Arizona State defensive line draws spring raves: 'Playing at the best level' (2025)

When asked which group on the defense has stood out to him the most so far in spring practices, Arizona State coach Kenny Dillingham was emphatic in his answer.

“Defensive line. Our defensive line is super, super competitive right now,” Dillingham said. “A lot of these guys are playing at the best level they've played at since I've been here. I think they’re going to be absolutely better this year because of the strength and the work ethic and the mindset they’ve had."

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It’s easy to understand why Dillingham singled out the defensive linemen. Since the Sun Devils opened up spring practice three weeks ago, running lanes have been clogged as players like redshirt seniors Clayton Smith, Prince Dorbah and Justin Wodtly and junior C.J. Fite face ASU’s first-team offense in drills.

The group is coming off a season in which the unit established itself as one of the top rushing defenses in the Big 12 conference and the NCAA. The Sun Devils gave up 1,581 total yards on the ground for an average of 112.9 per game, finishing No. 21 in the country and No. 1 in the Big 12.

Bolstering the unit this season is the continuity from last season. Outside of the departure of Jeff Clark, the Sun Devils are returning every single player from their two-deep rotation. That means a majority of the players who will see the field this season will come in with experience.

“It’s big,” Fite said. “I don’t know how many teams have that. To be able to have the opportunity, we talked about it before, you can’t let this opportunity pass you up because in this day and age, the transfer portal and things like that, you don’t see that very often. It’s a blessing to be able to grow and learn each day with these guys. We all love each other.”

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Leading the group is the grizzled Diron Reynolds. He’s never been in the military, but after growing up with a father who served, it’s clear that it left an imprint on Reynolds in his coaching style.

Reynolds is a no-holds-barred type of coach. He has no problem calling out players in practice in front of everybody watching.

“He has that kind of structure. He wants everything structured,” Fite said. “But he’s not one that’s gonna dog you or cuss you. First, he’s going to get to the bottom of it, talk about it. His biggest thing is, ‘We’re going to talk about it like men.’”

This was on display at a recent spring practice, which saw Reynolds and Justin Wodtly get into a spirited conversation after Wodtly spoke up.

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“We all circled up and got to the bottom of it, and it’s like, ‘Cool. Nothing’s wrong,’” Fite said. “That’s just how he does things. We figure things out like men. He just teaches us how to be men. Before practice started, he was giving us life lessons…He’s just real. That’s all you can ask for from somebody that you spend every day with.”

The way Reynolds and his group interact is special. Once practice was over following the interaction with Wodtly and Reynolds, it was as if nothing had ever happened.

It’s like a combination of brotherly love and a stern father. Reynolds views himself as a parent.

“It all starts with coach Reynolds in that room,” defensive coordinator Brian Ward said. “Those guys have a lot of love and respect for him, and you can see it. He manages that room unlike any other coach could on our team because he has a way of getting their respect, getting them to play hard and holding them accountable, but also being a shoulder to lean on, an ear they can come talk to. They really do play for him and for those other coaches in that room.”

Heading into this season, Reynolds has high expectations for his group of linemen.

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Fite, Smith, Wodtly and Dorbah, alongside fifth-year player Elijah O'Neal, senior Jacob Kongaika and redshirt junior Zac Swanson are expected to be the main rotation players for ASU. Newcomer MyKeil Gardner, a transfer from Oregon and former prep star at Peoria Liberty, and graduate student Anthonie Cooper, who played at Goodyear Millennium, could factor in as well. Both are coming off injuries.

“I expect this group to dominate,” Reynolds said. “I’m just being real. I’m putting it on them. I told them last year you might have snuck up on a few people, but the truth is the truth. We won the thing last year, I know we don’t live on last year. But the crown is heavy, you better have a strong neck. They have spent time getting their neck strong. People going to come for your head. Just be ready for it.”

There is one area the defensive line needs to improve: rushing the passer.

While the Sun Devils had no problem stopping opponents from running the ball, they had real issues getting to the quarterback. ASU only recorded 24 sacks last season, tied for 87th in the NCAA — right alongside the University of Louisiana at Lafayette from the Sun Belt conference.

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If Arizona State wants to be a playoff contender again this season, that has to change.

“Getting the stinking quarterback down,” Reynolds said. “We got to the quarterback a lot. I think we affected the quarterback the way we should have last year, but I don’t think we did a good enough job of getting them on the ground. That’s just facts.”

Logan Stanley is a sports reporter with The Arizona Republic who primarily focuses on high school, ASU and Olympic sports. To suggest ideas for human-interest stories and other news, reach out to Stanley at logan.stanley@gannett.com or 707-293-7650. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter: @LSscribe.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Why Arizona State's defensive line could be their best yet