The ASU football team’s linebacker corps took another hit Tuesday when freshman Brandon Magee injured his pectoral muscle while lifting weights.

The unit is already without its starting middle linebacker in junior Gerald Munns, who had surgery to place three pins in his pinky finger earlier this week.

“It hurts our depth,” coach Dennis Erickson said. “Fortunately, we have some guys that [can play], but obviously it hurts [our level of] experience.”

Junior Mike Nixon will start in Munns’ place Saturday against UNLV, and redshirt freshmen Oliver Aaron and Colin Parker could see time at the position as well.

Munns is expected to return to the lineup for the Sun Devils’ game against No. 2 Georgia on Sept. 20, but the timetable for Magee’s recovery is currently unknown.

Seniors running back Keegan Herring (hamstring) and tight end Andrew Pettes (groin) did not practice Tuesday or Wednesday. Erickson said their status for Saturday’s game will be clearer on Thursday.

Redshirt freshman offensive lineman Matt Hustad began practicing this week after injuring his knee during preseason camp.

Erickson said Hustad will mostly play at left tackle when he fully returns, but could also flip to right tackle at times. Erickson said he also plans to make Hustad the third option at center, which would allow freshman Andrew Sampson to redshirt.

Erickson said he has been happy with the progress the rest of the offensive line has made so far this season.

The group has given up just three sacks so far this season after last season’s unit allowed 55.

“I think the biggest thing, probably more than anything... is that they’re learning what coach [Gregg] Smith is teaching,” Erickson said. “Last year, it took a little longer because those guys had been in a different system.Even Shawn [Lauvao] and [Thomas] Altieri and Paul [Fanaika] are different players than they were a year ago because they’re picking up the technique.”

Erickson said he has also been impressed with the abundance of young players that have already seen significant playing time this season.
“They’re getting better all the time,” Erickson said. “All the young guys are, not just the true freshman.

“We’ve got a lot of redshirt freshmen that people forget about … that have been playing quite a bit too.”

Practice cut short

The ASU football team’s practice was cut short Wednesday night due to lightning close to campus.

To take cover, players and staff sprinted to the tram that takes them back to their locker room at Sun Devil Stadium about 10 minutes before practice was set to end.

ASU coach Dennis Erickson said he only planned to run four more plays before ending practice.

“It didn’t hurt us at all,” he said.

Reach the reporter at gina.mizell@asu.edu.