ASU tight ends working to become threat

Following most Arizona State football practices, as the rest of the team is boarding the tram buses for the ride back to the locker room, one position group stays behind.

With assistant coach Dan Cozzetto loading footballs into the Jugs machine, the tight ends work overtime, catching passes. Their objective is to provide the offense a dynamic that - thanks to such NFL players as Steve Bush, Todd Heap and Zach Miller - the Sun Devils have been known for in recent years.

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Going into fall practice, however, ASU had unknown commodities at tight end. Projected starter Dane Guthrie was a summer academic casualty, and the remaining players have a combined two career DivisionI catches.

"We know that we have to be a factor on the field," junior Jovon Williams said. "Things were a little suspect over the summer, since nobody knew who was going to play, but we have stuck it out, stuck together and made it work."

The play of the tight ends has been one of the most pleasant surprises of camp, with coach Dennis Erickson saying the position he was worried about before the start of practice has turned into a strength.

"We haven't played anybody yet," said Cozzetto, who coaches the tight ends, "but the guys have been working hard. They are starting to do the things we need them to do for us to win. We are asking a lot of them. They need to block like a tackle and run like a wide receiver. The work never stops for them."

Junior Andrew Pettes, the current first-stringer, lost weight during the offseason in order to run routes more crisply. Cozzetto believes that Pettes is the best downfield threat the Sun Devils have at the position.

Williams, who comes on the field when ASU utilizes two tight ends, gained weight to improve as a blocker.

Redshirt freshman Dan Knapp has impressed in workouts with his athleticism and pass catching, and junior-college transfer Stanley Malamala has assimilated to ASU's system quickly, Erickson said. Converted defensive lineman Wes Evans could be finding a niche as a lead blocker in short-yardage situation.

"Oh, everybody's good at tight end here," Malamala said. "The competition has been good, better than anything I've experienced before. Everybody wants to get that playing time. It's going to make us all better."

There was bound to be a drop-off at tight end in Tempe in 2007, the first season post-Zach Miller. The leading receiver at the position was Brent Miller, Zach's brother, who had 22 catches for 211 yards and a touchdown.

In the spring, Erickson set out to implement more four- and five-receiver sets with quick drops and passes, designed to keep opposing defenses honest. That caused the tight ends' antennae to perk up, but the coach assured them that they would still be a key part of the offense.

"We were prepared to adjust to whatever changes needed to be made," Pettes said. "If four wideouts were what we had to do to win, we had to embrace that. But the most important thing (the tight ends) had to do was show we could help the team win."

Like Zach Miller, Pettes had been a highly-decorated high school tight end when both arrived at ASU in 2004. While Miller became an immediate star, Pettes was a medical redshirt in '04 and has spent most of the time since catching up.

Last year, the Phoenix Moon Valley High product played in five games and made one catch, for a touchdown in the season-opening rout of San Jose State.

"I feel that it's my time to step up," said Pettes, whose 235-pound frame is 24 pounds lighter than his listed weight a year ago. "I spent my time last year learning under the seniors. We all did. Now, it's time to put that to use."

Whether ASU has another future NFL player at tight end is to be determined. What the Sun Devils do possess, Cozzetto said, are players that can fill various roles - parts that make the whole better.

"There's guys who can run routes, others who can block edges," Cozzetto said. "They all bring something to the table. It's a good group. They are not clones. So, it will be our job to put them in the best situations where they will have success, because there is a lot we want to get done on offense."