With the verbal commitment of quarterback Brady White, the future of the most prestigious position on Todd Graham’s roster could be the best at ASU in at least twenty years.

The Sun Devils have scarcely seen a group with the potential of 2014 commits Manny Wilkins and Coltin Gerhardt, local 2015 verbal commit Bryce Perkins and of course, Brady White, the #3 Pro-Style QB in the 2015 class according to Rivals.

In terms of Offensive Coordinator Mike Norvell developing a system to fit its players, the recent past doesn’t suggest that should be an issue at all. 

Norvell’s system favors a mobile quarterback, one who can execute the read-option and make efficient passes. His run-first scheme makes its hay by wearing down the opponent with the run game in a rapid succession of plays. Then he hits you with the pass thanks in large part to the confusion caused by the read option, play action, and general misdirection.

Development of Taylor Kelly & Mike Bercovici

In late 2013, some suggested that Norvell has been over-hyped as an offensive play caller. I think we (as well as coaching search committees looking to name a new head coach) will be able to grade his full body of work by the end of 2014. We will have watched the three year development of Taylor Kelly who should have 30 plus starts in his ASU career.

In this his red-shirt junior year, Mike Bercovici should have more opportunities to showcase where he stands. If Norvell can correct his accuracy and further improve his decision making, Bercovici will project as a serviceable read-option quarterback in 2015 so that the Sun Devil offense doesn’t skip much of a beat.

Brady White

As far as Brady White goes, he rushed for over 500 yards and nearly 10 touchdowns as a junior, so he should be able to slot into most systems without much of a hitch. Another telling point is that Cal and Oregon were White’s other top scholarship suitors. Those are two teams with very different offensive philosophies aside from their fast pace.  

Mike Norvell has learned from offensive gurus Gus Malzhan and Chad Morris, whose systems have employed multi-threat quarterbacks and have produced the likes of Tajh Boyd, G.J. Kinne, and Nick Marshall. Under Norvell, Bercovici has greatly improved his ability to move the ball with his feet, and by the time he arrives in Tempe, Brady White should be suitable with the ball in his hands.

Finally, should Graham continue to land receivers like Jaelen Strong and Eric Lauderdale, the passing game will be just fine whether you have a running quarterback or not.

Mike Norvell went big game fishing out in California, a place where many a former coach had come back empty-handed.  But this time ASU landed a whopper of a marlin in White with a story they will be able to tell on the recruiting trail for years to come. 

Rob Malara is co-host of the Devils Den Podcast.

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