The Arizona State defensive line under coach Robert Rodriguez is one of the loudest and most energetic groups on the practice field day in and day out. The unit takes on the personality of its coach, as Rodriguez can be heard imparting passionate wisdom to his defensive linemen at all corners of the facility. It’s not just charisma that makes this group stand out; it’s talent and depth. After the fifth spring practice on Wednesday morning, four defensive linemen spoke to media about personal goals, the line’s progression, and just what makes them go.
During the 2021 season, coach Rodriguez raved about the progress being made by Stanley Lambert. He explained that being able to trust a guy like Lambert on the field is a necessity as a coach and how Lambert had gone from an undersized kid to someone Rodriguez didn’t have to think twice about putting on the field. According to Lambert, his development can be attributed to several things, and he believes putting it all together could make him one of the elites.
“The last couple of games I flashed out, and now I’m just trying to put that into this year,” Lambert said. “I was going through a lot of off-field issues, dealing with my knee. My biggest goal right now is to play the run. I’ve been good at pass rush, but I was too small to play the run. Playing last year, I was 235; now, I’m at 245-250.
Lambert, whose imposing figure is noticeably more muscular this spring as he indicated, had to work hard to put on the weight he feels necessary to be a well-rounded lineman and NFL prospect.
“Creatine, and eating like six times a day. I was eating a lot,” Lambert said. “It sucked, but it was a lot, and I was working out more. Now I can bench damn near 315; I got way, way stronger. I’m trying to stay around that 245-250 range. I knew I was too small when I was playing against Wisconsin; I was getting thrown around a little bit. I told myself I had to put on some weight real quick.”
As an elder statesmen on this year’s defense, Lambert has come full circle from his former role as the new young guy to a vocal leader. He discussed how the dynamic could help the team as a whole.
“We got a lot of young guys, and they’re getting better over the last couple of days, he said. “The whole D line is like a leader for this team. Coach has told us we gotta be more vocal and be a leader for this team; sometimes we gotta make our own calls and just be more vocal with it.”
The penalty issues of 2021 were mainly on the offensive side, but the defense didn’t leave the scene with squeaky clean hands by any means. On both sides of the ball, this has become a focal point for Arizona State, and the players know at the end of the day, the coaches can only say so much; it comes down to their execution on the field.
“We’re just taking it as a team; it’s more of just we need to fix it rather than the coaches. If someone messes up, we have to tell them we can’t have that,” defensive lineman Joe Moore said. “11 penalties a game, that’s not gonna cut it this year.”
Moore is determined to uphold the production that his unit has enjoyed over the last year. The depth is a definitive strength of the D line, with accountability being emphasized by him and his teammates.
“I feel like when one of us messes up, a player addresses it before a coach even does,” Moore said. “We know where we messed up; we’re not yelling or getting on anyone. It comes from a brother and a friend, and just doing that can make us a better team. Last year we had players that stood out with big names; this year, it’s more everybody together, we’re gonna need all 11 guys.”
While Lambert raised some eyebrows with his early offseason physical gains, it’s freshman Robby Harrison whose stature is perhaps the most impressive. Coach Rodriguez described the defensive tackle as being “made of granite up top,” and he certainly passes the eye test. When coaches and players speak about the depth of the line, it’s newcomers like Harrison who are shouldering that burden. At this rate, Arizona State will be able to make hockey-style line changes on the defensive line without sacrificing much production at all.
“This is brand new to me, but I really like it,” Harrison said in the first media availability of his collegiate career. “All the guys are helping me out; there’s more stunting and moving than there was in high school; I really love it.”
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In the secondary, the depth is not the same. ASU will be without cornerbacks, Chase Lucas and Jack Jones, as well as safety Evan Fields this season. Timarcus Davis is slotted to be the number one option at cornerback and is ready to take on the role of a leader both verbally and by example.
“I mean, as a leader, I want all the guys out there with me to trust me,” Davis said. “I’m trying to embrace it and be more of a vocal leader. I know ya’ll heard Herm talking about that chemistry, we have that, and it doesn’t make leading too hard.”
Davis’s leadership has been put to the test early in spring ball, as the secondary has some new faces. He remembers his time as a transfer and emphasized the importance of the little things like making every teammate feel welcome.
“You have to make people feel comfortable, don’t make them feel like an outsider. If they have questions, don’t shy away. Everyone wants to feel welcome,” Davis said. “Anything outside of football too, we can talk about that. Technically, they caught on super fast. We’re all being taught the same things.”
Like many of his coaches, Timarcus Davis is putting a premium on being disciplined both personally and as a team.
“If you look at a lot of our losses this last year, they came from penalties or spotting teams points,” he said. “Just playing clean and having discipline. The more disciplined team on defense or on offense is usually going to win. It’s making sure that everybody’s on the same page. It’s about building competitive habits.”
The defense is hungry, and they seem to be on the same page when it comes to areas of focus and need for improvement. In terms of lip service, the defensive side of the ball is polished and ready to put in the work necessary to come out hot in August.
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