Defense gains the upper hand in Camp Tontozona Scrimmage

CAMP TONTOZONA – One of the larger crowds in Camp Tontozona’s scrimmage history got a chance to get a sneak peek at the 2025 Sun Devils. It was a mainly defensive affair on Saturday morning, as the offense stalled deep in the red zone on a couple of occasions, until two late touchdowns ended this session with some smiles on offense. 

Our report will feature drive-based breakdowns for both sides of the ball, highlighting all praises, both large and insignificant.  

Offensive report  

First team  

QB Sam Leavitt 

RB Kyson Brown 

WR Jalen Moss 

WR Jaren Hamilton 

WR Malik McClain 

TE Khamari Anderson 

RT Max Iheanachor 

RG Kyle Scott 

C Ben Coleman 

LG Jimeto Obigbo 

LT Jalen Klemm 

Because of the scrimmage nature, the “first team” on both sides of the field included first-string and typically second-string players as well. Makua Pule, Champ Westbrooks, Cameron Harpole, Kanye Udoh, Raleek Brown, Derek Eusebio, Harry Hassman, and Noble Johnson all featured for the first team during Saturday’s scrimmage as well. 

Second Team  

QB Jeff Sims 

RB Demarius Robinson 

WR Noble Johnson 

WR Harry Hassman 

WR Coben Bourguet 

TE Coleson Arends 

RT Champ Westbrooks 

RG Wade Helton 

C Makua Pule 

LG Joey Su’a 

LT Xander Ruggeroli  

Jason Brown Jr, Zechariah Sample, Cory Butler Jr, AJ Ia, and Sean Na’a make up the primary second team rotations as well.  

Notable Offensive players that did not play Saturday: Jordyn Tyson, Chamon Metayer, Terrell Kim, Josh Atkins, Brent Helton, Maki Stewart, 

As stretches wrapped up around 8:30, the team split into groups for position-based warm-ups. The receiver group began its sideline-to-sideline reception drill, catching three passes during a continuous sprint.  

The rest of the offense warmed up with the usual drills and focused on fast-paced movement.  

Quickly, before the scrimmage started, the full team watched as players ran routes against defensive backs. The drill offered a physical way for players to warm up. Starting off, Warren locked down Hamilton on an out route. The first offensive highlight was Zechariah Sample jumping over Kyndrich Breedlove in the end zone. Grayson Rigdon finished with a short catch as well. 

First team drive #1: As the fans anticipated, the 11-on-11 scrimmage was set to begin, with the first team lining up on its 25-yard line: the first play saw Leavitt throw a pass to Kyson Brown near the sideline for a short gain. McClain caught the next play on second down. The offensive drive ended quickly, however, with Leavitt getting picked off on his first pass beyond the line of scrimmage by Adrian Wilson. 

Second team drive #1: The second team began with Sample getting a short pass out of the backfield before being brought down. Robinson ran twice for positive gains before Jason brown Jr subbed in for him. Jason Brown earned positive yards on the next play. The offense ended with multiple incompletions to end the drive.  

First team drive #2: After two disappointing drives offensively, Udoh was the first team back on the next drive. He ran for seven yards on the first snap. Leavitt couldn’t find McClain the next down, but Leavitt gave the crowd something to cheer for, sprinting in between the tackles for a first down the following play. After another incompletion, Kyson Brown ran for a few yards, and the drive came to an abrupt end on third down., Wodtly sacked Leavitt after he danced in the pocket, ending the drive around midfield.  

Second team drive #2: The second team’s drive started fast on the ground once again. Jason Brown Jr got on his horse and ran for 15 yards before safety Adama Fall met him head-on. The offense started moving the chains often when Sims hit Bourguet over the middle, followed by a Jason Brown run for a few yards. The offense got into field goal range after Sims found Hassman. The end of the drive saw the offense get stonewalled once they got into field-goal range. Sims saw pressure multiple times, with the drive ending in a sack. Through four drives, neither offensive unit had gotten close to the end zone. 

First team drive #3: After some lackluster drives, the offense got started again from inside their own 10, backed against the wall. Kyson Brown received an outside handoff for upwards of 30 yards, breaking the series wide open. The next play, he ran into the secondary once again, gaining almost 40 yards on two carries. Brown continued to be fed again, getting to midfield before being subbed out for Udoh. Udoh received a pass from Leavitt on a short route. But second down was unsuccessful over the air. I’m about midfield. Leavitt went short once again to Udoh to progress the drive. Leavitt was chased out of the pocket on a blitz, and his pass was batted down by Hughes. The next play, an awkward snap forced Leavitt to run. On third down, Raleek Brown got his first carry of the day, but he couldn’t move the chains. The last play of the sequence saw Leavitt lined up out wide, and Kyson Brown received the snap. He tried to barrel his way past the first down maker, but he was stopped short. The story continued, and the offense couldn’t drive down near the red zone.  

Second team drive #3: The second team offense started to drive from deep in their territory as well. Robinson ran on the first play and was met on the outside by Xavier Skowron. The next play, Sims and Robinson didn’t connect on what should’ve been a routine flat route to the outside. The drive came to a quick conclusion when Sims’ pass on third down was too high near the sideline, and the intended target couldn’t make the grab. 

First team drive #4: The next drive started from midfield. Leavitt’s first pass to Moss saw him gain 15+ yards; he broke Alford’s first tackle before being brought down. Leavitt decided to hit Raleek Brown short for a limited gain. The offense started to gain some confidence, Leavitt found Udoh, who ate a couple of tackles, getting all the way down to the 5-yard line. Leavitt ran on a play action on first-and-goal to gain two yards; however, the next two plays saw Udoh get tackled for a one-yard loss, followed by Leavitt being sacked by Alford to end the drive and force a field goal. The offense had its best sequence of plays, but some ferocious work at the line of scrimmage held them to just three points. 

Second team drive #4: The second team saw Sims go deep for Butler, who was in double coverage, leading to an incompletion. The pair connected on the next play for seven yards. Sim’s wasn’t done looking for No.84; however, the next snap, Butler broke the zone and got all the way down to the 3-yard line before Tony-Louis Nkuba brought him down. Butler’s receptions were roughly 35 yards when he was forced out of bounds. Unfortunately, the offense would suffer the same fate as the first team. Robinson was stuffed short on consecutive inside runs by Salesi Manu and Tristien Bacon. On the last play, Sims bobbled the snap, and his throw to Sample in the end zone was overcooked. Limiting the second team to a field goal attempt as well after having four downs just a few yards shy of the endzone. 

First team drive #5 Starting the next first team drive from the offensive 25-yard line, Kyson Brown bulldozed his way upfield for roughly an 18-yard gain. Leavitt’s pass to Moss was almost picked off by Keith Abney II the next play. Leavitt completed a pass short to Hassman before being stopped at the line of scrimmage, and the drive ended near midfield when Leavitt threw a pass outside, but it was too high for the intended target.  

Second team drive #5: The second team started with an impressive run for Robinson, who generated some applause from the crowd. He got all the way down to midfield to start the drive. Sims made many good reads, first to Bourguet, who picked up nearly 15 yards over the middle. The first touchdown of the game came on the very next play. Sims found AJ Ia up the seam, and he beat the safeties to the endzone for a touchdown. AJ Ia used his size and fast top speed to create separation and finish off the play by riding tackles. 

First team drive #6: The next first team offensive drive saw Pule check at center for Coleman, Leavitt completed a pass to Udoh for a short gain, then to Johnson near the boundary for a first down. Like most drives for the first team on Saturday, the sequence stalled out around midfield, and Leavitt was sacked after trying to get away. And then the drive ended when he went deep for Eusebio, but two defensive backs, Breedlove and Wilson, were right there to break it up. 

“Snap location if you’re a gun team is probably one of the most underrated things people talk about,” Dilllingham said in regards to snaps at center. “All people think about with centers is whether there was a fumble. It’s not kicking, with kicking it’s either you make it or you don’t, snapping is not like that.”  

Second team drive #6: The Second team saw Sims connect with AJ Ia once again on a short route, Sims found Sample for a first down to the outside, the redshirt freshman leaped well to make the reception. But when Sample got the next pass underneath, he was tackled by the swarm of defensive linemen and linebackers. 

First team drive #7. The next offensive drive started from their 35-yard line, and Leavitt’s first pass bounced off Harpole. The next play, Raleek Brown spun off Breeslove’s tackle to earn 7 yards instead of three on the play. The next play, Leavitt saw Hamilton darting down the sideline, and gave the fans a showcase as to why they call him turbo, because Hamilton beat Bimage for speed and brought down a contested pass for approximately 40 yards, giving the fans something to cheer for. Leavitt was sacked on the next play, prompting the offense to call a timeout, which was taken with the last play of the day. Leavitt found Hamilton dashing down the other sideline on the next play, catching a 30-yard reception and sprinting it into the end zone for a touchdown on the last play as the Camp T scrimmage concludes the 2025 trip.  

Overall, the offense didn’t have its best day; however, over time, players grew into the scrimmage and made big plays late. 

Defensive Report  

First team  

DE Clayton Smith 

DT CJ Fite 

DT Jacob Rich Kongaika 

DE Prince Dorbah 

LB Keyshaun Elliott  

LB Jordan Crook 

CB Keith Abeny II 

CB Javan Robinson 

SAF Xavion Alford 

SAF Adrian Wilson 

NIC Kyndrich Breedlove 

Additional first team rotational players: Ramar Williams, Blazen Lono-Wong, Justin Wodtly, Prince Dorbah, Zyrus Fiaseu, Martell Hughes, Tate Romney, Rodney Bimage Jr, Nyland Green, Montana Warren, Chris Johnson II 

Second team  

DE Roman Pitre 

DT Blazen Lono-Wong 

DT Ramar Williams 

DE Albert Smith 

LB Krew Jackson 

LB Tristen Bacon 

CB Nikko Klemm 

CB Joesph Smith 

SAF Tony-Louis Nkuba 

SAF Adama Fall 

NIC Kyan McDonald 

Additional second team players: Tristen Bacon, Prayer Young-Blackgoat, Anthonie Cooper 

Defensive players who did not participate in Saturday’s scrimmage:  Rashad McKenzie, Zac Swanson, and Mykeil Gardner. 

The defense began with individual drills before the scrimmage, focusing on rapid movement. The team quickly went to competitive drills with defensive back versus wide receiver one-on-ones. Bimage and Warren both got stops on their stands. The players did not shy away from really physical contact on the route early to push receivers off that line.  

After a fun drill to get the crowd involved, it was time for special teams coordinator Charlie Ragle to lead his group. Special teams began with a kickoff drill, which wasn’t live action, as the group was going over assignments for both returning and defending kickoffs. Wide receiver Cory Butler Jr was the primary returner on the drill.  

First team drive #1: The defense started its first strong drive by not allowing Leavitt to get going downfield. Wodtly wrapped up McClain, and when the offense got to midfield, Leavitt’s pass was intercepted by Wilson, who jumped the route. Wilson read Leavitt’s eyes the whole way and made a heads-up play downfield to make the interception. He ran it back another 15 yards toward the sideline as well. 

Second team drive #1: The second team defense made a positive stand as well. Young-Blackgoat wrapped up Robinson at his feet before letting him get free into the secondary. He’d double down with a pass breakup over the middle, forcing Jason Brown Jr into a drop. Joseph McGinnis II almost got an interception after Sims’ pass bounced off of Arends and Sample; the ball had a lot of velocity and changed direction, but the defensive back made sure the ball wouldn’t end up in a receiver’s grasp. 

First team drive #2: The second drive for the first team saw them give up large runs to the running backs, particularly Kyson Brown. But their defense over the air was very impressive. Bimage and Green had checked in at the corner, and after being targeted twice, both passes were incomplete, headed Bimage’s direction, leading to another stop near the 50-yard line. 

Second team drive #2: The second team’s next stand defensively saw the offense get into a rhythm. Jason Brown Jr ran for a big gain on first down. Soon enough, the offense got into field goal range, but that’s when the defense began tightening the screws. Sims was forced to run out of bounds for a 1-yard loss after seeing a blitz. Sample’s would-be reception of the next play was broken up by Lee Fuimaono over the middle. To end, Tristen Bacon sacked Sims in the pocket, ending consecutive drives with sacks.  

First team drive #3: After some punt team walkthroughs to break up the scrimmage, the offense began backed up in the corner of their 10-yard line. The offense quickly found life through running the ball for nearly 40 yards and three plays; however, for every run play the defense gave up leverage, they earned it back when Leavitt went over the air. Hughes chased Levitt nearly out of bounds when he scrambled out of the pocket, leading to Hughes batting down his pass. In a fourth-and-one scenario, the offense tried to gain the last yard via brute force, but it wasn’t enough. The defensive line stood firm and shut the offense down, turning the offense over about 37 yards outside the endzone.  

Second team drive #3: The second team defense got off the field almost as quickly as it had taken it. Fall met Robinson on first down, limiting the run to just a few yards. And they closed out the possession defense for Sims into a difficult pass near the sideline.  

First team drive #4: The next drive started from around midfield. The offense did start to move the chains on this drive, Green nearly prevented a first down, but Harpole got over the line. Near the red zone, strong running from Udoh saw him break tackles of Wilson and Bimage near the sideline, allowing him to get all the way down to the 5-yard line. The defense began to make a stand next to their endzone, on first-and-goal from the five. Leavitt gained just two yards, then Fite wrapped up Udoh in the backfield to send the offense back to square one. On third-and-goal, the defense limited the offense to a field goal try, as Alford found a gap in the blitz and got right to Leavitt for a sack. The defensive unit was fired up after making consecutive backfield tackles to force Leavitt’s offense into a field goal rather than earning a touchdown. 

On a 27-yard attempt, Gomez blasted a field goal from the left hash through the uprights, the first score of the day for either offensive unit. 

Second team drive #4: The Second team gave up a couple of large gains early in their drive, Butler Jr broke the zone coverage and got all the way down to the 3-yard line. But taking up, just like the first team, the defensive second team hounded the line. As. Manu and Bacon made critical tackles to force Carston Kieffer into another 25-yard field goal, which he converted.  

The scrimmage had a brief intermission with special teams work going on; as Butler continued drilling punt returns, as Kanyon Floyd and Austrilan native Matt McKenzie sent punts sky high for their teammates to chase. 

First team drive #5: The first team defense took the field again, and Abney nearly got an interception, but he bobbled the ball in the air. Abney tackled Hassman the next play on a short completion, and O’Neal chased Leavitt down, forcing him to scramble out of the pocket while still recording a tackle at the line of scrimmage on the signal caller. The defense generated another stop from around the field. 

Second team drive #5: The Second team defense gave up a big run from Robinson to start. He ran for over 20 yards. The offense got into rhythm, after this, Sims completed consecutive passes to Bourget and AJ Ia, leading to the first touchdown of the day. Gomez converted his PAT following the score. 

First team drive #6: The defense gave up a couple of productive plays to the first team on the next drive. Leavitt was able to complete consecutive passes, getting to around the 40-yard line. Lono-Wong forced Leavitt to throw it away on second down. To end the drive, Wilson and Breedlove combined for a pass breakup on Eusebio, and Breedlove almost brought home the INT. 

Second team drive #6: The Next second-team drive saw Romano make a tackle on running back Grayson Rigdon for no gain. Ginnis was able to stop Robinson on the next run near the line of scrimmage, and Sims’ next pass was out of bounds to end the drive. 

First team drive #7: The last defensive drive saw the offense start from its 35-yard line. The defense allowed momentum with the offense making a couple of completions in a row. The offense had a big-time 40-yard play, as Hamilton completed a deep pass in single coverage over Bimage. The next snap, Wodtly got a sack on Leavitt, which led to a call timeout. Wodtly was everywhere on the day, finishing with 2.0 sacks. The defense would concede a touchdown to end the scrimmage, however, with Hamilton scoring a 30-yard TD on a crafty route that sent him flying in for a score. Despite giving up a touchdown to end the day, it was clear the defense took the win at the 2025 Camp T scrimmage.