With the departure of senior leaders such as quarterback Mike Bercovici, running back/wide receiver D.J. Foster, four offensive linemen and several defenders in the secondary, it's up to juniors Demario Richard and Kalen Ballage to lead the charge for ASU football from the running back position.
Charging forward is nothing new for the two physical backs — especially Ballage, who carried a few Bruin defenders with him into the end zone during one of the most memorable plays of the Sun Devils' 2015-16 season.
This year, ASU is a team moving forward in transition — primarily at the quarterback position. That leaves room for both Richard and Ballage to assume the mantle of leadership both on and off the field. As far as on the field leadership is concerned, head coach Todd Graham has liked what he's seen from the running back tandem so far in the spring.
"(Richard and Ballage) are hitting the holes and finishing runs," Graham said. "Speed, physicality and finish — that's what I've seen out of those two."
All of these traits will be entirely necessary for both backs with four of ASU's five starters on the offensive line lost to the NFL draft or graduation. Utilizing the offensive tools at their disposal is vital for the Sun Devils as they continue to re-tool in the trenches. Statistically, that veteran offensive line was a great help to Richard and Ballage.
Richard led the team with 1,104 rushing yards last season to go along with seven touchdowns, and Ballage shored up the number two spot with 679 yards on the ground and four touchdowns.
Ballage said a lot of people don't realize that he and Richard were in leadership roles last year as well, but that this year those roles are a lot more defined — especially mentoring young guys at their position and others.
He also said Foster influenced how he and Richard choose to carry themselves.
"There's a certain way to lead," Ballage said. "Not all of it is with your mouth — a lot of it is with your actions. That takes care of 95 percent of it and the rest is just using your voice."
Leading by example is something that Richard also emphasized, and he said that both he and Ballage have no choice but to embrace this role given their place in the program.
"You don't gotta really talk much," Richard said. "Just be coachable and make plays. If you make plays and do what you're supposed to do, then you're good. We've got a smart group."
Richard said the intelligence and development of the younger players across positions has been evident this spring, also noting that the offense has won seven of the eight spring practices so far. Last Wednesday's practice was the exception to the rule of dominance for offensive coordinator Chip Lindsey and company.
They've shown it in the spring according to coach Graham, so it remains to be seen if that leadership by example from Richard and Ballage will transition into wins for the Sun Devils on the football field this fall.
Notes
- Redshirt sophomore quarterback Manny Wilkins and redshirt freshmen Bryce Perkins and Brady White continued to split first team reps at practice on Wednesday.
- Junior defensive back J'Marcus Rhodes returned to the practice field on Wednesday after sitting out due to personal reasons.
- Sophomore linebacker Khaylan Thomas is out for the remainder of spring ball after undergoing minor knee surgery. He should be back in time for fall camp.
Related links:
ASU football relying on versatility, comeback effort from Gump Hayes
Gump Hayes playing 'really consistent' for ASU football defense, says Graham
Reach the reporter at rclarke6@asu.edu or follow @RClarkeASU on Twitter.
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