Kenny Dillingham Praises Arizona State Pass Rush

One of the more blatant weak spots on the Arizona State roster in 2024 was the pass rushing group.

The group was talented, yet were inconsistent when it came to getting to the opposing quarterback in a timely manner. That arguably contributed to the pass defense finishing in the bottom half of the FBS in terms of yards allowed per game.

Head coach Kenny Dillingham sought out transfers at running back, wide receiver, offensive line, and even cornerback - but not off of the edge - which optically pointed to the coach holding a great deal of faith in the group.

Coach Dillingham spoke about the improvement from within the edge rushing group over the offseason on Wednesday.

"Our power is way better - speed to power rush as the pocket is getting collapsed faster. You know, everybody thinks about pass rushing as one guy rushing the passer... If you get one guy that can win a one-on-one every time and is that dominant - that works. But team rush is so important - being able to squeeze the pocket... I think our team rush is better than it was last year and the individual players are better. So I think the combination of our team rush being better and the individual players being better - it's a really good combo right now."

The group is undeniably incredibly talented - Dillingham is right on the notion that the players in the group look better during fall camp as well.

Clayton Smith is a former five star recruit that flashed throughout the season without fully breaking out in his second campaign in Tempe. Elijah O'Neal brings a superb physical profile and has potential to be a menace in the backfield this season. Prince Dorbah was the unquestioned leader of the group in 2023 before struggling with injuries a year ago. Justin Wodtly appears to be in peak shape and has taken snaps on the outside during fall camp.

All in all, the group appears to be more cohesive and every single piece of the puzzle have taken strides to improve individually as well.

The Prince 👑

Prince Dorbah ranks 2nd in the PAC-12 and 6th nationally with his 6 sacks through 6 games! #ForksUp /// #ActivateTheValley pic.twitter.com/aW05k7fkOA
— Sun Devil Football (@ASUFootball) October 14, 2023

Diron Reynolds should be incredibly pleased with the product that has been on display over the last two weeks.

Read ASU on SI's exclusive interview with Jordyn Tyson here, and on where Sam Leavitt lands on the NIL merchandise sales leaderboard here.

Please let us know your thoughts on if the Arizona State pass rush will be tangibly improved in 2025 when you like our Facebook page when you click right here.

Please follow us on X when you click right here!