ASU football safety Marcus Ball nearly ready to go full speed
Arizona State might have its best news of the preseason: Marcus Ball is close to getting cleared for full contact.
"We think he's ready to go," coach Todd Graham said.
The redshirt-freshman safety entered the summer as one of the building blocks of a rebuilding defense, but an undisclosed medical issue kept Ball sidelined or limited for the first 18 days of practice. Tuesday marked the first time Ball practiced without wearing any type of no-contact jersey. He ran with the second team, playing both safety positions, trying to shake off the rust from his layoff.
"God is good," Ball said, not wanting to elaborate on his medical issue. "Everything happens for a reason."
Even so, ASU fans should keep their expectations in check, at least for a while. First of all, Graham isn't sure Ball will be ready for the Aug. 28 season opener against Weber State. Second, Ball hasn't played a game in nearly two years, the last coming his senior season at Westerville-South High in Ohio.
It's been a long journey just to get to this point.
Last season, Ball, a former Rivals three-star prospect, was a standout of preseason camp. His diving interception — the result of jumping the slant route of ASU receiver Jaelen Strong — might have been the defensive play of August. Ball at the time was running at first-team free safety, secure in his approach of just focusing on playing his best and not worrying about the starting job.
Three days later, however, Ball chased down then-ASU running back Marion Grice at the Camp Tontozona scrimmage. His shoulder slammed to the ground. Ball knew he was hurt but didn't think it was bad.
He ended up missing the season because of a collarbone injury.
"I didn't know if I'd be back for the first game, but I definitely thought I'd be back (at some point)," Ball said a few weeks before ASU opened camp this year. "I guess it was one of those deals where it just never healed correctly. I just couldn't get back."
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Asked Tuesday what Ball brings to his young defense, Graham first pointed out Ball has to get in shape and get up to speed. Then he pointed out Ball will join a competition that's been in progress for nearly three weeks. On Tuesday, senior Damarious Randall and redshirt freshman James Johnson were ASU's first-team safeties during the portion of practice open to reporters.
"Marcus is a great communicator," Graham said, a requirement of the safety position. "He's a leader, (even though) he's very young, and he's a guy that has great ball skills and can make big plays."
At 6 feet 3 and 216 pounds, Ball brings size to the Sun Devils. He likes to hit, and he's versatile, so much so that during his official visit in January 2013, he spent most of his time with ASU's offensive coaches.
"When we first started recruiting Marcus, I loved him,'' offensive coordinator Mike Norvell said. "I loved him as a possible 3-back (H-back), a guy who could do a lot of different things. But he has that knack for playing defense. He ended up telling Coach Graham that, and once he did it was over."
Ball played quarterback and safety in high school, but his senior season he started to see his future. He was just too physical for quarterback, the type who often found himself blocking for a running back 30 yards down field. Although he loved making plays, he loved hitting more.
That's good news for ASU's defense, which hasn't had much lately. Before fall practice began, the Sun Devils learned that two touted junior-college transfers had not qualified academically. Junior defensive tackle Jaxon Hood — the team's most experienced defensive player — then missed the first two weeks of practice because of a personal issue and sophomore linebacker Carlos Mendoza injured his left knee.
Ball's return — once officially approved by ASU's medical staff — would provide a much-needed boost.
"I have a little bit of rust on me as far as man coverage and all that stuff, but as far as our scheme, I'm definitely confident with it and confident with myself,'' Ball said. "There shouldn't be any reason I should be slowed down."
