(Photo: Hailey Rogalski/WCSN)
TEMPE — Jogging between drills during Saturday’s practice at the Bill Kajikawa practice fields, a member of Arizona State football’s offensive line enthusiastically told his peers to “set the tone”.
In this instance, the words encouragement were likely meant for the rest of the morning, as the team had only begun warming up about 30 minutes prior, and could have also applied to the remainder of the spring. However, the Sun Devils’ offensive lineman will undoubtedly bring that mindset into next season, which provides them an opportunity to build off of a tumultuous 2023 campaign.
Through two weeks of spring ball, that’s exactly what ASU looks primed to do, as it is bigger, stronger and deeper in the trenches entering 2024.
“You better have a lot of (offensive lineman),” Offensive Line Coach Saga Tuitele said. “It’s obvious, but we were just running out of bodies last year. So just having guys prepared to play multiple positions at some point, that’s going to be key. You hope (injuries don’t) happen, but if it happens, we’ve got to be more prepared.”
Last season, the Sun Devils posted a 3-9 record that was characterized by a mammoth number of injuries, and their offensive line was no exception. At times, it seemed most of ASU’s starting offensive line was either sidelined or not playing 100% healthy. As the fall progressed, certain inexperienced players at the division I level — such as then-junior Max Iheanachor and then-freshman Sean Na’a — were thrust into starting roles simply based on the sheer lack of numbers at the position.
Such struggles were reflected on the stat sheet. ASU sat in the bottom half of the nation for sacks allowed, giving up 30 in 12 games, or 2.5 per contest. Naturally, this also hurt the run game, as the Sun Devils averaged the third-lowest rushing yards per game in the Pac-12 with 111.9.
While the number of ailments that the team sustained up front was an unfortunate obstacle for head coach Kenny Dillingham’s regime during its first go-around in Tempe, it was far from the only challenge the program faced in 2023. At the end of the day, a healthy dose of chaos and unknowns is expected for a team with so many novelties.
“When it’s year one (with) new coaches, new players, you have no idea what you have,” Tuitele said. “And now, you set a standard and how to do it. And you have returners that know what the standard is, so it’s a little bit easier having them police themselves, because they know what to do… They know the standard, but they also know what the consequences are if they do things that fall short.”
Fast-forward to the spring, and a handful of returners are taking advantage of a year of experience and an established, program-wide standard to emerge as leaders on the front lines. Tuitele highlighted veterans like Iheanachor, graduate Emmit Bohle, redshirt senior Leif Fautanu and redshirt senior Cade Briggs as players that have begun speaking up and taking on a mentor role so far in the spring. And with several new faces in this year’s offensive line group, having leaders in the locker room will be imperative.
During the offseason, the Sun Devils made several additions to beef up their offensive line. Headlining the crop of newcomers from the portal are redshirt juniors Josh Atkins (Hawaii) and Shancco Matautia (New Mexico), who both played in all of their team’s games last season and provide the Sun Devils with more experience. But four incoming freshmen and two additional names from the portal that have yet to play a down of college football bring plenty of inexperience. Even the “seasoned” transfers will need time to adjust to a new program and philosophy.
“It’s just like being a freshman all over again,” redshirt sophomore Bram Walden, who is currently rehabbing from an injury, said. “You’ve got to meet new people, (a) new fanbase, new structure. So you really have to come in here with open ears if you want to learn and get to know people, and not be afraid to ask questions.”
There’s a method to the madness when it comes to Dillingham and Tuitele recruiting players for their offensive line, of course. While talent is important, a major point of emphasis is finding athletes that fit the culture being established at ASU. With these types of athletes, the adjustment process is still required, but is far easier.
“Just showing the new guys the ropes,” Walden said of the veterans’ role this spring. “Showing them the standards that we already established last year and just trying to keep improving every day, not taking any steps backwards.”
Even at a mere glance, it’s abundantly clear two weeks into spring practice that ASU’s offensive line looks far stronger and bigger than it did a year ago. During 11-on-11 periods, quarterbacks have noticeably more time in the pocket to make better passes, and there were multiple instances on Saturday where holes in the line resulted in explosive runs.
However, that doesn’t mean things are going seamlessly. As Tuitele noted, there is still much room for improvement from his group. And that’s okay; it is only the spring.
What’s important, however, is that when mistakes are made, constructive criticism is provided. And this, like the improvement on the field, was noticeable. Whether it was after a bad rep during a drill or a breakdown during 11-on-11’s, there was plenty of teaching occurring among the offensive linemen. And that, to Tuitele, points to a strong culture being established.
“Stuff is going to happen out there that you don’t want to happen,” Tuitele said. “And so you’ve got to respond, and when I hear them coaching each other and not just ripping each other’s head off, that’s when you know the culture is good.”
