ASU football names transfer Emory Jones as starting quarterback

TEMPE — Florida transfer Emory Jones has been named Arizona State’s starting quarterback for the 2022 season, Sun Devils head coach Herm Edwards announced on Thursday.

The redshirt junior won the QB battle over Alabama transfer Paul Tyson and returning redshirt junior Trenton Bourguet — who only have a total of 28 pass attempts combined in their college careers — despite being the only one out of ASU’s six signal callers to not be in Tempe for spring ball.

Jones has accumulated 3,347 passing yards on a 65% accuracy mark (279 of 432 attempts) to a tune of 26 touchdowns and 14 interceptions in his career with Florida. He added 1,272 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns on 235 rushes (5.4 yards per carry) in 37 games.

The fact that Jones didn’t arrive in Tempe until the summer may also point to Edwards and Co. realizing they needed to go out and get another arm via the transfer portal after seeing what they had during spring ball.

Throughout fall camp, Jones has been noticeably head and shoulders better than the rest of ASU’s quarterbacks from an arm strength, accuracy and poise-under-pressure standpoint.

The 6-foot-2, 211-pound QB also brings an athletic prowess that gives him the ultimate edge over the competition: the ability to run the read option as a dual-threat, as well as evade oncoming pass rushers while also being able to make throws on the run.

That will pay dividends for an Arizona State offensive line that has only two returning starters in left guard LaDarius Henderson and center Ben Scott, who served as the team’s right tackle last season.

And with Jones having a distinguishable zip on his passes — especially on short and intermediate routes — the likes of 6-foot-8 Missouri transfer tight end Messiah Swinson and 6-foot-4 returning redshirt sophomore TE Jalin Conyers will have ample opportunity to have an impact in the passing game.

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