(Gif by Ben Margiott)I'm getting ahead of myself here, I know. There is still a bowl game left to be played before this season is officially wrapped up.
But for all intents and purposes, the football season is in its final stages. There's plenty to discuss on that note but for now, I'm looking ahead to next year.
With Taylor Kelly's eligibility exhausted, redshirt junior Mike Bercovici will take over as the starting quarterback once and for all. Redshirt junior receiver Jaelen Strong will likely declare for the NFL draft where he is projected as a first- or second-round pick.
Other than those two important losses, ASU's team will stay largely intact. A defense that entered the season young and untested will have had a full season together and an offense that is high-powered but inconsistent will still have plenty of weapons.
Getting all those weapons on the field at one time, though, might be the problem.
Currently, ASU's top offensive threats are junior running back D.J. Foster, Strong, sophomore receiver Cam Smith and freshman running back Demario Richard. One could also throw in freshman Kalen Ballage into that mix after some impressive performances in limited playing time.
You might see the problem. Strong will likely be gone next season and the next three of the other four weapons are all running backs.
With Bercovici, a more pass-oriented QB than Kelly, carries will be a limited resource and there are currently three viable options to receive them.
So here's where my wacky and unlikely proposal comes in: move Foster to wide receiver.
Before you gasp at the thought of moving a guy who just rushed for over 1,000 yards this season out of the backfield, consider that Foster is also the team's second leading receiver, behind Strong.
He caught nearly 60 passes and had over 50 receiving yards per game.
Given his size (5-foot-11-inches, 205 pounds), Foster does not profile as a pro prospect at running back, at least not as an every down guy, which is the role he fills with the Sun Devils.
Richard, however, is a great between-the-tackles runner who has been hellacious to bring down. He does not, however, offer much in the passing game, having only caught eight balls all season.
Moving Foster to receiver where he could complement the sideline burner in Smith as a slot option would spread the weapons around and give coach Todd Graham the chance to have all his stars on the field at once.
Foster could shine as a slot receiver running the screens and slant routes that the Sun Devils are so fond of and Richard would be a reliable every-down back as opposed to the change-of-pace guy he has become.
As I said before, a position change for Foster is not likely to happen but when you consider what benefits it could bring to the offense, it would be worth a look.
Reach the sports editor at icbeck@asu.edu or follow him on Twitter @ICBeck21
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