Brian Ward Discusses Bowl Prep, Upcoming Recruiting Class, More
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TEMPE -- Arizona State defensive coordinator Brian Ward spoke with media for the first time in exactly two weeks on Tuesday morning following Arizona State's first open practice in preparation for the Sun Bowl against Duke on December 31.
To watch the full availability, view below.
Below is a partial transcript from Ward's talk with media on Tuesday - with added commentary.
On Duke QB Darian Mensah
"Yeah, I got a chance to watch, you know, their championship game this past weekend, and got a chance to watch a couple other games. Already, incredibly talented. Dude has a good grasp on the offense and puts the ball where it needs to be. And you can tell utilize the skill that you know, that he has on the perimeter. He also keeps plays alive with this with his feet. They're doing a good job of packaging, you know, the offense to his strength. So it's going to be a huge challenge for us. He'll be one of the best quarterbacks we face all year."
The most telling part of what Ward said is that the sophomore will be one of the best quarterbacks the defenses faces all year.
Mensah has potential to be the undebatable best QB that Ward's unit has faced, as the 20-year old is quickly emerging as a popular pick to be a top-shelf prospect in the 2027 NFL draft after leading the Blue Devils to an ACC title.
On What Ward is Looking Forward to in 2026 Class
"The ceiling on these guys in terms of what they're going to grow into in the development I mean, we're always talking about explosiveness and length up front, covering ability and ability to make big plays in the back end, physicality, you know, especially from that second that second level unit, in terms of the linebackers and safeties that we signed, just guys that were incredibly productive, guys that Were the best players in their regions or areas.
It's really we had to beat other really good schools on these guys. And they saw just what, you know, what the culture is here and what our future is here at Arizona State. I'm just really excited about this group. It's really starting to take take shape in terms of becoming what we if you're going to look at us as a defense. That's what we're going to look like moving forward."
Arizona State's defensive class is headlined by four-star edge rusher Julian Hugo, while there are other upside plays - such as cornerback Jalen Williams out of Georgia.
On Keith Abney II's Contributions to Program
"Well, I know what he's meant to us. He's meant leadership. He's been consistent, his habits on and off the field. He's literally someone that, if you're a young guy, you want to look and see how things are supposed to be done from a day to day basis. He's that guy. He's a guy that I say, sitting 100 times. He's a guy that you look forward to seeing every single day. I don't care if the season is five months long or six months long, seven months long, you don't look forward to seeing that guy because you can see his development."
Abeny is likely to head to the NFL in the months ahead - his impact on the Arizona State program has exceeded nearly everyone's expectations, and the cornerback should now serve as a major selling point in the process of targeting future recruits.
Read more on why the Arizona State men's basketball team will exceed expectations in the 2025-26 season here, and on why the bright future of the football program isn’t dimmed by the loss to Arizona here.
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Kevin Hicks is an Arizona State alumni and now serves as the Arizona State Beat Writer On SI.