ESPN’s Herbstreit not sleeping on ASU QB Wilkins, Arizona
Aug 27, 2018, 11:46 AM
Arizona State quarterback Manny Wilkins (5) looks to pass the ball against Washington during the first half of an NCAA college football game, Saturday, Oct. 14, 2017, in Tempe, Ariz. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)
(AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)
College football in the state of Arizona is going under the radar, according to ESPN college football analyst Kirk Herbstreit.
The analyst isn’t sleeping on the Sun Devils and Wildcats in his annual Herbies, which provide a list of what Herbstreit is keeping an eye on heading into 2018.
Herbstreit listed ASU senior quarterback Manny Wilkins as a “best kept secret.” Wilkins needs to throw for 401 more yards to hit a 6,000 milestone career yards thrown and is coming off of a 20-touchdown, eight-interception season last year.
That’s not farfetched. First-year ASU coach Herm Edwards believes having an elite receiver in N’Keal Harry and a solid offensive line will help Wilkins have a successful season.
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“Offensively, I think we should be pretty good, I really do,” Edwards said on 98.7 FM Arizona’s Sports Station when Doug & Wolf asked about his team’s strengths. “There’s a lot of returning players over there.”
Edwards described the offensive linemen as “NFL-type” players.
But ASU’s experienced offense isn’t convincing enough for Herbstreit to predict the Sun Devils to do much in the Pac-12.
Although Herbstreit predicted No. 5 ranked Washington to win the Pac-12 Championship Game over Utah, he picked the Arizona Wildcats as his “sleeper” team in the conference.
Herbstreit also listed ASU’s refreshed Sun Devil Stadium as one of five best looking fields in the country.
