ASU Freshman Bryce Perkins’ intellect impresses at Camp Tontozona

Arizona State football has had their fair share of quarterback controversies and tight competitions, but that’s not the case this year.

At least not for the starter.

There are three guys competing to be Mike Bercovici’s backup this upcoming season: redshirt freshman Manny Wilkins currently holds the spot on the depth chart but true freshmen Bryce Perkins and Brady White are also impressing offensive coordinator and quarterback coach, Mike Norvell.

“Everyone is having flashes of doing a lot of great things,” Norvell said Friday from Camp Tontozona, “but what I’m looking for is consistency and attention to detail. When their unit is on the field, their unit is making plays and putting points on the board.”

Last season, ASU was ranked in the top ten for the fewest turnovers and maintaining that is a huge focus for Norvell to develop in the younger guys.

“If you’re going be careless with the football, you’re not going to be playing quarterback at Arizona State,” Norvell said. “We want elite, dominant playmakers. We’re going to be elite with our thinking and knowing where to go with the football and we’re going to be dominant with our fundamentals and we’re going to be playmakers and utilize all the God-given talent these guys have.”

“At ASU, you have to be really smart to play here,” Perkins said. “You have to be 100% sure of what you’re doing or else you won’t play.”

Perkins is a Chandler High product, a legacy Sun Devil and possibly, a future starter for the Sun Devils and he’s really impressed Norvell.

“Bryce, he’s had a great camp.” Norvell said. “He’s had a couple practices where he’s made some freshman mistakes but he’s really doing a lot of great things.”

It’s more than his on-the -field presence, though, that has this staff excited.

“As much as people are impressed with what he’s doing physically, I’m more impressed with how he’s doing intellectually,” Norvell said. “The command that he has when he’s out there, he’s picked up the offense as fast as any quarterback I’ve ever had come in. He spent of lot of time in the summer on his own, learning the plays, learning the communication. Then when I throw him out there, it’s not too big for him.”

“I’ve got three composition notebooks, just filled with notes,” Perkins said. “About film, about practice, everything.”

Perkins said it would be a great experience for everyone involved if he were to be No. 2 behind Bercovici his freshman year, but he understands that’s not guaranteed.

“At the end of the day, if coach doesn’t feel like I’m ready for it and thinks I need to develop more, I’ll respect that,” Perkins said. “I’ll go back in the film room, go back on the field and keep grinding and keep competing.”