The 10 of them were scattered around the ASU football practice field on a blustery Tuesday afternoon.

Some are bigger and stronger from a year before, while all are toting more experience.

When ASU coach Dennis Erickson rolls out his team in the fall, there will be plenty of sophomores running around.

A school-record 10 of them saw the field last year as true freshmen, something Erickson said he sees as a double-edged sword.

“It’s a great class,” Erickson said. “Ideally, we would have not liked to had played them that much. I think I’ll really be saying that in three years, but anytime you play it helps. That’s why you really don’t mind playing them as opposed to redshirting them.”

Either way, Erickson rarely could hold back his smile as he rattled off a list of sophomores who he thought improved this year.

On the offensive end, a few sophomores have bumped up a spot or two of the depth chart. Namely, wide receiver Gerell Robinson, running back Ryan Bass and quarterback Samson Szakacsy — who redshirted his freshman year and has now grabbed a hold of the No. 2 spot behind senior Danny Sullivan.

But it’s on defense that the class will have its greatest impact. There’s a legitimate chance that a sophomore will start at each of the three levels of defense once the season starts in September.

Up front, there’s tackle Lawrence Guy, who’s solidified himself as an anchor of the defensive line. Linebacker Shelly Lyons will likely be the No. 1 strong-side option, with Clint Floyd penciled in as the starting strong safety.

Lyons, who has settled at his position after bouncing around a couple of spots, said he is feeling a lot more comfortable this spring.

“Last year I was just kind of out there playing,” Lyons said. “Now I’m getting more comfortable with my reads and everything.”

Lyons and the rest of the linebacking corps are already looking like one of the deepest units on the team, but the team will get a huge boost in the fall from incoming freshman Vontaze Burfict.

Lyons, who lived with ASU teammates Brandon Magee and Burfict during high school, said he talks to Burfict frequently.

“He’s like my little brother,” Lyons said. “When he gets here, it’s going to be fun. … He’s a freak [athletically]. He throws around his body everywhere, and he’s just so athletic with his size.”

Barring any academic disqualifications, Burfict will have a chance to step in as ASU’s starting middle linebacker in the fall.

Lyons said he has been making sure Burfict has kept on his studies, and said the nationally renowned recruit will “no doubt” be able at enroll to ASU in the fall.

Lyons said he feels “way more mature” after a season under his belt and that he’s in the best shape of his life.

“Our strength and conditioning program is no joke,” Lyons said. “I put on about 10 more pounds of muscle and I feel faster. My body mass just feels better.”

Reach the reporter at alex.espinoza@asu.edu.