ASU football’s Marshal Nathe retiring from football due to back injury

Arizona State sophomore offensive lineman Marshal Nathe is retiring from football for medical reasons.

Nathe, 6-foot-3, 290 pounds, had been competing at second-team center through the first two weeks of spring practice behind junior starter Cohl Cabral but was not in attendance Tuesday.

“I will continue to support and love the ASU nation for the years to come,” Nathe wrote on twitter. “I appreciate Coach Herm Edwards and (offensive line) Coach (Dave) Christensen with their support of my decision. Thank you for giving me a chance to pursue my football dream. Sun Devil for life.”

Nathe has been dealing with chronic back problems for an extended period of time and is expected to become a medical non-counter toward ASU’s scholarship limit of 85.

A local product who played at Centennial High School in Peoria, Nathe grew up an ASU fan and was the first player to commit to the program in the 2016 class.

I will continue to support and love the ASU nation for the years to come. I appreciate Coach @HermEdwards and Coach Christensen with their support of my decision. Thank you for giving me a chance to pursue my football dream. Sun Devil for life. 🔱#Forksup https://t.co/VhluOCDzzL

— Marshal Nathe (@_bubba78_) March 27, 2018

The Sun Devils are very thin on scholarship talent this spring. Currently they have nine scholarship players on their roster, well below the minimum 15 that Christensen said he’d like to have on any team entering preseason camp. Two of those players, juniors Steve Miller and Mason Walter, have been held out of multiple practices this year due to injury. Another, junior Zach Robertson, returned to practice Tuesday after missing the first six sessions for what ASU coach Herm Edwards termed personal reasons.

Earlier this year Connor Humphreys elected not to use his final year of eligibility as he is set to graduate this spring.

With Nathe not in attendance, redshirt freshman walk-on Jonathan Sanchez took second-team reps in his place. With Miller, Robertson and Walter all held out of 11-on-11 action and other portions of practice, ASU had only one scholarship player working with the second-team offensive line Tuesday. Redshirt freshman interior lineman Corey Stephens took reps at second-team right guards.

ASU is expected to get a much-needed infusion of talent and depth after spring football, when Stanford transfer Casey Tucker and USC transfer Roy Hemsley join the program in addition to three high school signees from the 2018 class.

This story appears on ArizonaSports.com courtesy of a partnership with SunDevilSource.com, part of 247 Sports and home for the most detailed information on Arizona State football.