Linebacker Ashanti Cistrunk embracing versatile role for Ole Miss defense
According to Ashanti Cistrunk, his time has come and he is ready to deliver.
The junior linebacker saw himself on the field more frequently in the fourth quarter of the Texas A&M game after Jake Springer’s ejection for targeting.
Motivated by wanting to step up for Springer and the rest of the defense, Cistrunk made one of the two crucial plays, picking off Aggie quarterback Zach Calzada — the first interception of his Rebel career — to set up Snoop Conner’s touchdown run.
“After Jake got thrown out for targeting, I just wanted to step up and play my role. Fill in the spot,” Cistrunk said on Tuesday. “When the time came, I just took advantage of my opportunity.”
Cistrunk finished with two tackles and the interception against Texas A&M.
The stat line doesn’t jump off the page for Cistrunk, but it’s his ability to be a Swiss Army knife that makes him so valuable.
Teammates have noted how Cistrunk has taken on the responsibility of four different positions throughout the defense and found success at each one.
Each practice, game and snap could find Cistrunk in a different spot on the field.
“It’s tough. It’s real tough,” Cistrunk said of playing and learning multiple positions. “I’m just trying to stay in the playbook and learn everything. I don’t know where I might go or anything. No matter who might go down, I just try to stay ready.”
Depending on the day and situation, Cistrunk might give a different answer when asked what position he plays.
To him, it’s not a simple answer.
Becoming the utility player for the defense, Cistrunk’s role was not one the coaches asked of him or told him to figure out how to play in practice.
Rather, it was something Cistrunk learned on his own and informed co-defensive coordinator DJ Durkin.
“It was just something I figured out I could do,” Cistrunk said. “Coach Durkin was like, ‘Okay, lets see if you can do this,’ and I did it. He was like, ‘Okay, I like that,’ and then I just fell into that role.”
Cistrunk is a part of the recent resurgence in consistent play among the defense in the past month. He has seen the ups and downs on that side of the ball, but echoes what Sam Williams has said in terms of buying into a new mindset.
“We became closer together. It’s more of a family now,” Cistrunk said. “We’ve just been getting extra film (sessions) in and working hard.”
No. 10 Ole Miss (8-2, 4-2 SEC) hosts Vanderbilt (2-8, 0-6) on Saturday at 6 p.m. CT on the SEC Network.
