ASU Football: Sun Devil defense to rely on freshmen contributers

(Photo: Sun Devil Athletics)

When the Arizona State Sun Devils begin their 2014 season on Thursday night, they will once again be led by quarterback Taylor Kelly. The third-year senior starter will lead an offense that features returners Jaelen Strong and D.J. Foster and averaged 39.7 points per game in 2013.

They won’t be the ones worth keeping a close eye on, though.

Instead that attention will belong to a bevy of newcomers on defense, who will have the tall task of replacing departing stars like Will Sutton and Carl Bradford.

With a veteran defense in 2013, the Sun Devils were one of 11 teams in the nation to accumulate more than 100 tackles for loss and one of seven to rack up 40 or more sacks. But with nine of those starters gone now, the responsibility of implementing Todd Graham’s attack-style defense will be placed on multiple freshmen asked to take on significant play time.

In the starting lineup will be defensive tackle Tashon Smallwood and linebacker D.J. Calhoun, while linebacker Christian Sam and defensive backs Armand Perry and Chad Adams should also contribute in reserve roles.

“I feel really good,” Graham said of the freshmen newcomers. “I think [Tashon] Smallwood is the best freshman that I have ever had, but you want me to say you’re the best I’ve ever had period, and not just freshman.”

Smallwood, a four-star recruit who recorded 40 sacks in his final two years of high school, battled his way into a starting role alongside Jaxon Hood with a strong performance in fall camp. But the freshman says he hasn’t yet met his own lofty expectations.

“I haven’t fulfilled them,” Smallwood said. “I have to get better every day. My expectation is to be Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year, Freshman All-American, Consensus All-American. I have high expectations for myself, as high as I can go, and I just have to get better every day.”

Just behind him, another four-star freshman, D.J. Calhoun is slated to take over for Second Team All-Pac-12 linebacker, Chris Young. After a strong performance in spring practices, Calhoun was passed up by Carlos Mendoza in fall practices. But a knee injury for Mendoza gave the role back to Calhoun whose confidence is difficult to shake.

“D.J. is one of the toughest players we have had,” Graham said. “He is tough mentally, you can coach him hard and he doesn’t pout. One day I wore myself out trying to get a response from him to being strained.”

While Smallwood and Calhoun will see time early on Thursday, Sam, Perry and Adams all promise to see significant time after impressive showings in fall camp. With so many players making their collegiate debuts, there’s a danger of inexperience leading to big plays.

“The worst thing that can happen is to have these young guys go out on the field and do their own thing,” Graham said. “Our system does not work that way. Our system is complex and you have to do your job.”

That’s a challenge that defensive back Chad Adams is ready to embrace.

“The intensity of the coaches, the way they do things, the pace, just the overall atmosphere compared to high school is different,” Adams said. “It’s a little bit of a learning curve for the freshman because it’s a bigger step, more competition, but we’re ready.

“That’s why we came here — to compete.”