ASU DB coach: ‘Sky’s the limit’ for true freshman safety Crosswell

Aashari Crosswell doesn’t subscribe to the idea that defensive backs are just “receivers who can’t catch.”

On Friday, Arizona State’s true freshman safety laughed off the cliche, saying “Nah, we can catch.” He views his position as being capable of far greater influence.

Taking a lead from his coaches, Crosswell thinks “making plays” is one of the top job descriptions at his “ranger safety” position in the team’s new 3-3-5 defense. This camp, he’s swiftly become recognized as one of ASU’s more impactful newcomers, a distinction that’s been rewarded with more playing time.

“The coaches say when you make plays, they’re going to move you up,” Crosswell said.

A four-star recruit from Long Beach, California, Crosswell has risen into ASU’s two-deep this fall. Last week, defensive coordinator Danny Gonzales listed the 6-foot, 193-pound defensive back as one of four defensive newcomers ready to play right away. In recent practices Crosswell has taken second-team snaps at the field ranger position.

His sights are set on a bigger role.

“I just want that opportunity to start,” he said.

It might not be that far off.

When it comes to evaluating freshmen, cornerbacks coach and defensive passing game coordinator Tony White has specific clues he’s searching for, signs he hopes stick out on the field like terms in a word search puzzle.

“You can tell when a guy can see the game, when he can see the ball,” White said. “When he can get a feel of, ‘Hey, I’m supposed to be here, I know something is going to happen here.’ … When we go back and look on the film, usually the (best) football players, they’re in the spot they need to be in, just naturally.”

He was asked Friday if Crosswell fits that description.

White’s response: “That was the first guy that I was thinking of.”

While coaching at San Diego State last year, White kept close tabs on Crosswell, who had three interceptions and broke up seven passes in his senior season at Long Beach Poly High School, a program then-run by current ASU linebackers coach Antonio Pierce.

When White and Pierce were hired on to ASU’s defensive staff last December, they made a late recruiting push for the No. 10 safety prospect in the country by 247 Sports’ Composite rankings. On signing day, Crosswell and Long Beach teammate Jerymane Lole, a three-star defensive end, pledged their commitments to the Sun Devils together via a video announcement released on social media.

Crosswell said his tight relationship with his high school coach, Pierce, gave him a mini-head-start — “a lob” he called it — on learning ASU’s system. But this camp, he’s elevated himself to the second-team thanks to his playmaking ability. White said the coaches are trying to find ways to give him more reps with the first-team.

“We want to see what he can do,” White said of playing Crosswell with the starters.

Crosswell plays with the dynamic mindset ASU’s new coaching staff craves. He shrinks the playing surface, hunting the ball from sideline to sideline. His biggest frustration to this point has been with interceptions — he thinks he’s dropped too many of them.

“I need to catch the ball, that’s what I need to do,” he said. “…Man, I know I’m a ballhawk so I’ve just got to get used to that, catching the ball. I’m going to get better at that.”

Crosswell’s appetite and aptitude for regularly showing up around the football when he’s not expected to differentiate him as a “really good player” instead of an ordinary one, in White’s eyes.

“It’s easy for a guy to make plays when the ball is thrown at him or when the run is coming at them, but the thing with Aashari is, he makes a lot of plays that are completely away from him,” White said. “He sees it and he’s aggressive. He goes and gets stuff.”

When ASU coach Herm Edwards said Saturday there are a dozen new players that will see this field this season, he was almost undoubtedly including Crosswell in the group.

“Herm’s got the same mindset as us,” Crosswell said. “We’ve got to make plays, we’ve got to show people up because a lot of people think we’re just an average defense. That’s what we’re not. We’ve got so much talent and we’ve got the ability to shock the Pac-12.”

Crosswell expected to quickly climb the depth chart this preseason. He came to ASU with a built-in self-assuredness after years of high-level Pop Werner and high school football. His bravado shows in the way he flies around the field.

“You’ve got to have confidence at this level,” Crosswell said. “That’s all I have, is confidence in myself. I can compete with the top dudes and that’s what I’m going to keep doing.”

White sounded almost giddy when thinking of Crosswell’s potential.

“All we’ve got to do is get him bigger, faster, stronger and get him a feel for where he should be in the defense and what he’s looking at,” he said. “Then the sky’s the limit.”

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.