At the heart of Arizona State Football's defense is a linebacker core loaded with experience, thanks to transfers who are anything but novices to the college football stage. This melting pot of players has been beneficial for linebackers coach AJ Cooper, as he feels his players come with their unique talents and personalities that make up a balanced and competitive group.
“I'd say it's a group of guys that bring something individually,” Cooper noted. “Really, when you look around, that's what's cool about the group. They all have different ways they lead guys. They're very competitive, but they care about each other. Not just as football players, just people. So, I'm excited for them to get out there and really shut their brains off and just go cut it loose.”
The linebacker unit has worked diligently to prepare for the season opener against Wyoming on Saturday, and Cooper knows the level of intensity and focus each one of his players had to demonstrate to be adequately prepared for the Saturday matchup.
“As a coach, I appreciate the work they put in up to this point,” Cooper said. “The commitment that people don't see in the weight room, in the film room, throughout the spring, and through the summer and all the extra little things the details they're doing with their nutrition and just keep themselves on the field it's a blessing because they're a really fun group to coach.”
Perhaps no player within the group has displayed a more intense work ethic than junior Keyshaun Elliot, who conveyed to the media during Camp Tontozona that he wakes up at 4:15 a.m. every morning. The transfer started his early morning routine whilst at New Mexico State, where he finished 30th in the FBS in tackles over the 2023 season with 111. The outstanding numbers he put up with the 10-win Aggies are a testament to his tremendous work ethic, which lends itself to leading by example.
“You want your best players to be your hardest workers,” Cooper remarked. “When your culture is going to change and shift, that's got to be the case. He's (Elliott) surely shown that. What I respect so much is that he came in, and it wasn't by his words; it was by his actions.
“It was getting in there early. It was doing extra lifts. It was what he was doing nutritionally or academically. Everything he was trying to do at a championship and a first-class level. Instead of talking about it, our people have seen it, and more and more guys are buying into that. And I think with the culture of our team this year, there are more guys with that type of DNA.”
The dedication to improvement doesn’t begin and end with Elliot however, transfers Zyrus Fiaseu from San Diego State, and Jordan Crook from Arkansas have made their presence known back in the spring and have quickly impressed Cooper as well.
“He's a spark club, both him and Crook,” Cooper described. “They're like little Pit Bulls out there, when they pull the trigger and make decisions, it's something explosive happening.”
Fiaseu had a notable season with the Aztecs in 2023, when he was awarded the team MVP honors. That season, he notched 66 tackles and 5.5 sacks and had the fifth-highest pass-rushing grade among Mountain West conference linebackers. Ever since stepping foot in Tempe, Cooper has been pleased with the adaptive qualities Fiaseu has displayed.
“What's really cool to see is Zyrus has found a comfort level this fall that he didn't quite have in spring just within the scheme,” Cooper stated. “That's a testament to him and how much hard work he put in this summer in the film room and on the practice field. It was really coaching himself up, and you're starting to see it on the field.”
Crook’s two-year career at Arkansas has enabled him to join the Sun Devils with some high-level experience. In 2023, he recorded multiple tackles in six of eight SEC games, including four tackles against No.16 Mississippi State and No.9 Missouri.
“You see a guy that's obviously played in some big atmospheres,” Cooper mentioned. “A guy that has a very good understanding of how to fit the run and who's gotten so much better in the past coverage. And you see his leadership, his energy, he's a very vocal guy. So, he's bringing all those things. I think his past is helping them as far as how he continues to grow here.
“So, when things go awry, he's very consistent with his energy. He doesn't get too high or too low. And he's very coachable in the moment. That's really the biggest thing, generally with older and younger players, is how they handle adversity.”
Along with all the high-profile transfers on the roster, there are some returning players who have worked up the ASU football ranks. Redshirt senior Caleb McCullough has been on the Sun Devil roster for all five years of his colligate career starting in 2020. The 6-foot-2 linebacker was rewarded for his patience in 2023, playing in all 12 games for the first time in his career and posting 52 total tackles.
According to Cooper, McCullough has gradually shown improvement and is now in a position to flourish once again in the maroon and gold.
“In every single session he's had, he's gotten better in the weight room, ever since I've gotten an opportunity to coach him, he just gets better and better,” Cooper commented. “He's much more confident, and confidence sounds different. So, he's a lot louder on the field, and his communication, his ability to play both (linebacker) spots. Now that he understands what he's doing, you see his fundamentals and his tackling.”
The new-look linebacker core has a depth level they didn’t have last year and has made substantial strides ahead of the 2024 season. Cooper appreciates the fact that he has a talented group that challenges each other and one that the defense can rely on its experience to be effective on game day.
“I think iron sharpens iron,” Cooper said. “Our whole goal is to make things as hard as we can on our guys during the week so that on Saturdays, with the flow of the game and the speed of the game, there's not a big difference. That's why they pay us money, is to get that stuff figured out.
“Our defense as a whole had to take that next step in communicating and anticipating. Anytime you get 11 guys that trust their guts and play fast, that’s when you’re gonna have an explosive defense.”
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