Be happy Sun Devil football fans because the defensive backfield has nowhere to go but up.
But be wary, because it's impossible for them to be worse.
According to NCAA.com, the Sun Devils were the worst defense against passing plays in 2015. Out of the 127 Football Bowl Subdivision teams ranked, the Sun Devils came in dead last due to the fact that they allowed 4,392 passing yards last season.
The numbers aren't pretty, as ASU surrendered an average of 337.8 passing yards per game. Most college quarterbacks would be very happy to rack up 330 passing yards in a game, but against ASU's secondary last season, throwing for 330 yards would be statistically below average.
ASU also gave up 35 passing touchdowns and allowed an average completion of 14.94 yards. Those are great numbers ... for the opposing team's offensive coordinator.
Moreover, there were six games last season where ASU gave up at least 375 passing yards, along with the last two games against Cal and West Virginia where the opposing quarterbacks both eclipsed 530 yards passing.
While passing yards may not be the be-all end-all for defenses, it's certainly not something you want to be the worst at. Offenses are moving up and down the field, especially in the Pac-12, and even if they fail to score it exhausts the defense by keeping them on the field longer.
Beyond the stats, the passing defense seemed to fracture at absolutely awful times for the Sun Devils last season.
Examples that come to mind are the easy run-after-the-catch touchdowns that led to a blowout loss against USC early in the season, along with the 95-yard touchdown connection from Arizona backup quarterback Brandon Dawkins to wide receiver Trey Griffey that gave the Wildcats life in the Territorial Cup.
But those plays pale in comparison to a sequence involving former Oregon quarterback Vernon Adams Jr. in a 61-55 triple-overtime loss for the Sun Devils. Adams was chased backwards by multiple ASU defensive linemen and chucks the ball into the end zone where it somehow lands into the arms of Oregon receiver Dwayne Stanford.
That's the kind of unfortunate play that happens to the worst passing defense in college football, and luck is a major factor too. The ASU secondary didn't have much luck in 2015.
But its not all gloom and doom for ASU, as the back end actually produced a bright spot.
Sophomore defensive back Kareem Orr was thrown into fire as a freshman because of an injury, but made the most of his opportunity.
Last season, Orr tallied six interceptions — the most by any FBS freshman. Those six interceptions are also an ASU freshman record.
Orr was also noticed on a national level, as he was named a freshman All-American.
Graham went out of his way to point out that Orr has been the leader of the secondary through fall camp.
“Kareem Orr has been extremely impressive, probably the most impressive guy,” Graham said. "He's been really solid."
Another boost for the secondary is redshirt sophomore Armand Perry returning to action this season after an injury in week two of 2015.
Perry played in every game his true freshman year, and coach Graham said that his presence should help the defense.
“He started a couple of games and obviously missed last year due to injury and has had a solid camp,” Graham said. “He’s a guy that is very talented that we challenge to be a guy that sets the standard.”
First year defensive backs coach T.J. Rushing noted that Perry has made an impact at practice.
"He's been doing a great job taking on that new leadership role and getting guys lined up and talking, communicating," Rushing said.
Aside from Orr and Perry, coach Graham also said he was pleased with the competition between other defensive backs such as De'Chavon "Gump" Hayes, J'Marcus Rhodes, and Tyler Whiley just to name a few.
Ultimately, ASU's secondary won't struggle as much as it did last season. Orr and Perry should be reliable players and some of the other defensive backs look capable of stepping in.
Furthermore, the Sun Devils will likely have better injury luck than they did last year. Perry's injury wasn't the only one to hit the secondary, either. ASU also lost veteran safety Jordan Simone to a knee injury at the end of the season. Simone, who has since graduated, was one of the defensive leaders.
Another reason for optimism is that many of the best Pac-12 quarterbacks from last season have left. Cal's Jared Goff, USC's Cody Kessler and Stanford's Kevin Hogan have all moved on to the NFL while Utah's Travis Wilson and Oregon's Adams finished their senior years in 2015.
Pac-12 quarterbacks are still a nightmare for defenses, but the depth is a bit compromised coming into the 2016 season. That should make things easier for ASU's young defensive backs.
Considering those factors, the Sun Devils' passing defense should be significantly better in 2016.
But, at the end of the day, coach Graham knows the secondary has room to grow.
“We've got a long way to go," Graham said. "We've got a lot of improvements to make, and we've got to keep getting better every single week.”
Reach the columnist at mpharri7@asu.edu or follow @Harris_Mark7 on Twitter.
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