Arizona State's three-technique defensive tackle Jermayne Lole is well aware of his unit’s critics.

Lole, a junior, is a member of a Sun Devil defensive group often characterized as the unit with the most questions to answer on this entire ASU team. Pass rush comes up often as a deficiency needing correcting as this defensive line combined for just 13 sacks last year, and half were Lole’s.

However, Lole does not care to focus on the cynics and believes his unit will be improved from a year ago. He said the new 4-3 scheme under co-defensive coordinators Marvin Lewis and Antonio Pierce will lead to an improved pass rush because it now allows the linemen to do more “downhill” pass rushing.

“To be honest, yeah, I hear it,” Lole stated. “We don’t really care about it. We know what we can bring to the table. Especially how hard we’ve worked with coach (Robert Rodriguez). I feel like people don’t really expect a lot from us, but we’ll be able to put up some great numbers this year as a D-Line.”

Even by other ASU coaches, Rodriguez has often been mentioned not only players as one of the main reasons Lole holds that belief. Rodriguez spent the last five seasons as an assistant defensive line coach in the NFL with the Minnesota Vikings and coached pro bowlers, Everson Griffen and Danielle Hunter.

“It’s more of a pro-style scheme, and he came from the pros,” Lole said. “I feel like he’s helped us out a lot. I feel like as a group, as a whole, we just so grateful for coach Rod.”

With the season opener against USC just two weeks away, the defensive system is something the Sun Devils’ front four will need to showcase quickly that they have effectively adapted to. Led by 2019 Pac-12 offensive freshman of the year, quarterback Kedon Slovis, the Trojans feature one of the best offenses in the league.

According to Lole, there’s not much else the defensive line needs to learn scheme-wise by week one.

“We pretty much got the defense down locked,” Lole remarked. “Just a couple things here and there, but I feel like we should have a good game plan going into USC. Not just comfortable. We feel more confident now.”

Lole is the standout member of his unit. His 6.5 sacks led the team last season, and his 10 tackles for loss were second among his teammates. Yet, in order for this position group to showcase the gains it has claimed to make, Lole cannot go at it all alone. He will need his teammates around him to step up.

Lole praised the group around him for their ability to progress from a year ago.

“If you see (Tyler Johnson) from this year to last year, you can see real improvement from last year in his body and his attitude in general,” Lole explained. “D.J. (Davidson) was our starter last year. He was a dog last year, but I feel like this year you’ll see more of him in the pass rush. (Anthonie Cooper) since we got back, he’s probably been one of the most consistent guys. He’s really like a gadget that wherever we want to put somebody to win one on ones, we just put Coop out there.”

Lewis commended the effort of his defensive front to develop and echoed Lole’s sentiments concerning a front four that has exhibited all the signs of a group poised to turn the corner.

“As a whole, our guys have been working very, very hard,” Lewis commented. “I’m pleased with the progress that they’ve made. Since we’ve had the opportunity to play football in pads, it’s continued to work hard at the techniques and the things we’re asking them to do, and the proof will be when you get to go play against an opponent.”

Regarding Lole as an individual, he noted that he put on a significant amount of muscle in the offseason to prepare for a move from an interior lineman last year to a three-technique defensive tackle. He admitted that during the quarantine period, he put on “bad weight,” but when ASU’s football facilities re-opened, he worked with the team’s head coach for sports performance Joe Connolly and converted the bad weight into muscle.

“This is probably the strongest and most explosive I’ve been since I’ve been here,” Lole stated.

Lewis was uncertain Lole knew his full range of capabilities before the start of last season but believes that after the lineman's success a year ago, he will come in with the right amount of swagger that could translate into his best season yet as a Sun Devil.

“Jermayne last year showed that he has the ability to go out and make productive football plays in a game,” Lewis said. “I don’t think he was sure of that as much until last year. He got the opportunity to do that. By now, I think he comes into a new season with an opportunity with that kind of confidence, and so it’s exciting for him.”

Join your fellow Sun Devil fans on our premium message board, the Devils’ Huddle, to discuss this article and other ASU football and recruiting topics. Not a member yet? Sign up today here and get all the latest Sun Devil news!