(Photo: Scotty Bara/WCSN)
On the second day of spring practice, the Arizona State football team was handed its second-consecutive hit to the roster.
Following the news that five-star JUCO linebacker Davon Durant was suspended indefinitely due to allegations of domestic violence and aggravated assault, ASU head coach Todd Graham announced that junior wide receiver Cameron Smith would miss the season with what Graham called an “unusual” knee injury, and that Smith will be redshirting next season.
“It wasn’t an ACL. It wasn’t anything like that,” Graham said. “It was just one of those acute things that happened, and it just never could get it better.”
Smith recorded 41 receptions and 596 yards last season, including a career game against Washington State in which he tallied six catches for 131 yards and two touchdowns.
“He got two or three different opinions, and we just thought the best thing in best interest for him in the long-term was to have surgery and get it finished,” Graham said.
With the departure of Jaelen Strong to the NFL Draft, the injury weakens ASU’s receiving corps and emphasizes the importance of senior D.J. Foster’s switch to the receiver position.
“Everyone has got to step their game up, especially at the receiving corps,” Foster said. “I mean, it’s a big loss. Cam was a huge part of our offense last year, and especially losing Jaelen, I mean that’s just more responsibility for us as receivers to step our game up and prepare more in this offseason.”
Foster, who is ASU’s leading receiver coming into the upcoming season, worked primarily on the outside as opposed to his usual slot-position in the first two days of practice.
“He’s going to be really good,” Graham said. “We’re teaching him that nine-man, and then we’re going to be able to play him at every – now he’ll know every receiver and running back position.”
After accumulating 1,874 yards on 163 catches during his first three years in Tempe splitting time between the running back and slot receiver positions, Foster is now looking to help his team in the passing game at a more frequent rate with the emergence of sophomore running backs Kaelen Ballage and Demario Richard in 2014.
“It’s definitely a new world, kind of, out there,” Foster said. “A lot of stuff I’ve already done, but just learning the terminology and just learning the different verbage definitely at receiver and going against corners instead of 250-pound linebackers – it’s a different game.”
Standing just 5-foot-11 and weighing 10 pounds lighter (195-pounds, according to Foster), the move to receiver is not only advantageous to the depleted area of the team, but also toward his future in professional football.
“For my future, I see myself more as a receiver,” Foster said. “And that’s why I want to learn as much as I can right now instead of going in next year trying to adjust in the NFL when it’s kind of already too late, so it’s just adjust right now, learn as much as I can and put in as much effort as I can right now into it.”
With just two days under its belt, ASU has seen two knocks to its roster on back-to-back days, but that hasn’t seemed to lessen the energy during drills. The Sun Devils will suit up in pads on Thursday, which should only ratchet up the intensity in the first week back on the field.
“I think our guys are working their butts off right now,” Foster said. “I love the intensity that we have. “
You can reach Zac Pacleb on Twitter @ZacPacleb or via email at zacpacleb@gmail.com
