Florida transfer Emory Jones named ASU football's starting quarterback for season opener
The quarterback debate at Arizona State is over and it ended the way most thought it would. Florida transfer Emory Jones has been named the starter for the Sun Devils' Sept. 1 regular season opener against Northern Arizona at Sun Devil Stadium.
The announcement was made by head coach Herm Edwards after Thursday's practice. Edwards said he met with the players and gave them official word Wednesday night.
"It's always tough at that position because only one guy can play," Edwards said. "They were disappointed but we had good competition. They all got better."
Edwards says Jones' versatility was a key.
"He's the guy that has proven he can move the team in a bunch of ways. He can make some unannounced plays. The play that is not scripted. The competition was good for him to earn the trust of his teammates and the coaching staff and all the other guys improved too.
The departure of three-year starter Jayden Daniels to the transfer portal created a void at that position. The Sun Devils had five athletes competing for that spot in the spring but no one separated himself from the rest of the pack.
Jones, a 6-foot-2, 210-pounder, was added to the mix in May, six weeks after he hit the transfer portal after three years in a Gator uniform.
"I know one thing: When he throws the ball, he doesn’t throw a lot of curveballs," Edwards said, earlier this month when discussing Jones. "It’s fast. So you better be ready cause it’s going to get on you. It gets on you fast. You don’t have your head around, your hands ready, it can bounce off you. So you gotta get your head around. And that’s the timing of receivers and quarterback."
Jones completed 64.7% (224-for-346) of his passes in 2021 for 2,734 yards and 19 touchdowns but had 13 interceptions. He ran for another 759 yards and four scores. His best game came in a 70-52 win over Samford in which he threw for 464 yards and six touchdowns and rushed for another 86 yards and a touchdown.
In his Florida career, Jones was 279-for-432 (64.6%) for 3,347 yards and 26 touchdowns with 14 interceptions. His rushing total was 1,273 yards and 10 scores. That attribute and the ability to extend plays with his scrambling ability has drawn some comparisons to the skill set of Daniels.
“It was one of those schools that I felt needed another guy, another leader to come in and just help the team improve," Jones said during ASU's newcomer media day when asked about picking ASU. "I felt like it was a great place for me. Coach (Herm) Edwards contacted me probably like a week after I got into the portal. He basically just told me he felt his team needed another guy in the quarterback room, just a leader for the whole team. So I felt like it was a great fit for me, that’s all I wanted.”
Read more: LSU QB Jayden Daniels on leaving ASU football, locker video
For much of the spring, it was Alabama transfer Paul Tyson and red-shirt junior Trenton Bourguet, Daniels' backup last year, taking first-team reps at the position. The other candidates included red-shirt freshman Finn Collins and red-shirt sophomore Daylin McLemore, neither of whom has played in a game, and true freshman Bennett Meredith, who was part of ASU's last recruiting class.
Edwards also praised the progress of Tyson and McLemore.
Teammates have appreciated Jones' work ethic and demeanor. Jones was the only athlete from the quarterback group not here in the spring so he has had some catching up to do.
"He adjusted really quick too. He was dialing the defense up and we had a few touchdown passes. He’s caught on to the offense pretty quick which is good," wide receiver Chad Johnson said after a strong performance by the offense on Wednesday. "From Day 1. I didn’t see any nervousness. He just knows what he has to do and he’s so calm and collected."
"I just like the way he goes about things," added offensive lineman LaDarius Henderson. "He's a professional person, so I think he's had a really good impression on all of us on the offense."
Jones was a four-star prospect out of Heard County High School in Georgia in 2018. He was then ranked as the No. 5 dual-threat quarterback in the country and the No. 11 prospect out of the state by 247Sports. He was originally committed to Ohio State but flipped to Florida and was the first quarterback secured by then coach Dan Mullen.
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Odds and ends
- Edwards also named team captains. They are Jones, fullback Case Hatch, offensive lineman LaDarius Henderson and linebackers Merlin Robertson and Kyle Soelle. Injured defensive end Michael Matus will be an honorary captain and will travel with the team.
- Edwards also confirmed that Matus had surgery for the torn ACL today.
- Among those who did not participate in practice were Emmit Bohle, who is fighting for the start at left tackle. Others out for various reasons included nickel back Jordan Clark and nose tackle Nesta Jade Silvera. Clark and Silvera left practice on Tuesday. Edwards dubbed them "week to week" and said they would not rush the players back.
- Athletic director Ray Anderson stopped in and spoke with Edwards early in practice.
Reach the reporter at Michelle.Gardner@gannett.com or 602 444-4783. Follow her on Twitter @MGardnerSports.
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This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: ASU football names Emory Jones starting quarterback for season opener
