What Recent Arizona State Position Additions Mean for 2025

The first opportunity to see one of the best teams in all of college football in the Arizona State Sun Devils, is nearly here.

The 11th-ranked Sun Devils are set to usher in year three of the Kenny Dillingham era tomorrow night - when they welcome in-state rival Northern Arizona to Tempe.

The program officially unveiled the first depth chart on Tuesday night in preparation for the opening game - there were not many surprises overall, but it was intriguing that the defense featured two new positions that were added into the fold - the "SPARKY" and "DEVIL" spots.

Prince Dorbah and Clayton Smith were listed as the official starters at the traditional 'edge' position. Elijah O'Neal and Justin Wodtly were named as co-starters at the "SPARKY" position.

The same is the case for the secondary, as Adrian "Boogie" Wilson is a starting-caliber player that would not traditionally start over either Xavion Alford or Myles "Ghost" Rowser.

Defensive lineman Elijah O'Neal (15) works out at Sun Devils spring football practice at ASU's Kajikawa practice fields on March 27, 2025, in Tempe, Ariz. | Megan Mendoza/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

What do the new positions mean for Brian Ward's defense in 2025?

Arizona on SI takes a dive into the two major things this move tells fans heading into game one.

Ward Holds More Flexibility

The "Sparky" and "Devil" positions are very likely best explained as specialist groups to face specific offensive alignments, down/distance scenarios, and to potentially give Ward more flexibility to tinker with his traditional 4-2-5 base defense.

Wodtly has lost 15+ pounds since spring camp and looks as explosive as he ever has in Tempe, while O'Neal remains a high-ceiling wild card that has potential to make a late-career jump under the guidance of the great Diron Reynolds.

Boogie Wilson has been too impressive during fall camp to not label as a starting-level player. Xavion Alford and Ghost Rowser will receive the majority of snaps, but the versatility that coach Ward has at his disposal in 2025 is truly incredible.

Arizona State Defense Flexes Depth

The depth and versatility are one in the same in this case.

Defensive lineman Prince Dorbah (32) and Zac Swanson (92) run through drills with the defensive line at Sun Devils spring football practice at Kajikawa Practice fields on April 1, 2025, in Tempe, Ariz. | Megan Mendoza/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The pass rush rotation of O'Neal, Dorbah, Wodtly, and Smith have improved in many facets during the offseason. Coach Dillingham alluded to the group improving as a unit and individually. The improvement from C.J. Fite and Jacob Rich Kongaika as pass rushers from the interior is a potential game-changer as well.

Ultimately, the Sun Devils feel phenomenal about the roster as a whole, to the level of comfort of naming roughly 30 players as starters between both sides of the ball.

Read more on the case for Leavitt to be an All-American selection at season's end here, and if Kenny Dillingham has any built-in recruiting advantages in his role here.

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