Spring practice is the first opportunity to see some of the offseason progress that particular players have made and how it translates to the gridiron. Players may have limited time to revamp themselves entirely, but they do intend to utilize any bandwidth available to take the next step toward improving their contributions to the team.

Linebacker Caleb McCullough, cornerback Latterance Welch, and nickel back Shamari Simmons are among those who have left glaring voids in their respective defensive positions this offseason. Notable gaps present notable opportunities, especially in spring ball, where players can make their claim to gain an improvement in their role.

ASU head coach Kenny Dillingham stated this week that there are players who have "earned the right to be starters." He cited senior safeties Xavion Alford and Myles Rowser, as well as defensive tackle C.J. Fite, while still emphasizing that there are more slots available than there are currently secured.

“There’s a lot of positions where we got a lot of open competition,” Dillingham stated. “If you’ve earned the right to be a starter, we’re only going to be as good as you…so yeah we can name a starter I have no issue with that, but there are a bunch of positions where there are no starters, and it could be one of any three people that could end up winning a job.”

Rodney Bimage Jr, a redshirt freshman cornerback, is among the players competing for one of those positions and has impressed early on in spring practice. He was arguably the clear standout of Tuesday's practice, intercepting the day's first errant ball thrown by sophomore quarterback Sam Leavitt. A couple of days later, he made an even more stunning interception on Thursday while diving for the ball.

The Houston native was a three-star recruit out of high school but redshirted last year due to the position's talent level. Based on his performance so far this week, he's more than ready to take the next step and compete for extended playing time against his position group.

Bimage still has a long way to go to secure a spot in the two-deep, as two of the three cornerback slots appear to be locked up with Abney and junior CB Javan Robinson, who started last season. Senior cornerback Nyland Green, a Purdue transfer, has more experience than Bimage, but the redshirt freshman has shown that he is on the right trajectory to be in the rotation at corner.

“Rodney is doing a great job, he’s coming out here competing, doing his thing,” Junior cornerback Keith Abney II remarked. “I'm proud of Rodney man, his growth in the weightroom, all the work he’s put in, he’s getting to display it… He’s doing a great job of growing up and stepping into that role, knowing that he’s going to have to step up for us this year.”

The defensive line may have experienced the fewest modifications of any defensive position group. Jeff Clark was the only departure from the team's three-deep at the end of last season, leaving no doubt about the group's potential to exceed its exceptional performance from 2024. Nonetheless, the ASU coaches believe that this unit can still show tangible progress.

Some advancements have already been apparent, particularly in terms of physicality. When discussing the Sun Devils’ defensive unit's offseason growth, defensive coordinator Brian Ward remarked that junior defensive tackle C.J. Fite and senior defensive lineman Clayton Smith appear to be "bigger human beings."

Zac Swanson, a junior defensive lineman, is among many who believe the position group has the potential to become a formidable front line for ASU. Swanson has so far played exclusively for the first team in spring, stepping up from his role as a second-team rotational player last season. He was one of the most improved players on the team in the latter half of the 2024 campaign.

Following Thursday's practice, the 6-foot-5 lineman said that he was content with his own progress. According to Swanson, he came out of high school as a "245-pound kid," but after a few seasons of bulking up, he weighed in at 290 lbs. when spring practice began.

“The biggest thing for me was being able to put on weight while keeping my speed and quickness,” Swanson noted. “It’s really cool to be able to see me, get to 290-295, and still move really well. It's just something that, it’s my first time getting a good offseason where I got really strong, so being able to implement that into my game is going to be a really big thing for me.”

Swanson proclaimed that his biggest goal for this upcoming season is to stay healthy. Although he didn’t miss any significant time last season due to injury, lingering shoulder and leg issues kept him from reaching the level he felt he needed to be at.

“I believe that if I’m able to play a whole season, all my other goals will follow,” Swanson remarked. “The stats I want to reach, the camaraderie, the leadership I want to reach, it’ll all come along, but I have to be healthy to be able to show I’m a part of the team, and that I’m bought in.”

Last season, ASU's defense was one of its most significant assets, allowing only 22.6 PPG, third in the Big 12. With returning starters, transfers, and returning guys who worked hard to take the next step this season, this unit has the potential to be even stronger than last year. The motivation for constant improvement isn’t only reserved for players such as Bimage and Swanson but truly for everyone on the roster, despite the current pecking order.

"Don't get too comfortable," Ward stated. "Don't make yourself comfortable, don't think you've arrived. Marvin Hagler, former boxing champion, used to say 'It's hard to get up and do road work at 5 AM when you're sleeping in silk sheets." "If you feel like you've arrived, someone is going to pass you up."

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