Some surprises on ASU depth chart

Published Aug. 27, 2013 9:16 p.m. ET

foxsports

Aug. 27, 2013

Arizona State released an updated depth chart for the 2013 season
Tuesday night, and while it came with no big surprises, it did indicate a
few position battles might be settled.

You can view
the full
depth chart here, but keep in mind depth charts do
not always translate perfectly onto the
field.

Perhaps most notable on the depth chart is
walk-on junior Dom Vizzare listed as the first-team punter. Vizzare
appears to have the edge on scholarship freshman Matt Haack, who has
battled inconsistency this preseason. Vizzare has the bigger leg but has
also been inconsistent at times.

Senior wide
receiver Kevin Ozier got the nod at starting "Y" receiver over freshman
Ellis Jefferson. Ozier is a veteran who has taken on a key leadership
role in the position group, so his starting isn't all that surprising.
Junior college transfer Joe Morris will also factor in there, perhaps as
the starter, once he's practicing and gets up to speed after missing
all of camp with a foot injury.

The "Y" positon
often gives way to a tight end or running back D.J. Foster, so expect to
see a variety of players rotate in and out of the
lineup.

A few more items of note:

--
Mike Bercovici and Michael Eubank are listed as sharing backup
quarterback duties to Taylor Kelly. Eubank will have offensive packages
as he did in 2012, but from everything coaches have said Bercovici is
the go-to option if something were to happen to
Kelly.

-- Darwin Rogers and De'Marieya Nelson are
listed as co-starters at tight end (Chris Coyle is the starting H-back),
which shows how serious ASU is about utilizing Nelson, a versatile
weapon who can carry the ball, catch passes and block.

--
Field safety remains a mystery. Robert Nelson, who moved from
cornerback last week, is listed as a co-starter with junior college
transfer Damarious Randall, who has yet to practice due to a groin
injury. Redshirt freshman Viliami Moeakiola, who Graham saw as the
frontrunner over the weekend, is listed third, which might be the
biggest surprise of the depth chart. Freshman Marcus Ball was penciled
in as the starter before hurting his shoulder during a scrimmage. Nelson
is also listed as a co-starter at field cornerback with Lloyd
Carrington.

-- Linebacker Chris Young is listed as a
starter at will and spur after moving from spur to will in the spring.
Coach Todd Graham said Tuesday the plan is for Young to play will when
ASU uses three down linemen and spur when it uses four. Anthony Jones
will start at spur when Young is at will, and it appears redshirt
freshman Salamo Fiso will handle will when Young is at
spur.

-- Fiso is also listed as a co-starter with
Steffon Martin at sam (inside) linebacker. Graham has been high on Fiso
recently, and coaches have been looking for ways to get him on the
field. He could be a starter depending on what defensive package ASU is
utilizing.

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