ASU safety put into corner

JONESBORO -- Chris Humes' move to cornerback was supposed to be temporary.

The fifth-year senior was moved there in the spring and played some at the position during fall camp with the intent to learn enough that he could play there in case of a midseason emergency.

The need for Humes' veteran presence came earlier than expected.

"I love it," Humes said after Tuesday's practice. "For them to move me to that position, that shows me that my coaches have a lot of confidence in me to take that on my shoulders."

Humes is expected to play in his 42nd game and start for the 27th time in his career when ASU opens its season against Toledo on Friday night at Centennial Bank Stadium. All of his starts have been at safety, but Friday will be his first at cornerback after he won the longest competition to decide on defense.

Defensive coordinator Joe Cauthen said Humes, who has played in more games than any player on ASU's roster, has the coverage skills, speed, footwork and hips necessary to play the position.

"He can play probably any position in our defensive backfield," Cauthen said.

He settled at cornerback for two reasons: ASU's depth at safety and its lack of depth at cornerback.

Cauthen is pleased with a three-person rotation of Cody Brown, a first-team all-Sun Belt Conference pick; Bo Sentimore, who started two games before breaking an ankle last year; and Money Hunter at safety. Meanwhile, junior Blaise Taylor is the only corner who has started a game after Jamaris Hart tore his Achilles tendon this summer.

Juniors Nehemiah Wagner and Brandon Byner were given the opportunity to win the job during fall camp, but neither did. By the time of ASU's second fall scrimmage Aug. 20, Humes was starting in that spot. Coaches said then it likely wouldn't be that way for the games, but that's where Humes will be at 8 p.m. Friday.

"We weren't extremely happy with the progression of our guys at the corner position," Cauthen said. "We do think they got better, but when we look at it ... we can better ourselves at corner by putting Chris out there."

Humes said he doesn't remember who brought up the idea of moving to cornerback first. It was either Cauthen, safeties coach Allen Johnson or cornerbacks coach Trooper Taylor, but Humes was all for it.

"I just want to make plays all over the field," he said. "When it comes to this football thing, regardless of where they put me, that's what I do."

Humes played exclusively corner at Spain Park High School in Hoover, Ala., so well that he had offers from Auburn, Mississippi State and Louisville, among others. He committed to ASU to play for then-Coach Gus Malzahn. He played in every game that year, while starting five, and the only games he has missed since came when he tore his bicep muscle against Tennessee in 2014. Humes got a medical hardship for that season, which allowed him to play this year.

He views playing cornerback as an opportunity and a challenge at the same time. He spent the past four years learning both safety positions, but now he's brushing up on his old high school position.

"It's a real blessing," he said. "To showcase that I can play multiple positions. It's just another part of my resume. I can go out there and just try to prefect it."

The Red Wolves are not moving him to the position as a stopgap.

"He won the job," Coach Blake Anderson said.

If Wagner, Byner, true freshman Jeremy Smith or Kyle Martin -- who transferred from Dodge City (Kan.) Community College earlier this month -- catch on at cornerback at some point this season, Humes could move back to safety.

If so, he said he'll handle it with as much ease as he did the news of moving to corner.

"I'd say 'Let's go,' " he said. "Let's do it, and let's win another Sun Belt championship and let's go to the Cotton Bowl."

Sports on 08/31/2016