Jaden Rashada may have been the No. 3 quarterback during ASU’s spring football practice, but the promising true freshman has worked his way up the depth chart and will indeed be the starter when the Arizona State Sun Devils open the regular season Aug. 31 against Southern Utah at Mountain America Stadium.
The battle first seemed to be between redshirt junior Trenton Bourguet, a Tucson native and graduate of Marana High School who started the Sun Devils’ last five games last season, and Notre Dame transfer Drew Pyne. But Pyne injured a hamstring in the Sun Devils scrimmage at Camp Tontozona on Aug. 12 and has not practiced since, taking him out of the mix.
In seven appearances last season, Bourguet threw for 1490 yards with 11 touchdowns and six interceptions, completing 71.1% of his pass attempts. Bourguet put up big numbers in a few of those outings, completing 37 of 49 attempts for 376 yards in ASU’s 38-35 loss to Arizona in his hometown of Tucson; his first start of the year — his only win under center — included 435 yards and three touchdowns through the air.
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Arizona State quarterback Jaden Rashada throws during practice at Mountain America Stadium in Tempe on Aug. 8.
But Rashada, a 6-foot-4, 185-pounder out of Pittsburg High School in Northern California, has benefited from extra reps and performed well in practices, with a couple of 40-yard plus connections with junior wide receiver Elijhah Badger among the highlights. He is the best athlete of the trio and has an NFL-type arm. The biggest question was how quickly he would grasp the offense, but his performances lately have had him on an upward trajectory.
Coach Kenny Dillingham will likely address the decision when he next meets with media; that will come after practice on Wednesday.
Rashada was dubbed a four-star prospect by all the major recruiting services and his landing at ASU was considered quite a coup for Dillingham. Rashada had originally signed with Florida but was released from a letter of intent there after a lucrative NIL deal fell through and he re-opened his recruitment.
Rashada was rated by ESPN as the No. 27 overall recruit in the 2023 class while 247Sports had him No. 44 nationally and No. 6 at quarterback.
Dillingham had an established relationship with Rashada, having recruited him earlier and that paved the way for the quarterback to end up in Tempe. Rashada's father Harlen also played for ASU, competing at defensive back for ASU from 1990-92.
Arizona football assistant coach Chuck Cecil, a legend in his playing days in Tucson, shares at the team's media day Aug. 1, 2023 the importance of the UA/ASU rivalry amid the college realignment conversation. Video by Brett Fera/Arizona Daily Star
