Pierce relishing in increased competition, expectations of the defense

In 2018, a group of freshmen that included safety Aashari Crosswell, linebackers Merlin Robertson and Darien Butler and defensive lineman Jermayne Lole burst onto the college football scene. They not only made their respective and collective impacts in their very first season, but they played a substantial role in elevating an Arizona State defense that in the last few prior years was one the worst among FBS programs.

Fast forward two seasons later, and now this group of freshmen has turned into upperclassmen who will be looked upon as standard-bearers and leaders by example for a defensive unit that has nothing short of the highest expectations for itself in 2020. Ultimately, they may need to carry the offense, much as they did in the last couple of seasons in helping win a handful of low-scoring games.

“I’m going to be hell on wheels on them,” co-defensive coordinator Antonio Pierce said. “I expect the best, I expect those (young) players to come and play. I brought them in to take jobs. I brought them in to take Merlin Robertson’s job, those are the expectations in our group. Is it going to happen? I don’t know. If they make up their mind it’ll push them, that’ll make our unit better.”

It’s a defensive unit that Pierce clearly expects should lead the way in the Pac-12, especially considering the slew of skilled and experienced players it boasts across the board. Furthermore, he believes some players should be making their presence known on a national level if they live up to their potential.

“We expect Aashari Crosswell to be one of the best DB’s,” Pierce said. “We expect Jackie Jones to be one of the better cornerbacks in college football along with Chase Lucas, and same thing with our ‘backers. So, there are no more diapers, no more spoon-fed players, these players need to now grow up and be men, and we’re doing that.”

Before the team went on their an initially planned spring practice hiatus, which has obviously turned into an extended break due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Pierce offered compelling thoughts and observations about the state of the defense and more.

Hill’s complex offense challenging the defense

In the last two seasons, it was the Sun Devil defense that presented an exotic look daily in practice to the offense. This year though, the tables have turned.

First-year offensive coordinator Zak Hill has brought in a new scheme full of complexities and moving parts galore. So much so, in fact, that Pierce believes there are few offenses his group would face that will be as tough to deal with in terms of pre-snap alignment, calls, and other challenges of that nature.

Consequently, Pierce sees the defense being tested in different unique ways that he believes will come to benefit the unit this fall.

“Most players line up three-by-one, two-by-two, they keep it basic, left and right,” Pierce explained. “(Hill) challenges your eyes, he challenges you to communicate. Our players, prior, did not have to talk as much. Now we have to communicate front line, back seven, front seven… the entire defense has to be on the same page. It’s going to make these players better football players.

“We’re not going to see that in the Pac-12—maybe one or two teams—so when they just line up and play, it’s going to be shocking to our players. But it’s a great teaching lesson this spring for our players to really challenge themselves mentally.”

Specifically, Pierce pointed out that the cornerbacks have to be more vocal than the traditional, one-man mindset the position usually dictates.

“Last year, it was kind of black-and-white what we did,” Pierce noted. “When the call was set it was set, and we just ran with it. This year it can change with motions, shifts, trades. The corners have to talk, which is crazy. Most corners, they’re on their island, they’re out there by themselves. But no, they have to talk. They have to communicate with the ‘backers and the safeties.”

This increased level of interaction has become a staple of the defense’s operations. It also forces some of the newer, younger players to step out of their comfort zone in needing to assertively use their voice to relay important instructions to their teammates.

Pierce shared an example of this from the team’s last spring practice on Friday, March 6, which involved true freshman linebacker Caleb McCullough.

“It’s making these players talk and be vocal,” Pierce said. “That’s making a guy like Caleb McCullough who wants to come in here and ‘talk like that, real soft,’ have to put some bass in his voice, and you heard (co-defensive coordinator) Marvin (Lewis) get after him today about that. Man, all good things, and again, so much teaching coming out of this spring that we’ll have for the summer, going into training camp will make it better.”

With that teaching naturally comes a natural and at times unkind learning curve. Pierce believes it improves all players up and down the depth chart, keeping them mentally engaged and benefitting the less experienced players for when they do see the field.

“There’s been a lot of mental mistakes where we haven’t got the exact close call or the guy shifted over and, ‘oh man, I got that guy who’s got that guy,’ one of those deals,” Pierce explained. “We’re in school session, right, we’re learning, we’re trying to absorb and soak in all the information and knowledge we’re getting.

“We have an offense that is challenging you, again, mentally with your eyes, your brains, your ears, to receive, to deliver, to receive back. It makes your defense from one through 42 much better, because the two’s have to pay attention, because for the most part our one’s and two’s get the same reps.”

The increased emphasis on communication also helps keep players accountable, as Pierce continued to explain. That’s why Pierce wants his players to take pride in their communication efforts and not fear being wrong while relaying that information.

“If you’re wrong, be wrong loud,” Pierce said. “Be vocal about it, own it. You hear us tell our players, ‘own it.’ You can be wrong, but as long as all 11 are wrong, we’re good. It can’t be 10 or nine, we’ll be off.”

Pierce applauds new defensive line coach Robert Rodriguez, transformation of defensive lineman Amiri Johnson

The last hire to greatly revamped coaching staff was Robert Rodriguez to replace departed defensive line coach Jamar Cain, who left to assume the same role at Oklahoma. Rodriguez arrived from the Minnesota Vikings where he served as the assistant defensive line coach, bringing an NFL pedigree that is highly valued in the Sun Devils’ Pro Model let alone separates him from the majority of collegiate position coaches.

Considering his background, one would expect the newest ASU assistant to have a profound, immediate impact upon the Sun Devils. But by the sound of it, he’s maybe even exceeded Pierce’s lofty expectations thus far.

“Probably the MVP of our Spring so far has been Robert Rodriguez and what he’s been able to do with those players,” Pierce remarked. “You see their eyes. They’re bright and they’re eager to learn. So, I think from that standpoint that’s the bright spot.”

Last spring practice as you may recall, presented a stark different set of circumstances. The Sun Devils were struggling to find enough players to form a two-deep in those sessions. It resulted in tired bodies, running alignments that feature just two defensive linemen and even at one point getting a reserve offensive lineman (Corey Stephens) to switch sides and help bolster the numbers.

With that perspective in mind, Pierce certainly appreciates what Rodriguez has brought to the unit that much more.

“I think last year at this time in Spring we didn’t have any d-lineman, probably had four or five players,” Pierce recalled. “Now we got four players and you watch what they’re doing to our offensive line and how they’re getting after it.”

One of those early standouts has undoubtedly been redshirt freshman Amiri Johnson, who has visibly transformed his body over the last several months since the 2019 season ended, adding some 50 pounds of muscle since arriving in Tempe last June. Pierce described that physical transformation by bringing out his best Disney movie comparison.

“He was Bambi last year,” Pierce quipped with a grin. “Bambi is like a little elk and a moose now, he’s looking pretty. But you know what, he was a kid that we knew was going to come along eventually. We didn’t know how quick the weight was going to come on. (Sports performance coach) Joe (Connolly) did an amazing job in the weight room with him.

“To his credit, Amiri embraced it. Not only that, he embraced being a big body guy now, I heard coach Rodriguez talking about that earlier this week. He embraced his power, I mean when you’re 6’6’’ with that arm-length, and now at 260 (pounds), and what he’s doing in the weight room he’s now showcasing on the field, and it’s happening a year early for us. We expected it next year, and it’s going to be a pleasant surprise if he can continue to grow that way.”

Just to clear any confusion, Johnson is listed at 225 lbs. on the official Spring practice roster, since those player weights won’t be updated until closer to fall camp.

ASU witnessing the seeds of a new program culture beginning to sprout

The two-year time period since the hiring of head coach Herm Edwards has seen not only an improvement in ASU’s recruiting efforts but also presented an entirely different vibe among the Sun Devil squad.

It has been well documented listening players talking about fewer rules, and rather living up the standards that Edwards has set requiring them to take care of their business on and off the field. Former linebacker Khaylan Kearse-Thomas compared the change in the team environment to the movie Coming to America equating leaving a dictatorship for a free country.

Pierce shared just the latest example of this larger shift in culture and how it can affect prospective ASU players as well.

“We had a bunch of kids out there on an unofficial visit,” Pierce said. “You could see it, they want to be a part of this, and that’s different than what we’ve had in springs prior.”

Furthermore, ASU’s co-defensive coordinator touched on how all the players have embraced the culture of competition, and believes that the high-end recruits will continue to flow in as they see this aspect of the program.

“I think the key thing is we got players that want to come in and compete,” Pierce commented. “Nobody’s talking about redshirting, that’s like a ‘no-no’ word around here. They expect to come in and play and contribute right away, and that’s the kind of passionate players we want, and that grows when they’re around our players when they come on campus.

“As they keep playing early and earlier on, we’ll get bigger and better players.”

Another aspect of the program’s values that ASU prides itself in is the family environment it fosters. Even though this facet can come in extremely somber times, in manifested when the team announced they moved a spring practice date so members of the staff and players could attend the funeral services for Merlin Robertson’s father.

“Myself and coach Edwards spoke,” Pierce said. “Merlin, at the moment, smiled. We hugged, embraced, and then at the end of it the whole family just kind of looked at us and said thank you. All we could do is be there for them, there’s nothing we could say, do.

“We just got to adjust. What we told his father is no different at the beginning of time back in January of 2018 until what we told him yesterday, and the family, that we got (Merlin’s) back, and we’re going to help him grow on and off the field.

“Family first, and that’s what we try to showcase and prove.”

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