Arizona State will get an offensive boost this weekend with the return of freshman quarterback Jaden Rashada Saturday vs. No. 15 Arizona, 247Sports reported. Trenton Bourguet will still start the game after Rashada violated a team policy by failing to arrive on time to a team meeting, according to 247Sports, although Sun Devils players have only missed the opening series as punishment for such tardiness in the past. Rashada has missed ASU’s last nine games dating back to a Week 2 loss against Oklahoma State due to reaggravating an injury from high school that required surgery.
The former No. 44 overall player in the 2023 recruiting cycle by 247Sports joined former ASU quarterback Jayden Daniels as only the second true freshman quarterback to start a season-opener for the Sun Devils. Rashada has dressed the last two games against UCLA and Oregon but did not see action.
During his first two starts of the season against Southern Utah and Oklahoma State, Rashada completed 34-of-60 attempts for 403 yards and three touchdowns. Despite not seeing action since Week 2, Rashada still leads the Sun Devils in passing touchdowns as the team has been rotating between Bourguet, Drew Pyne and Jacob Conover.
Rashada was originally ruled out 4-6 weeks following a Week 3 loss to Fresno State and will now have a chance to fully redshirt by only seeing three games of action during the season. He won the starting QB over Bourguet and Pyne before the start of the season and showed flashes of why he was a highly touted prospect before going down with the injury.
Rashada’s path to Arizona State was nothing short of a roller coaster. He initially committed to Miami and then signed with Florida during the early signing period in December 2022. Shortly after signing, he requested a release from his National Letter of Intent. Florida granted his release from his NLI and Rashada subsequently committed to the Sun Devils on Feb. 1 after also visiting with TCU.
Arizona State heads into the matchup with in-state rival Arizona with a 3-8 record in Year 1 of the Kenny Dillingham era. The Sun Devils self-imposed bowl ban just days before the start of the season and will play their final game as a member of the Pac-12 this weekend.
