help out with Cameron Marshall less than 100%. The three turnovers, six sacks allowed, and eight penalties ruined what should’ve been a good road win, but there were some positives. The pass rush was strong and Osweiler threw well when he had time, but now the mistakes have to stop with USC coming up next. The Sun Devils are good enough to beat anyone in the Pac-12 as long as they don’t beat themselves.

Sept. 9 Arizona State 37 … Missouri 30 OT
CFN Analysis: The Sun Devils did everything they could to try to lose the game. Even with Brock Osweiler finishing with a sharp 353 yards and three touchdowns, to go along with a rushing score, in his breakout performance, and even with Aaron Pflugrad coming up with eight catches for 180 yards and two scores, it took a missed Mizzou field goal to stay alive. With 12 penalties, many of them at the worst possible times, and spotty pass defense even with a good push into the backfield, there’s still work to do. A lot of work. For now, though, this was a win over a ranked team, and it was a moment that might show that the Sun Devils are finally ready to go to another level.

Sept. 1 at Arizona State 48 … UC Davis 14
CFN Analysis: This was exactly what ASU wanted to come out and do to show that yes, this is a veteran team, and yes, this is a new year and a new attitude. From the new-looking helmets to the explosion on both sides of the ball, Arizona State dominated UC Davis and looks more than ready for the next few weeks with Missouri and Illinois up next to make a big statement for the first part of the season. Brock Osweiler was nearly perfect, completing 19-of-26 passes for 262 yards and two scores with a pick, while Vontaze Burfict was breathtaking with three sacks in his limited time. Everything worked and everything clicked, but now the season really starts. Beat Missouri, and then it’ll be truly time to get excited about the possibilities. 

The 2011 Class Is Heavy On … Quarterbacks. The defensive tackles should be strong with Mo Latu and David Moala two big, tough inside presences, and safeties Isreal Marshall and Ezekial Bishop two fast prospects for the secondary. The attention will be paid to the quarterback situation. JUCO transfer Kipeli Koniseti will provide depth, but he’s not likely going to be a starter, while Michael Eubank, the star of the class, is a big, tall bomber who knows how to spread the ball around. Mike Bercovici doesn’t have the tools, but he’s a baller.

Five Arizona State Recruits You Should Care About
Player writeups by Scout.com

1. QB Michael Eubank
6-5, 220, Scout.com’s 18th ranked quarterback. Eubanks possesses great size at the quarterback position. He is tall at 6’5 with a large frame. He is athletic in and outside the pocket with good running ability. He has a long, winding throwing motion similar to Tim Tebow’s at Florida which can possibly hurt him in the future. He can make hash-to-hash throws with his strong arm. He plays in a spread offense so his future in a pro-style offense will be in question.

2. CB Rashad Wadood
5-10, 181, Scout.com’s 60th ranked cornerback. Ran for 602 yards on 73 carries and five touchdowns as a 2009 junior at Lakewood (Calif.) and added 27 tackles, six deflections and three interceptions.

3. P Josh Hubner
6-4, 225, three-star ranked JUCO transfer. Named 1st team All-ACCAC and 2nd team All-America as a freshman after averaging 41.2 yards per punt.

4. C Devin Goodman
6-2, 272, Scout.com’s 17th ranked center.

5. DT Mo Latu
6-3, 306, Scout.com’s 86th ranked defensive tackle. Two-way player that has offers on both sides of the ball. Best projected position is center where he uses his tremendous strength to maul defenders. Is very athletic for a player his size and can get to the second level and make blocks. Is a run stuffing defender but does move around well enough to make plays down the LOS and in the backfield.

2011 Entire Recruiting Class
Mike Bercovici QB Fr. 6-2 205 Woodland Hills, Calif./William Howard Taft HS
Ezekiel Bishop S Fr. 5-10 182 Denver, Colo./East HS
Gary Chambers WR Fr. 6-3 195 Glendale, Ariz./Ironwood HS
Michael Eubank QB Fr. 6-5 232 Corona, Calif./Centennial HS
Devin Goodman OL Fr. 6-2 270 Lakeland, Fla./Lakeland Senior HS
Josh Hubner P Jr. 6-4 225 Scottsdale, Ariz./Scottsdale CC/Desert Mountain HS
Mo Latu DL Fr. 6-3 306 Gilbert, Ariz./Perry HS
Isreal Marshall LB Fr. 6-2 200 Phoenix, Ariz./Mountain Pointe HS
David Moala DL Fr. 6-1 285 Gardena, Calif./Junipero Serra HS
Sean O'Grady DL Fr. 6-3 230 Las Flores, Calif./Tesoro HS
Vi Teofilo OL Fr. 6-3 280 Phoenix, Ariz./Moon Valley HS
Rashad Wadood CB Fr. 5-10 180 Lakewood, Calif./Lakewood HS
Brent Walker OL Fr. 6-5 300 Norco, Calif./Norco HS