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Herm Edwards: I may cut scholarship players from Arizona State

Cindy Ord / Getty Images Entertainment / Getty

The unconventional methods of first-year Arizona State head coach Herm Edwards could - and likely will - include the cuts of several players attending the school on football scholarships.

"There was a message sent, and the message was very clear that we're in the process of evaluating players between now and next week," Edwards told Jeff Metcalfe of azcentral after Tuesday's spring practice session. "You're going to find whether you continue to be part of it or not. I told them that when I first took the job. I told some guys who continue to stay in the training room, you've got no tape. I can't grade you if you're not on tape."

Edwards last coached in 2008 - in the NFL - and skeptics galore accompanied him to Tempe when he was introduced as the Sun Devils' new head coach in December.

Arizona State acknowledged at the time that Edwards' surprise hiring wouldn't be well received by all of its fans, but asserted his old-school style would help the program evolve into a Pac-12 contender.

"Sometimes these players think with 85 scholarships, I'm good," Edwards added. "You're not good. You've earned a scholarship because of your ability to be a student-athlete. It's a combination of both. When you don't meet that standard, there's consequences. Consequences are sometimes tough. If I don't apply those consequences, then I'm not doing my job as head coach."

Arizona State is coming off a 7-6 season under Todd Graham. The Sun Devils begin the 2018 campaign on Sept. 1 versus UTSA, followed by a clash with Michigan State a week later.

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