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After Manny Wilkins suffered his second injury of the season in ASU’s loss to Washington State. This injury forced Dillon Sterling-Cole to enter the game and fans of ASU football got a good look at the true freshman.
Sterling-Cole has had quite a difficult time adjusting to the starting quarterback role, but it isn’t entirely his fault. He was thrown into the situation after head coach Todd Graham had made it clear to everyone that they planned on redshirting him.
After the Sun Devils had to burn Sterling-Cole’s redshirt, due to a season-ending injury to second string quarterback Brady White, he now has had some time to adjust to his new role. But what exactly is his new role?
One moment Sterling-Cole is a backup that is sitting on the sideline, and the next moment he is thrust into the game with all the pressure and judgement that comes with it. During his time in the spotlight, he has had flashes that show his potential but, overall, he has been underwhelming.
Again, it must be remembered that Sterling-Cole is a true freshman and while his potential has been high, he wasn’t expected to make a single in-game appearance. He was the quarterback that ASU was hoping to groom into the next Mike Bercovici, but that plan has flown out the window.
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With Sterling-Cole’s redshirt being burned, he is in his first year of eligibility as a freshman and, unless he suffers a season ending injury in the next season or two, then he will only have three years of eligibility remaining. With this situation, it would be a three-way battle for the starting quarterback job between three seniors in Sterling-Cole, White, and Bryce Perkins.
The scenario listed above is very unlikely to happen. What is more likely to happen is that Perkins realizes next season that he will never be the starting quarterback for ASU and transfers away, that would leave the quarterback battle down to between Sterling-Cole and White. Another factor that can’t be forgotten is that ASU will continue to recruit quarterbacks which will only make the competition tougher. With White being considered the better of the two quarterbacks, it wouldn’t be far-fetched to think that Sterling-Cole could transfer as well a season or two down the line.
But for the mean time, enjoy the journey with Sterling-Cole. ASU fans may see him again in all of the games for the Sun Devils, some games, or no games, no one knows. If Sterling-Cole gets another chance to come into the game this season, be thankful.
While it is frustrating to see a team that started out with the potential to win the Pac-12 south fall off the map, Sterling-Cole is being the best he can be. He is a kid who is eager to prove his worth, and that should be one exciting progression to watch.
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