Then-sophomore wide receiver Cameron Smith catches a ball in a game against USC on Oct. 4, 2014. ASU won against USC 38-34. (Alexis Macklin/The State Press)ASU junior wide receiver Cam Smith will likely be out for the 2015 season after undergoing offseason knee surgery, head coach Todd Graham said Tuesday.
BREAKING: Todd Graham says Cam Smith is out for the season with a knee injury. Will redshirt.
— Fabian Ardaya (@fardaya15) March 17, 2015
Graham set the expected timetable for Smith's post-surgery return to seven to eight months and elected to use Smith's redshirt season this year.
He called the injury "unusual," saying it wasn't an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury.
The news comes just one day after the team announced it had suspended linebacker Davon Durant indefinitely on charges of misdemeanor disorderly conduct and felony aggravated assault.
"That's football," Graham said. "That's the way it is. Obviously you can't do anything about the injury part of it. Obviously we take pride in the high standards we have established as a football team. It's disappointing when you have that, but this program isn't about one or two guys."
Graham said the decision to undergo surgery was made in the best interest of Smith.
"At the end of the day, you have to do what's in the best interest of the kid," he said. "What was best for (Smith) and his future is to go ahead and get that fixed, and take some time."
Despite the recent losses, Graham was brimming with optimism.
"We're going have the best football team we've ever had, period." Graham said. "I can guarantee you that. I've never had a higher belief in a group of young men than I do in these guys."
Smith finished third on the team in catches (41) and yards (596) in 2014 along with six touchdown catches. He had his breakout game against Washington State in the absence of Jaelen Strong, finishing the game with six catches for a career-high 131 yards and two touchdowns.
Redshirt senior quarterback Mike Bercovici wasn't worried about the loss of Smith, noting the amount of players vying to see action at the wide receiver position.
"Cameron Smith is a great kid and I wish him the best in his recovery, but we're not going off of that," Bercovici said. "We have six or seven guys competing at receiver right now, so we're excited to see who steps up. Fred Gammage is one of the hardest working kids I've ever seen at ASU, so I'm excited to see him get that opportunity."
Bercovici said he expects big things out of senior D.J. Foster as he has made the transition from running back to wide receiver this winter.
"It's never easy going with your senior year and learning everything new, but he's so exciting," he said. "He's so explosive and when he gets the ball in his hands, who knows what is going to happen."
An early candidate to replace Smith could also be redshirt sophomore Ellis Jefferson, of whom Bercovici spoke highly.
"He's a workhorse," Bercovici said. "He doesn't get tired. He's so long, he's so athletic and he has so much growth for his body. He's an easy guy to throw to."
Additional Practice Notes
- Incoming freshmen quarterbacks Brady White and Bryce Perkins both drew rave reviews from their peers at practice on Tuesday. White made a pair of nice throws, including a perfectly thrown touch pass while rolling to his left. Perkins showed up to practice to work out, but cannot practice because he has not yet enrolled.
Bercovici said he sees a lot of himself in White.
"Brady (White) is a great kid," Bercovici said. "I see a lot of myself in him because I came here as a high school senior. In between his ears he's got a big brain, so he's got that going for him."
Bercovici said Graham loves what he sees in Perkins.
"Coach Graham was joking around, calling Bryce (Perkins) the 2.0 model of what the modern quarterback is supposed to look like compared to me."
- Several local products were at Kajikawa Practice Field on Tuesday, including UCLA running back Paul Perkins, San Diego State wide receiver Lloyd Mills and NAU wide receiver Kendyl Taylor. Each hails from the Chandler area, with Perkins and Mills going to Chandler High and Taylor going to Hamilton High.
- Graham said he was impressed with the running back corps, saying he's looking for ways to get as many as five guys involved on the field. One star included redshirt junior De'Chavon Hayes, who impressed while working with the first- and second-team offenses.
- Graham said his goals for the spring were three things: speed, tenacity and finish.
- Graham post-practice speech time: 13 minutes, 16 seconds.
- Tuesday was the final day that the team will be working in shorts.
Reach the assistant sports editor at fardaya@asu.edu or follow @fardaya15 on Twitter.
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