Sam Keller returned to the field for the first day of spring football on Monday looking bigger, stronger and, most importantly, almost completely healthy.
Keller, who will be a senior in the fall, threw for 2,165 yards and 20 touchdowns in eight games last season before a torn ligament in his thumb ended his year prematurely.
Now he's back at an estimated 90 percent, "and 90 percent is pretty good, because I was trying to play a game at 45 [percent] last year," Keller said.
In Keller's absence, redshirt freshman Rudy Carpenter took the reins of the offense, leading the nation in passing efficiency in his short time as starter.
While practice's main topic centered around the impending controversy, ASU coach Dirk Koetter said having two top-notch quarterbacks is more of a luxury than anything.
"We've got two excellent quarterbacks," he said. "What team wouldn't want to have that problem?"
The two have been splitting the practice repetitions, with Keller playing on the first team.
"The best player's going to play," Keller said. "We're both men. We know the circumstance. It's not a controversy. Right now the position's mine and I don't see anything changing."
Two-way Rudy
Junior Rudy Burgess was on the field with the first team Monday, but it was on the defensive side of the ball this time around.
Burgess will be trying out at cornerback during the spring to try and help shore up an inexperienced unit.
"We've got to make our defensive team better," Koetter said. "If Rudy makes us a better football team playing corner, then it helps everybody."
Koetter said Burgess will still get time as wide receiver during practice and didn't rule out the possibility of him playing both offense and defense next year.
Stretching his legs
With plenty of talent at the tight end position, senior Jamaal Lewis has been moved out to wide receiver and is already projected to start.
At 6-foot-4 and 221 pounds, the big question centers around his ability to outrun opposing cornerbacks.
Keller said Lewis' speed is there, but that he needs to move away from the more rigid route-running tendencies of a tight end.
"He just needs to start flying," Keller said.
Richardson update
Keller visited former high school teammate and highly-recruited wide receiver Angelo Richardson over Spring Break. Richardson, who was going to play for ASU next season, was shot in the back March 4 and may never walk again.
"It's not an easy deal," a subdued Keller said. "That's a good buddy of mine. He was going to be a game breaker."
Reach the reporter at kyle.odegard@asu.edu.
