Sun Devils maximize their summer ahead of highly anticipated fall camp
Arizona State is just seven days shy of its first day of fall camp, and the Sun Devil players have been plenty busy all summer getting their bodies and minds right in the quest to defend their conference title.
Returning 17 of 22 starters on offense and defense, coupled with a robust list of returners across the depth chart, meant the summer session was heavily specified for every player and position group with detailed goals. Each Sun Devil player who addressed the media on Wednesday morning had their own unique and interesting takeaway regarding he season preparations.
Linebackers: Experience in the system produces versatility
The linebacker room is spearheaded by a duo featuring seniors Keyshaun Elliott and Jordan Crook. Both players transferred to Tempe ahead of the 2024 season from Arkansas (Crook) and New Mexico State (Elliott). Their first season as a pair saw major success. Elliott finished fifth on the Sun Devils in total tackles with 65, and Crook sixth with 57.
Beyond that, however, the pair is aiming to grow as leaders and teammates, understanding the potential payoff when the linebacker room plays in sync with one another.
“We have 10 out of 11 starters coming back,” Elliott noted. “So, I think we’re all on the same page. We can do more now. We can run, cover three, but make it look like a completely different defense for the quarterback. So, there’s just a bunch of little things that you can mess around with.”
For Elliott, his area of growth in the summer led him right to the film room. Looking for ways to marginally improve in all areas of the gridiron, in 2024, he recorded 33 of his 65 tackles in the first four games of the year, including seven or more in three games. Following that hot start, Elliott began dealing with a minor injury spell and went on to make seven tackles in just two of the last eight games of the season. Albeit those games were against BYU in a monumental late-season clash with Big 12 championship implications and Texas in the Peach Bowl of the College Football Playoff.
“I’m looking at games like man, even just this spring, I’ve gotten a lot better in this situation compared to where I was last year,” he said. “A lot more confident, too. I’m trying to get everything together.
“I want to play faster, get to the ball faster, play in the backfield more, affect the quarterback more, and get into some passing lanes.”
His on-field partner, Crook, stated that he had an equally beneficial summertime due to the diligence of his plans, knowing how far he had already progressed as a player. Crook’s 2024 season was also impacted by injury, forcing him to miss all three non-conference games. He started all 11 games following his return. For Crook, his focus during the offseason was carrying that positive momentum forward as an energizer and leader between the lines.
“Honestly, I feel like this was my best offseason,” Crook remarked. “I feel like I’m moving my best. I’ve gotten stronger, bigger, and faster. I wouldn’t necessarily say I was doing anything different, but rather taking a more in-depth approach to the same things, more film study and better eating habits.”
Defensive backs: Dynamic duos continue shaping ASU’s intricate secondary
A focal point for defensive coordinator Brian Ward heading into the fall has been emphasizing defensive creativity, utilizing his players’ experience in his system to present offenses with unique and complex packages. This chess match will likely start with the safety duo of Xavion Alford and Myles Rowser. The two combined for 183 tackles in 2024. Rowser led the team with 98 and Alford just behind with 85.
Where Rowser, in particular, is looking to improve is in his communication and coverage packages, looking to play more as a ball hawk and in coverage rather than a run stopper up front.
“This year I could communicate better with my team,” Rowser explained as his first area of improvement. “The linebackers and the safety up top, and honestly, just reading more of the offense. This is my second year in this defense, so now I really want to know what the offense is doing before the play.
“I was in position to blitz, cover, and be in zone. What I didn’t like was that I didn’t have as much time to play on the ball. I want to be a ball hawk this year. This season we’re playing more in Dime packages, so I get to play in more coverage.”
The additional coverage comes with added responsibility to be in sync with Alford time and again; however, with both of them having one year left in college with high expectations for themselves as Sun Devils and potential professionals, Rowser knows the stakes that come with sitting deeper.
“Me and X (Alford), it’s both our last year,” Rowser commented. “So he wants to pay attention to his game as well as keeping the team together. He’s gonna be on my back. I’m gonna be on his back.”
The tandem from 2024 isn’t the only experienced player that slots in that safety role. Redshirt senior Kyndrich Breedlove transferred to ASU from Purdue following 2024. The defensive back can slot in at numerous roles from safety to nickel, and for him, the summer allowed him to get accustomed to his new surroundings while letting the ones who’ve been among Sun Devil football show him the ropes.
“I’m an older guy, but the summer has been a learning process for me,” Breedlove said. “This is a new system, so there are a lot of similar things I’ve done in my past, but it’s a lot of new things Coach Joe implements in our workouts and stuff. The summer’s been good, it’s been fun, and I’ve been spending some great quality time with my teammates.”
Breedlove had a productive 2024 season, marking 40 total tackles and three interceptions. Purdue’s season was anything but what he expected, however, finishing 1-11 and winning no contests after its season opener. The impact of Breedlove has yet to be seen on a large scale. However, coming into fall camp, the experienced secondary should bring a creative package for Ward to use at his disposal.
Expanding to the cornerback position, the two key representatives from 2024 were junior Keith Abney II and senior Javan Robinson. Much like Rowser and Alford, the two led the way as marquee cornerbacks for the team.
Abney had an impressive offseason, gaining nearly five to 10 pounds of muscle mass. He was evidently stronger in his upper body on Wednesday and credited the gains to his dieting, which involved prioritizing “three good meals a day.”
This is for a multitude of on-field reasons, and beyond that, Abney noted his desire to lead by example as an upperclassman and an experienced contributor. His heavier frame is not only a sign of his dedication to his craft but also a reflection of the level of effort expected of all players in his position group.
“This offseason, I attacked it by trying to get stronger, faster,” Abney said. “Then, working on a lot of leadership skills, being an older guy. So I got to lead now. So those are the main things I’m working on. And then, of course, my technique and stuff like that on the field. So I’ve been working on a lot of things.”
His counterpart in Robinson doesn’t need any additional motivation. The experienced defensive back has been using the fuel from the rare mistakes he made in 2024 to highlight areas for improvement in 2025, noting dropped interceptions against BYU and Texas State.
“I feel like everyone on this team holds themselves to a higher standard,” Robinson stated. “We dwell on all the bad instead of getting praised or glorified for all the good that they do. I feel like that’s what makes us a great team.”
Offensive line: Chasing perfection
Much like the sentiment Robinson provided, offensive lineman redshirt senior Josh Atkins echoed a similar remark about position coach Saga Tuitele, saying his expectation is “perfection,” and that Tuitele’s pushing his offensive linemen is what led to such a successful 2024 run game spearheaded by Heisman Trophy fourth-place finisher Cam Skattebo.
Losing only center Leif Fautanu means the Sun Devils return four of five starters in the trenches. The first teamers that did return won’t be satisfied with an exceptional year, knowing that every defensive line in the Big 12 will put a target on their helmets, expecting to be ready for war. Atkins knew he needed to be in even better shape than he had been in years past.
“During the Texas game, I was 338 pounds. I’m 315 pounds now,” Atkins said. “You can’t outwork your diet. It’s been a lot of chicken and rice and maybe some spinach. I still have my bad meals on the weekend or whatever, but just being consistent.
“If you watched last year, we had a lot of 10-minute drives and eight-minute drives, and that gets tiring, so being in shape just allows you to play at a high level longer.”
Outside of physical stamina, the ASU front line has grown in its mental fortitude. Redshirt senior Kyle Scott was an assertive guard throughout 2024 and has since reflected on a dominant year and finding himself more confident than in the previous offseason on where he stands as a player.
“Just perseverance, dealing with all the head stuff that comes with football, and being that tough guy that’s going to stick out,” Scott noted. “(Last season) I surprised myself a little bit, but with time and confidence, it got more out there.”
Offensive skill players: Chemistry is the M.O.
With Skattebo onto the NFL, the ASU offense has to rebrand itself around redshirt sophomore quarterback Sam Leavitt. The Oregon native had an impressive 2024 season, to say the least. In his first year as a starter, he threw for 2,885 yards, 24 touchdowns, and just six interceptions. Coming into 2025, Leavitt’s name is stamped across the nation, with many ranking him among the best signal-callers in the nation.
As Leavitt enters this season as one of the marquee signal callers in the nation, he will enjoy a wider array of offensive weapons. The Sun Devils added some new players to the arsenal, including a wide receiver transfer from Alabama, redshirt freshman Jaren Hamilton. The former Crimson Tide player never had a chance to make his mark in Tuscaloosa; however, he joins the Big 12 champions as one of the most talented players in the portal.
Hamilton’s premier talent at the moment is his explosiveness. Standing at 6 feet, 200 pounds, he does not lack either speed or receiving abilities, and in spring practice has shown to be a matchup nightmare. The Sun Devil newcomer knows how important his connection with Leavitt will be to maximizing success in this upcoming season.
“I love to go deep,” Hamilton described. “I love to just make explosive plays. I love to just run around the field and fly around. And you never know what’s going to happen. You never know if I’m lining up over here. I could be going over there or, you know, things of that nature.
“Like we might have something, and they might think I’m going deep, but I’m shutting it down or something like that. We’ve been working on it all summer, all spring, and I feel like it’s been getting better every week. And like I said, we get into the season, it’s just going to show.”
For a teammate that Leavitt played alongside last year in redshirt senior tight end Chamon Metayer, the duo didn’t miss a beat in their connection on the field, with Metayer making 32 receptions for five touchdowns in 2024.
Metayer, being a focal point of the offense that dominated the Big 12 Conference, understands the level required for ASU to reach those heights again. Although the team is full of returners and starters from their Big 12 championship heights, many players, including Metayer, are aware of the work needed to be done during fall camp.
“I still think we got a lot to work on,” Metayer said. “Especially me, I still have some things I have to reach, and fall camp is what I’m here for to elevate it from there. Aug. 30 we’ll be ready, though.”
