Herm Edwards sends harsh message: ASU football may cut scholarship players

Arizona State football is trying to become more NFL-like, and first-year head coach Herm Edwards sent a harsh NFL-style message to his team Tuesday.

Edwards told his players before they began the fourth week of spring practice that cuts likely are coming, including to some with scholarships if performance dictates after the spring game April 13.

Edwards, an NFL head coach for eight years, then repeated that message to the media after practice, saying any scholarship players who are cut would retain their financial aid if they opt to stay at ASU as a student.

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“There was a message sent, and the message was very clear that we’re in the process of evaluating players between now and next week,” Edwards said. “You’re going to find whether you continue to be part of it or not. I told them that when I first took the job.

“I told some guys who continue to stay in the training room, you’ve got no tape. I can’t grade you if you’re not on tape. All of a sudden, guys got well. It’s amazing. Sometimes these players think with 85 scholarships, I’m good. You’re not good. You’ve earned a scholarship because of your ability to be a student-athlete. It’s a combination of both. When you don’t meet that standard, there’s consequences. Consequences are sometimes tough. If I don’t apply those consequences, then I’m not doing my job as head coach.”

What that means in terms of player departures is unclear. Edwards said last week that only 10 or 11 starting jobs are currently assured and has referred throughout the spring to competition coming in the summer from 22 incoming recruits.

ASU typically has not had much personnel turnover after spring practice. But the Sun Devils have a new staff and program philosophy after a combined 18-20 record over the last three seasons.

“It ain’t 'might'. He’s going to cut some people,” incumbent starting quarterback Manny Wilkins said. “When you get to the league (NFL), your locker one day is going to be cleaned out. It’s the harsh and brutal reality of football. We’ve only got five practices left. I bet you’ll see a difference in some guys now in their attitude and how they’re acting.

“We want to keep everybody. We want everybody to have an opportunity, but if you ain’t understanding and working how he wants you to work, sayonara.”

'It creates motivation'

Edwards did not mention any at-risk players by name. Some players have missed parts or all of spring rehabbing injuries, but not an unusually large number.

“It creates motivation,” offensive lineman Zach Robertson said. “It put it in perspective for some people. A little motivation is always good for everybody, no matter whether you’re (All Pac-12 wide receiver) N'Keal Harry or a walk-on.

“Being at Arizona State, I’ve seen people come and go. Coaches, players. It’s not a big deal any more. That’s what you’ve got to expect in the NFL. Guys come and go, they get cut.”

When Edwards was hired, ASU created a new leadership model patterned after an NFL front office that brings athletic administrators into roles with players development, personnel and recruiting.

“You’re accountable to compete every day,” Edwards said. “You don’t lose your scholarship, you lose the ability to play. It’s always worked that way in football. That’s how you become a competitive team. You want to get in the two-deep. You should want to play. You don’t want to sit four years and sit the bench.”

Edwards said having fewer players short term due to cuts would not hurt because, typically, 45 players are used in a game.

“It’s professionalism at its finest,” Wilkins said. “It’s going to be a rude awakening when they go from student-athlete to student. I think that’s how it has to be. There’s got to be competition at every single point. When there’s not competition is when people get stagnant, and being complacent is when things start going bad.”

Defensive update

Edwards was not happy with Friday's practice, although there doesn't seem to be a direct correlation to threat of cuts.

"Collectively, if you look at us from the first day to right now, we understand the system much more clearly now," he said of his 3-3-5 defense. "I think our alignment issue is starting to get a little bit fixed, although on Friday night we went haywire for some reason. We were running around not knowing what to do.

"We found our way again today, which was good. It's about players trusting our call and trusting the guys around them to do their job."

He mentioned cornerback Chase Lucas, linebacker Jay Jay Wilson and defensive linemen Jalen Bates and Renell Wren as players he's prodding to be defensive leaders.

Up next

ASU will practice at 9:30 a.m. Thursday at Kajikawa practice fields. Practices are open to the public.

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