Arizona State Spring Practice Primer: Defense

TEMPE -- The 2026 Arizona State football season is inching closer towards being fully realized.

The Sun Devils are set to officially take steps towards ushering in the fourth regular season of the Kenny Dillingham era, as they are set to begin spring practices on Thursday morning.

lm;lm — Arizona State defensive coordinator Brian Ward runs a drill for his secondary during the first day of fall practice in Tempe, Ariz. on July 30, 2025. | Patrick Breen/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

This also marks year four of Brian Ward as defensive coordinator of the team - take a look at how the three levels of the defense stack up below.

Defensive Line

The main tidbit of information in regards to the defensive line heading into spring is that senior DT C.J. Fite will miss the majority of spring. The interior defensive line will look much different regardless, as Jacob Rich Kongaika is off to chasing NFL dreams as well.

How will the Sun Devils approach the interior conundrum during spring - will Rashad McKenzie and Blazen Lono-Wong receive significant reps?

fefeef — ASU defensive lineman Blazen Lono-Wong (97) runs a drill as the team holds their first day of practice at Camp Tontozona on Aug. 6, 2025. | Joe Rondone/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

EDGE will be a position that is looked at with much intrigue as well - with Clayton Smith potentially playing both sides of the ball being thrown into the mix. Albert Smith III will return as a potential key rotation player as well, while Ramar Williams is set to miss spring. Australia native Kirt Vakalahi is an intriguing JUCO transfer.

Michigan State transfer Jalen Thompson and Baylor transfer Emar'rion Winston are high-upside additions that will potentially raise the ceiling of Diron Reynolds' group as a whole.

rr33r — Oct 25, 2025; Tempe, Arizona, USA; Arizona State Sun Devils defensive lineman Clayton Smith (10) against the Houston Cougars at Mountain America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Linebacker

Linebacker is perhaps the most stable position on the defensive side of the ball. The top three players in Ward's 4-2-5 scheme appear to be four-star Colorado State transfer Owen Long - who led the country in tackles last season, returning junior Martell Hughes, and sixth-year senior Zyrus Fiaseu - who received another year of eligibility due to injury.

efefwe — Nov 30, 2024; Tucson, Arizona, USA; Arizona State Sun Devils linebacker Zyrus Fiaseu (30) against the Arizona Wildcats during the Territorial Cup at Arizona Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Isaiah Iosefa and Mason Marden are freshmen that are worthy of mention as well - the duo are likely to be integral to the future of Sun Devil football. NAU transfer Remere Davis provides a versatile skillset that will potentially be useful to A.J. Cooper's room to cap everything off.

Secondary

Adrian "Boogie" Wilson will be held out of the majority of spring with a shoulder injury - with the returning safety set to potentially transition to nickel. The stars are aligning for Rodney Bimage Jr. to take a step forward as the number one cornerback in the upcoming season, with the Texas native being accompanied by incoming transfers such as Nigel Pringle, Caleb Chester, and Ashton Stamps.

As for safety, Lyrik Rawls, Montana Warren, and Jessiah McGrew are poised to be the trio that is lin line to receive the majority of snaps, although nothing is set in stone at the moment.

ml;ml — Sep 13, 2025; Austin, Texas, USA; Texas Longhorns defensive backs Graceson Littleton (29) and Caleb Chester (25) react after Littleton made an interception during the second half against the Texas El Paso Miners at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Scott Wachter-Imagn Images | Scott Wachter-Imagn Images