Arizona
State Sun Devils
Preview 2009 - Defense
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2009 CFN Arizona State Preview |
2009 ASU Offense
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2009 ASU Defense |
2009 ASU Depth
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What you need to know:
Raise your hand if you thought the defense would be ahead of the
offense after two years with Dennis Erickson at the helm. Craig
Bray and his assistants have quietly done an outstanding job of
closing some holes and turning the Sun Devils into a tougher and
more intense unit. The defense will again be ahead of the
offense in Tempe, and it might not even be close. Most of the
key components are back from a group that was a respectable 45th
or better in total defense, scoring defense, run defense, and
pass efficiency defense. It’ll all start up front, where DE
Dexter Davis is one of the nation’s best pass rushers and DT
Lawrence Guy is on the verge of stardom. The linebackers are
deep and experienced, led by Mike Nixon, a borderline All-Pac-10
player. If there are question marks, they’ll come from a
secondary that loses both starting safeties and can be
inconsistent in pass coverage.
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Returning
Leaders
Tackles: Mike Nixon, 90
Sacks: Dexter Davis, 11
Interceptions: Mike Nixon, 5
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Star of the defense:
Senior DE Dexter Davis
Player who has to step up
and become a star: Senior SS Ryan McFoy
Unsung star on the rise:
Sophomore DT Lawrence Guy
Best pro prospect:
Guy
Top three all-star
candidates: 1) Davis 2) Senior LB Mike Nixon 3) Guy
Strength of the defense:
The front seven, run defense, red zone defense
Weakness of the defense:
Safety, breakdowns in pass coverage
Defensive
Line
Projected Starters:
With an inside-outside presence of 6-5, 293-pound
Lawrence Guy and
6-2, 255-pound Dexter
Davis, the Sun Devils have the starting points of one of
the Pac-10’s best front lines. Davis is an All-America
candidate and one of the premier pass rushers in the
country. An explosive force off the edge since his freshman
year, he combines speed and tenacity with great technique to
blow past opposing tackles. Through three years, his resume
includes 113 tackles, 39 tackles for loss, 27.5 sacks, and
eight forced fumbles.
Guy was supposed to be good
when he was plucked out of Las Vegas, but not this good,
this fast. While certainly built like a tackle at 6-5 and
293 pounds, he moves with the quickness and agility of an
end, providing constant penetration from the inside. In a
stellar Freshman All-America debut, he had 44 tackles, 10
tackles for loss, and two sacks, already looking as if he’ll
play on Sundays in a few years.
Joining Guy on the
interior will be 6-1, 298-pound junior
Saia Falahola, a converted offensive linemen, who has struggled with
injury problems. Coming off his best offseason with the
program, he’s being counted on as a run-stuffer, who can
clog up the middle of the line. With Guy commanding so much
attention, Falahola should have no problem exceeding last
year’s 18 tackles.
Although the final verse has yet
to be written on the other end spot, 6-5, 278-pound
sophomore James
Brooks will have the inside track. He’s still raw, but
has the size and athleticism to complement Davis and take on
more of a strongside, run-stopping role. As a key member of
the rotation last year, he chipped in 11 tackles, 3.5
tackles for loss, and 1.5 sacks.
Projected Top
Reserves: Once he comes off the disabled list from
an ACL tear, 6-0, 282-pound junior
Jonathan English
will resume his role as one of the first tackles off the
bench. One of the program’s strongest defenders, he plays
with good leverage and pad level, getting under blockers and
knocking them off their base. He lettered for the second
time last year, making a dozen tackles and 3.5 behind the
line.
Brooks’ stiffest competition is coming from
6-5, 268-pound sophomore
Jamaar Jarrett,
an intriguing combination of power, size, and quickness.
Fueled by a terrific work ethic, he’s made strides since his
debut, which included nine tackles in occasional mop-up
duty.
Watch
Out For… JUCO transfer
Dean DeLeone. He
hasn’t played a snap in Tempe, yet has already had an
auspicious debut. One of the stars of the spring, the 6-2,
245-pounder showed tremendous speed around tackle, soaring
up the depth chart to the No. 2 hole behind Davis. A 25-year
old former member of the U.S. Coast Guard, he’s primed for
immediate playing time.
Strength:
Pressure. With Davis on the outside and Guy on the inside,
it’s going to be perilous to double player. The Sun Devils
were just 58th nationally in sacks a year ago,
but should be much improved, especially if the supporting
cast is able to clean up when the quarterback is flushed out
of the pocket.
Weakness: The “other” end. In order to ease some of
the pressure off Davis, Arizona State needs a viable
complement now that Luis Vasquez has graduated. A lot of
players have potential, but until one of them actually
creates havoc, Davis’ life is going to be a whole lot more
complicated.
Outlook: There’s more work to be done and everyone
needs to be healthy, but this looks like Arizona State’s
best defensive line in years. Davis is a bona fide Pac-10
star, who makes his linemates better, and Guy is on the same
path, provided he keeps working as hard off the field as he
does on it. With the uncertainty facing so many of the
league’s offensive lines, the Devils have an opportunity to
take games over in the trenches.
Rating: 8.5
Linebackers
Projected
Starters: With a multitude of familiar faces
returning and some dynamite recruits on their way, Arizona
State feels good about its linebacker situation. Setting the
tone from the weakside will be 6-3, 224-pound
Mike Nixon, a
25-year old former Los Angeles Dodgers farm hand coming off
a dynamite all-around season. An instinctive playmaking with
a knack for being around the ball, he took off as a junior,
making a team-high 90 tackles, eight tackles for loss, and
Pac-10-best five interceptions. He also brings a level of
maturity and leadership that impacts the entire defense.
The biggest move of the offseason has 6-3, 237-pound
senior Travis Goethel
moving from strongside to middle linebacker. One of the
unit’s most physical and tenacious defenders, he’s been in
the lineup since his freshman year and has had 71 tackles in
each of the last two seasons. His versatility could become a
factor if one of the young kids bumps back outside.
Assuming Goethel stays put, 6-2, 225-pound sophomore
Shelly Lyons, a quality backup and high-profile recruit from a year
ago. A tremendous athlete with the toughness of a much
bigger player, he has a great future as a Sun Devil. In his
first season out of high school, he mostly played in the
middle, collecting 36 tackles.
Projected Top
Reserves: The Sun Devils’ depth inside got a big
boost when 6-4, 242-pound senior
Gerald Munns
returned in the spring. He left the team for personal
reasons midway through last season, leaving his future with
the school in doubt. While not an elite athlete, he plays
with a warrior’s mentality and passion, hunting down ball
carriers wherever they roam. He just knows how to make
plays, which isn’t such a bad thing.
Sophomore
Oliver Aaron is
proving to be one of the fastest rising players among the
linebackers. While no threat to Nixon, he’s shown that
weakside will remain in good hands in 2010 and 2011. Don’t
be lulled into a false sense of security by his 6-0,
205-pound frame. He’s a punishing tackler with the range to
make plays all over the field.
Watch Out For…incoming
freshman Vontaze
Burfict. More than just a good recruit, he is a
signature recruit and arguably the nation’s best linebacker
in the class of 2008. Built to contribute immediately, could
he actually displace Goethel in the middle? It’s possible if
he’s dedicated to learning on the field and in the
classroom.
Strength: Intangibles. No, that’s not code for a
group that lacks athleticism. They move just fine, but in
terms of intangibles, like maturity, intelligence, and
intensity, they’re well ahead of the curve. With players,
such as Nixon, Goethel, and Munns, roaming around the field,
Arizona State is flush with passionate, dedicated
linebackers.
Weakness: Strongside. Absolutely no disrespect is
meant to Lyons, who has a bright future, but he’s just a
second-year player and would benefit from another year of
seasoning. Ideally, Burfict can hold down the middle,
allowing Goethel to slide back to his familiar strongside.
Outlook:
The linebackers are a largely a blue-collar, lunch pail
collection that just goes out and makes a ton of plays. And
there’s nothing wrong with that recipe. If Burfict is truly
perfect, he’ll provide an extra injection of excitement,
giving the program considerable depth and talent at the
second level.
Rating: 7.5
Secondary
Projected
Starters: While losing Troy Nolan to graduation
hurts, Arizona State has enough veterans to offset his
departure. One, in particular, is 6-1, 209-pound senior
Ryan McFoy, who
is moving from linebacker to strong safety, a more natural
position for his size and skills. A nice package of size,
speed, and pop, he’s determined to bring an attitude and
physicality to the secondary. In limited reps a year ago, he
had 18 tackles and a couple of pass breakups.
First
dibs at free safety belong to 5-10, 198-pound sophomore
Clint Floyd, who
had seven tackles as a reserve and special teamer in his
injury-riddled rookie year. A smooth and speedy athlete, he
has the hips and instincts to be excel in pass coverage once
he packs away some more live action.
Which
Omar Bolden shows
up, the one who was a sensational Freshman All-American or
the one who regressed as a sophomore? It’s one of the key
questions for the secondary heading into the season. Yeah,
he definitely struggled in pass coverage more than anyone
expected, but the base is there, including good hips and
instincts, to make a quick rebound. In his second year as
the starter, the 5-10, 195-pounder had 49 tackles, two
picks, and seven pass break ups.
It took a while, but once the light went on
for 5-9, 177-pound senior
Terell Carr, he
really took off in his debut out of Pasadena City College.
More feisty than his size would indicate and blazing fast,
he had the type of offseason that points to an even better
finale in Tempe. As a testament to his physicality, he had
46 tackles, three tackles for loss, and a pick, despite not
being a starter for the first month of 2008.
Projected Top
Reserves: Quality, veteran depth at cornerback will
come from 5-11, 196-pound senior
Pierre Singfield.
That is, if he doesn’t recapture the job he held at the
beginning of 2008, his first after walking on from Pasadena
(Calif.) City College. He wasted no time earning a
scholarship, flashing surprising cover skills and finishing
his first year with 22 tackles and a couple of batted balls.
While he’s about as raw as you’d expect from a redshirt
freshman, 6-0, 199-pound
Keelan Johnson
has shown enough physically to sneak up behind McFoy at
strong safety. Coming off a fantastic year on the scout
team, he has the straight-line speed and pop in run defense
to be the successor at the position beginning in 2010.
Watch Out For…
Bolden’s play. If Bolden is golden, it’s going to be tough
completing passes on Arizona State, especially when the
front four is flushing the pocket. If, however, he fails to
bounce back from his sophomore slump, the Devils become a
little more vulnerable through the air.
Strength:
The cornerbacks. The Sun Devils really like their depth at
the position, now that Carr and Singfield have a full year
behind them, and sophomore
Josh Jordan has played as if he’ll be a mainstay in the rotation.
Weakness:
The safeties. McFoy has played linebacker the last two
seasons. Floyd is just over a year removed from high school.
And the backups are light on experience. Yeah, the program
has concerns about the position heading into the season.
Outlook:
While there are a number of “ifs” swirling around the
defensive backfield, the building blocks are in place for
this to be a solid back end of the defense for the Sun
Devils. Of course, that’s only
if Bolden
recaptures his 2007 form and
if McFoy makes a
smooth transition back to the secondary.
Rating: 7
Special Teams
Projected
Starters: The return of junior
Thomas Weber for
a third season means the Sun Devils will once again boast
one of the nation’s premier placekickers. While not as sharp
as his All-America, Groza Award-winning debut, he still
managed to nail 19-of-25 field goal attempts. He had some
issues beyond 40 yards, hitting just 3-of-7, but some of the
problems could be traced to nagging injuries. When he’s on,
he’s a boomer with incredible accuracy.
Weber wore
multiple hats as a sophomore, averaging 41.4 yards as the
team’s punter. Although he has clearly shown punter and has
good leg strength, he has a long way to go before
approaching his proficiency as a placekicker.
Senior
Kyle Williams
provides the program with the luxury of one of the nation’s
top punt returners. An all-leaguer the last two seasons, he
averaged 17 yards a return in 2008, and is always a threat
to go the distance. A pair of redshirt freshmen,
A.J. Pickens and
Keelan Johnson, are battling it out for the right to be the primary
kickoff returner.
Watch Out For…
any new developments at punter. Weber is the man for the
time being, but Dennis Erickson would like someone to
relieve him of that duty, so he can concentrate solely on
kicking. Junior
Trevor Hankins is a possibility, but he’ll have to prove
that he’s clearly better or else Weber won’t be unseated.
Strength:
Weber. He’s so good that he’s actually a weapon, a rarity
among placekickers. He’s clutch, frighteningly accurate, and
able to reach from 50 yards when he’s completely healthy.
After being just honorable mention All-Pac-10, he enters
2009 looking for a rebound.
Weakness: Blocks. If it seemed like the Sun Devils
were having a kick blocked every other game, that’s because
they were getting a kicked blocked every other game. In a
stark contrast from the previous season, Arizona State had
three kicks deflected and two punts, which needs to be
reversed this fall.
Outlook:
With Weber and Williams as the foundation, Arizona State
will continue to have one of the Pac-10’s more complete
special teams units. The primary objectives of special teams
coach Jamie Christian will be to solidify the situation at
punter and settle on the right man to be the kickoff
returner.
Rating:
9
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