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We might not learn the results of THEE — The Herm Edwards Experiment — for some years now, but all that loud scuttlebutt after his hire by ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ State, the cacophony about a lifelong NFL man dropping down to the college level?

You can squash that right now.

“Every college player wants to be in the pros, and I want to be with the guy who’s been there and done it,â€� ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ State linebackers coach Antonio Pierce said.

“Coach understands how to manage time, and the biggest thing people missed on was coach’s personality, his ability to build trust, to win over a family. Coach is a pro’s pro. He knows what professionalism looks like. He is the first one up, last guy to leave the building. That’s what you want to be: a grinder.�

Whether all that gusto will materialize in Year 1 remains to be seen.

The Sun Devils were more uneven than a seesaw last season, stumbling with a 1-2 record in nonconference play with losses to San Diego State and Texas Tech.

Then came a 6-3 conference campaign, and, perhaps predictably, a stubbed toe in the Sun Bowl.

ASU returns 14 starters, including quarterback Manny Wilkins and his favorite target, wide receiver N’Keal Harry, plus a handful of nice chips on defense.

Ultimately, though, the question is this: Can the Sun Devils develop any consistency, particularly through a late conference slate that includes road games at USC, Oregon and ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ and home dates with UCLA and Utah?

Maybe.

Offense

When things were clicking for Wilkins and the Devils last year, ASU’s offense hummed.

ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ State topped 37 points in five of its wins (and two of its losses), and averaged 40 points in a 3-1 November.

But when things went south, they went south in a hurry, too. Edwards and new offensive coordinator Rob Likens will have to find a way to stabilize things.

Wilkins’ continued maturity will help.

He finished with 3,250 yards and 20 touchdowns with just eight interceptions, though three of them came in the 52-31 bowl loss to North Carolina State. Wilkins was terrific in the Sun Devils’ wobbly nonconference start last year, completing 69 of 101 passes for 924 yards and eight touchdowns with zero picks. After failing to throw a touchdown pass in three consecutive games — a 2-1 stretch against Washington, Utah and Stanford, which picked Wilkins off twice in a 34-24 win — he rebounded to toss 12 scores in the final six games.

Harry, who caught 82 passes for 1,142 yards and eight touchdowns, and Kyle Williams (66 grabs, 763 yards) return to help carry the passing game, but ASU must replace the terrific tailback tandem of Demario Richard and Kalen Ballage, which combined for 1,696 yards and 18 touchdowns.

Youngster Eno Benjamin, a solidly built 6-foot-1-inch, 201-pound running back out of Wylie, Texas, will get the first crack as primary ball-carrier. He is the team’s leading returning rusher, aside from Wilkins.

Benjamin’s progress will be aided by a veteran offensive line that returns plenty of experience, but questionable results, as the Sun Devils ranked 124th nationally last season in sacks allowed. Quinn Bailey, Steven Miller and Cohl Cabra are all back. The Devils’ offensive line adds Stanford grad transfer Casey Tucker, who slides in at left tackle.

Defense

ASU was middle-of-the-Pac in just about every statistical category last year, except for one: pass defense. The Sun Devils ranked second-to-last in pass defense and in pass defense efficiency, allowing a quarterback rating of 138, with a 63 percent completion percentage against and 20 touchdowns.

To help address that issue — and to help modernize the defense against spread offenses — ASU is in the midst of installing a 3-3-5 defense under first-year coordinator Danny Gonzales. Gonzales arrives from San Diego State, where he coached the same Aztec team that handed the Sun Devils the first loss in the schools’ 12-game head-to-head series matchup (ASU is now 10-1-1).

The Sun Devils have some bulk up front, bringing back pro prospect Renell Wren to anchor the inside and George Lea and Shannon Forman to lend some experience, while the linebacker corps returns potential all-league pick Koron Crump as well as former tight end Jay Jay Wilson.

One thing that should boost linebackers is the addition of Pierce, the former ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ Wildcat, NFL Pro Bowler and Super Bowl winner. He arrives in Tempe alongside some talent from Long Beach Poly High School, where he coached for four years.

The unit’s strength, though, is a secondary that is highlighted by cornerback Chase Lucas, who was the lone freshman on the all-conference team. If he and Kobe Williams take a big step forward, that middling pass defense should be addressed.

“We will stress the corners in our system,� Edwards said.

“They’re going to get stressed because I just think the way college football is played now, there’s a couple things you have to realize. You’re not going to stop people from gaining yards. It’s impossible.�

Special teams

After two superstar special teams aces — kicker Zane Gonzalez and punt returner Tim White — bid goodbye in 2016, the Sun Devils struggled on both sides of the kicking game last year.

Brandon Ruiz (pronounced Reese) and punter Michael Sleep-Walton were both inconsistent last year, with Ruiz finishing 18 of 25 on field goals.

He’ll need to take two steps forward to remind anyone of Gonzalez, the best kicker in program history.

White’s absence may have been missed even more last year. Two years ago, White averaged more than 10 yards per punt return and the Sun Devils maximized field position. Last year, ASU averaged 6.05 yards per return, which ranked 89th.

With speedster Ballage not just gone from the running game but the return game also, the Sun Devils have plenty of options, but no clear-cut favorite to spark returns. Isaiah Floyd and Brandon Aiyuk were getting the majority of reps in preseason, but ASU could turn to multiple returners.