ESPN report: Osweiler could leave ASU
Jan 4, 2012, 1:39 AM | Updated: 1:46 am
It has been a tumultuous past few months for the Arizona
State Sun Devils football program. After another
underwhelming year, which failed to live up to the hype,
the Devils have been toiling in a period of transition.
They fired head coach Dennis Erickson and became embroiled
in a national firestorm after reportedly hiring than
rescinding their coaching offer to June Jones before
finally handing over the reins to Todd Graham.
Now there’s speculation that the new direction of the
program implemented by Graham may also include a different
quarterback at the helm. ESPN’s Greg Biggins posted a
series of tweets on Tuesday about the future of Brock
Osweiler — and it sounds quite ominous for the Sun Devil
faithful.
Sorry to be vague and not sure it has legs but hearing
some interesting rumors regarding ASU QB Brock Osweiler.
Not sure he’ll pull a Dayne Crist (graduated and able to
play right away) and transfer but there are some
intriguing schools very interested.
Again, not sure if it has legs but heard from two fairly
reliable sources so we’ll see what if anything happens
with it.
It wouldn’t come as a total shock if Osweiler decided to
leave ASU after former offensive coordinator Noel Mazzone
wasn’t given the Sun Devils’ head coaching job and left to
join UCLA’s coaching staff. In fact, Mazzone’s exit may be
the tipping point if Osweiler does decide to leave the
Devils.
Osweiler’s adoration and respect for Mazzone was often
well-documented in the media. When it was announced that
Mazzone was leaving the program, Osweiler bawled to
reporters in a news conference, showing genuine angst over
losing his trusted mentor.
Wherever there is smoke, there is often fire — so if
there is discontent between Osweiler and the Sun Devils,
new head coach Graham may be forced to find a replacement.
Mike Bercovici was the backup to Osweiler as a true
freshman in 2011, and another freshman, Michael Eubank,
redshirted. Interestingly enough, when Graham was at
Pittsburgh he heavily recruited Eubank — which breeds a
familiarity and fondness between player and coach. It
wouldn’t be surprising if Eubank was given a strong look
to be ASU’s starting quarterback if Osweiler does, in
fact, depart.
While the Devils would certainly be worse for the wear if
they lose their starting quarterback, the future for
Osweiler figures to be bright whether he’s playing in
Tempe or opts to take his talents elsewhere.
But for ASU, the impact of losing another high profile
name to cap an offseason of disgruntlement may force the
team into full rebuilding mode next season — which would
be unsettling for the legions of frustrated and long-
suffering Sun Devils fans.
