Don’t expect a complete overhaul from Arizona State defensive coordinator Donnie Henderson or anything close to it.

That was clear after his Saturday press conference, which was Henderson’s first time speaking in the new role since he was elevated from interim defensive backs coach following Antonio Pierce’s resignation. On the heels of massive turnover in the program, including the loss of seven starters from last season, Henderson stressed the importance of keeping things the same and trusting his staff to develop their position groups accordingly.

There are plenty of reasons to maintain continuity. Last season, the Sun Devils ranked first in scoring defense among Pac-12 competition. The unit’s 326.0 yards allowed per game ranked 13th across the entire FBS.

When Edwards came to Henderson with the ASU defensive coordinator job in mind, as he did 18 years ago when both coached for the New York Jets, Henderson was surprised. At the time, he was evaluating his options for retirement. Henderson decided he had a few years left in him to coach and returned to preserve the system that ranked among the conference’s best.

“As far as schematically, I haven’t changed anything,” Henderson said. “So what we wanted to do was keep the continuity with the kids and the flow of the call.”

A secondary laden with veterans was a significant reason for the success. Emboldened by the coverage talents of four super seniors in Chase Lucas, Jack Jones, Evan Fields, and DeAndre Pierce, ASU trusted its throwing windows would remain on lockdown until its pass rush forced the quarterback’s hand. The Sun Devils used their linebackers accordingly, commonly spreading all three base players into the hook, curl, and middle hole zones of the field.

But that was last season. ASU no longer has an experienced back half to rely on, which hardly operated at full strength anyway. Injuries to Fields and Pierce throughout 2021 revealed a deep concern about the safety position depth, especially when backup Kejuan Markham was unable to suit up against Washington. Henderson himself openly wondered last October if the group would be ready to step up if called upon.

With those in-season alarms in stark remembrance, ASU turned to the transfer portal and set their sights on finding experienced safeties. Khoury Bethley and Chris Edmonds arrive as multiple-year starters looking to prove themselves against a step-up in competition. Both players offer desired ballhawk skills and keen play awareness.

When asked what he wanted to see from the safeties in the spring, Henderson was direct and firm in his answer.

“I said this to the safeties the other day: the guys that are going to play are the guys that can clearly communicate and get guys lined up,” Henderson said. “That’s the first step. And after that, you have to make plays, obviously.”

Having his safeties be vocal leaders is essential to Henderson. The former NFL coach’s preference explains the distribution in playing time through the first three practices. Bethley and Edmonds missed the team’s walkthrough period ahead of spring camp, so Henderson opted to give Markham and redshirt junior Alijah Gammage first-team reps. On the second team, Jordan Clark (ASU’s starting nickel cornerback) and D.J. Taylor (ASU’s starting kick returner) are receiving playing time over both transfers.

Clark’s usage is also interesting. Used as the team’s primary slot option and now the second-most experienced cornerback on the roster behind Timarcus Davis, Clark is expected to wear many hats for ASU’s defense this fall. However, one of those hats will not be at the outside corner spot. Instead, Henderson wants to play Clark, who stands at 5-10 and weighs 185 pounds, where he will be evenly matched.

“Depth is his friend,” Henderson said. “We are going to keep him at nickel and safety.”

While the defensive approach will not be altered dramatically, it is clear that Henderson and Pierce are two different personalities. Henderson described himself as “standoffish,” preferring to only make adjustments if he sees something on film. That is a far cry from Pierce’s hands-on nature, who would dress in a sweatsuit and show rather than just tell the players his expectations. Henderson also admitted he is still getting familiar with the entire defensive lineup. He knows the player’s numbers but keeps a notecard handy in his pocket with their names to help with recall.

However, one can see similarities in their tendencies as a play caller. On Tuesday, Edwards mentioned that Henderson often went “off-script” once he saw how the offense was attacking their gameplan. Pierce was notorious for making adjustments mid-game, which usually benefited ASU. Most recently, in the Las Vegas Bowl, the Sun Devils switched to a five-man front out of halftime and held Wisconsin to minus seven rushing yards in the third quarter and 78 total yards in the half.

In terms of his aggressiveness regarding sending the blitz and hunting quarterbacks, Henderson doesn’t envision his unit changing much in that aspect either. Right now, determining the strength and reliability of the secondary is key. If the coverage can be trusted, then that confidence facilitates some of the creativity up-front.

“We didn’t blitz a whole lot last year, and it worked out for us,” Henderson said. “The one thing we did do was keep the ball in front and inside. We gave up some vertical passes, don’t get me wrong. But at the same time, if you start bringing ‘em, you better have some corners that can hold up on the edges.”

Henderson said he feels fortunate to have leaders like middle linebacker Kyle Soelle. A team captain last season, Soelle follows orders and keeps the defense on the same page. He doesn’t do anything extracurricular or speak more than he needs to. The latter trait is one Henderson sincerely values.

“There’s a reason for that,” Henderson said. “I want them to play football. Let’s control our emotions where we don’t get to the point where it becomes combative and just be competitive.”

One player who is maturing in that aspect is sophomore linebacker, Eric Gentry. Gentry, who earned freshman All-American honors last season, impressed last season with his work ethic and football intelligence. But when errors occurred, he also clashed with teammates.

Headed into his second season as a bona fide starter, Henderson said Gentry is working on expressing himself in a more conducive manner while manning an enlarged role in the defense.

“People expect more from him now,” Henderson said. “If he can make the transition of just being who he is and try not to be who people want him to be, he’ll be fine. He knows football.

“He was out here every day, even during the Christmas break. He was out there running around, and I was in my office so I could look down and see him. He was participating, doing his own drills.”

Old proverb advises staying away from fixing what is not already broken. The Sun Devils have undergone a flurry of change since January. With the best interest of the defense in mind, Henderson seems to be taking that tried-and-true mantra to heart.

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