The Arizona State offense already knew it would have to replace All-Pac-12 wide receiver Jaelen Strong, who left early for the NFL draft. Now, the Sun Devils will have to replace the player who was thought to have the best shot at replacing the lost production as well.
Tuesday afternoon, head coach Todd Graham announced that Cameron Smith recently underwent surgery for a knee issue that’s reportedly been bothering him for some time. As a result, Smith will miss not only the remainder of spring practice, but the entire 2015 season as well.
It goes without saying that this is a significant blow to ASU’s passing attack.
Last season, Smith was third on the team in receptions (41) and receiving yards (596), and was second in receiving touchdowns with six. That means that, with the losses of Smith and Strong, the Sun Devils will be looking to replace a total of 123 receptions, 1,761 yards and 16 touchdowns. That’s nearly half the team’s total of 281/3,556/34.
Outside of running back-turned-slot receiver D.J. Foster, tight end Kody Kohl‘s 16 receptions and four receiving touchdowns, and Gary Chambers’ 204 receiving yards are now the top numbers from returning players.
The injury news comes one day after reports surfaced that JUCO transfer Davon Durant, expected to start at linebacker this season, had been indefinitely suspended following an arrest on charges related to a reported domestic violence incident.