JONESBORO -- The route was an out-and-up.
Remembering the route's exact design, Nathan Page needed a few seconds to recall the most recent live pass he caught in a game.
"Shoot," Page said, "last December."
His time as a wide receiver took a hiatus after the true freshman signed with Arkansas State University as a two-way talent from Joe. T. Robinson and was assigned to be a defensive back.
Two pages were needed to properly fill out Page's recruiting profile.
First, there's Nathan Page, the defensive back.
Page has six tackles in his first six games at ASU as a specialist in select defensive packages, oftentimes in a nickel defense when more defensive backs are needed.
His job as a defensive back has not ended. He'll still be used some in those select defenses.
Then there's Nathan Page, the wide receiver.
"Well, we recruited him as either offense or defense," ASU Coach Blake Anderson said.
Page, who accrued more than 2,200 yards and 28 touchdowns as a high school receiver, was moved to ASU's offense earlier this week to aid a banged-up group of wideouts in need of depth and production.
Redshirt senior starting wid receiver Kendrick Edwards (ankle) was held out of practice for much of this week ahead of Thursday's 6:30 p.m. kick against Georgia State at Centennial Bank Stadium in Jonesboro. Redshirt sophomore Brandon Bowling (knee) and junior transfer Dahu Green (ankle) have suffered season-ending injuries.
"We're as thin as I've ever seen," Anderson said. "It's all hands on deck."
Of the Red Wolves' in-house options, Page was a clear choice to boost the receiving group.
Page, 6-0, 170 pounds, is not expected to see heavy minutes at wideout Thursday. The transition from defense to offense will need more time than that. When ASU dials up the formations he's had time to grasp this week, a few plays could be the extent of his workload.
The toughest part of a positional move like Page's is learning, essentially, a new playbook.
"He's not as familiar with the offense as you might think," said Anderson, who calls ASU's offensive plays. "The terminology that we use, how we call things, is completely different than what he did in high school.
"He knows how to run a route. He understands how to block a guy. He has the idea of how to get off the ball -- those type of things. But in terms of knowing what to do and when to do it, that's the biggest challenge. Can't expect him to learn the entire offense overnight."
The innate things a wide receiver must know -- route running, blocking, catching -- present few problems. Understanding ASU's formations, play designs and route combinations is the main hurdle, but the Red Wolves aren't force-feeding too much for Page to consume after fewer than five days of practice at wide receiver.
"It's a lot coming at me," Page said. "But we're just taking it a couple steps at a time. It's getting easier."
ASU (3-3, 0-2 Sun Belt Conference) has six games remaining and four against West Division opponents. There's time for Page to settle into his new gig.
But because the Red Wolves' offense has scored only two touchdowns since October began -- and only one passing touchdown since Sept. 22 -- there's a sense of urgency to develop ASU's newest offensive weapon in a speedy, but not hurried, manner.
"We're real excited about it," ASU offensive coordinator Buster Faulkner said. "He's a smart kid. He's picked things up faster than we thought."
Thursday’s game
GEORGIA STATE AT ARKANSAS STATE
WHEN 6:30 p.m.
WHERE Centennial Bank Stadium, Jonesboro
TV ESPNU
Sports on 10/17/2018