Arizona State redshirt freshman Michael Eubank lined up to take the snap at Camp Tontozona and looked over to read the cornerback.
It was one of his wide receivers – redshirt sophomore Kevin Anderson.
“What are you doing? You’re on the wrong side,” Eubank thought before the play.
Not anymore.
Anderson has transitioned himself into a cornerback -- a position he’s never played before. And he’s already listed as the second team boundary cornerback on the depth chart.
The switch began on Friday during team teach sessions before practice. Anderson said he heard the defensive calls during the session and mimicked them. He then back-pedaled like a defensive back.
His footwork drew coach Todd Graham’s attention, who pulled Anderson aside and asked him if he’s played the position before.
Anderson told he hasn’t.
“You want to?” Graham asked.
“Yeah, you the boss man,” Anderson replied.
Graham threw Anderson out at corner during the 1-on-1 and 2-on-2 periods. Once Anderson jammed a receiver during the sessions, his career as a wide out came to an end.
“Yeah, you’re running with the 2s,” Graham told Anderson. “You’re going to play corner.”
With four days under his belt including Tuesday’s practice, Anderson said it’s a difficult switch but he’s having fun.
“I don’t know what I’m doing as far as technique wise, but they say I’m doing pretty good,” Anderson said.
“I just want to get on the field. Anyway I can help the team out, I’m with it.”
He’s already getting more reps at corner than at wide receiver this fall. The coaches like Anderson’s speed and athleticism and they’re trying to get him caught up as fast as they can at his new position.
During Saturday’s scrimmage, Graham kept a close eye on Anderson. At times during the scrimmage, he’d tell Anderson to adjust his positioning before the snap.
“We’re just trying to get him in as fast as we can,” defensive coordinator Paul Randolph said. “We got to have him on accelerated learning and I think he’s willing and wanting to be apart of the defense.”
Anderson said he loves the energy on defense. With players like Alden Darby and Will Sutton fueling the group, it hypes Anderson up.
But he still considers Eubank as a brother. And Eubank is giving him the hardest time about the switch.
It didn’t help that Anderson tackled Eubank during Saturday’s scrimmage.
“He got lower and the lower man wins in football,” Eubank said. “He got low on me, made a good maneuver and put me on my back.”
Eubank said he congratulated Anderson on the fundamentally sound tackle, but he’d be coming for him next time.
“It’s kind of weird seeing him there, but then again, he’s at where he wants to be,” Eubank said. “I hope he makes the best of it.”
It looks like he already has.
