The group is an affirmation that our program is moving in the right direction. It's all part of building a program. It's also a reflection of the NCAA rules that make it more difficult for junior college players to come in and be immediately eligible. We're very pleased with their commitment to academic success and their position flexibility.

It's always better when you have a chance to know more about somebody. As a result my expectations are much higher.

They're not going to take any existing scholarships away. We'll have three fewer new scholarships.

They're just a good offensive team. You can't stop everything all the time. That's a terrific team.

Al Simmons is as good a defensive backfield coach as I've been around in my career. His results will be immediate at ASU. He's an exceptional coach and an exceptional person. He taught me a lot about football while coaching together with the San Francisco 49ers. I was fortunate enough to get him last year as a graduate assistant at San Jose State while he was still in the employ of the 49ers. His Pacific-10 Conference and state of California roots run deep and he will help the ASU program in many ways.

Rufus is a terrific receiver. James is outstanding. Broussard can be outstanding.

Best excuse to skip spring ball I've ever heard.

We wanted to set a firm foundation so we wouldn't be on a two-year track. And the truth is the NCAA rules have changed dramatically in the past 15 years so it's difficult to get JC guys in and ready to go.

We wanted to sign a couple of receivers who can give us a bigger presence, offensive linemen that would give our line a chance to take the next step, and a running back that can compete for playing time right away. Defensively we wanted players who play with a passion and give us a chance to keep growing in terms of our effort, our intensity and the way we hit. The players we signed certainly fit into these categories.

We want to be known for the way we play, not what we look like.