This ASU Defender Deserves More National Attention
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The Arizona State Sun Devils defense has a lot of great players on the defensive such as Cornerback Keith Abney II, Linebacker Keyshaun Elliott, and Defensive Tackle C.J. Fite. However, one player, edge rusher Elijah O'Neal, has had a very effective season for the defense.
At Tuesday's post-meeting practice, ASU Defensive Coordinator Brian Ward was asked about O'Neal and the type of season he has had and what makes him a great player.
O'Neal as a Person
One of the first things that Ward mentioned about O'Neal is how great of a person and teammate he is for ASU's defense.
"..And he is, he is such a guy that he tries to do everything right. I mean, and when you coach him, it's like, sometimes he look at you like, he goes, Man, I let you down, like he's he's a guy that just never wants to let a coach down. Never wants to let his teammates down. He's an incredible human being, and he's having a great year.."
This is a huge plus for O'Neal going forward in his football career in terms of the NFL, such as the draft. There are a ton of talented players, especially on the defensive line, across all college programs. So O'Neal, having great character and work ethic, can help set him apart from other d-line men across the country.
This is also a huge plus of how much of the great culture that Kenny Dillingham has built here at ASU. Dillingham constantly stresses having great players and people in the building, and O'Neal is an example of that.
O'Neal as a Player
Ward also talked very highly about O'Neal as an edge rusher, not only in terms of pass rush, but also run defense as well.
"Yeah, he's just such a physical presence at the end.... I mean, he's so physical against the run. He's rushing the passer better than ever has. He's always affecting the pockets, so it's just great to see his progress and his development.”
This shows that O'Neal is a great do-it-all edge player. On the season, O'Neal has 2 sacks as well with 4 tackles for loss and 21 tackles, so he has had quite a good season in all areas of defense. O'Neal can be called upon by the coaching staff to make a great impact play, no matter what area of the field he is disrupting.
O'Neal versus Iowa State
Iowa State's offensive line is a great unit, and like with any other great unit in football, one player can not tackle it alone. In an edge room with guys like Prince Dorbah and Clayton Smith, O'Neal being versatile makes it a hard test for opposing offensive linemen to go up against, as they have to account for so much with ASU's defensive line.
So O'Neal's impact might be felt indirectly, as he could cause disruptions on the defensive line, so other ASU defenders could get free.
In conclusion, Elijah O'Neal is not only a great player, but a great person, who has helped ASU's defense in so many years this year.
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Tanner Cappellini holds a mass communications degree from Arizona State University and is pursuing his dream of being the person at the games, practices, and events who takes others inside the team they love.