From the outside looking in, the Arizona State linebackers group appears unchanged.

Longtime veterans Kyle Soelle and Merlin Robertson still man their posts. Eric Gentry slides into the starting rotation on the heels of Freshman All-American recognition. During practices, position coach Chris Claiborne remains dedicated to his routine of tackling and coverage drills.

Considering all of the changes the Sun Devils endured over the offseason, repetition is not terrible nor unusual. It is expected for a group that seems to be at the end of its maturation stage. As the area of the defense with the least amount of pieces to replace, consistency will be vital.

“I think we’re talented,” redshirt sophomore Caleb McCullough said. “We only lost one guy. It’s the same guys, a lot of veteran guys coming back, so I think we’re going to be ready.”

Defensive coordinator Donnie Henderson has laid out the standards for the unit.

“Donnie told us this is a veteran group,” redshirt sophomore Will Shaffer said, “so he’s going to treat us like veterans.

“I’m not that little freshman anymore. I’ve got to be able to take over a room, take over a defense. I feel like Donnie puts that pressure on us a little bit.”

Henderson has emphasized the importance of leadership in his scheme. While the overall infrastructure of the defense will essentially carry over from Antonio Pierce’s 2021 design, a few of its messengers will not. Darien Butler, a three-time ASU team captain, is preparing for the NFL Draft. Butler said last fall that his connection with Soelle and Robertson on the field was almost telepathic.

That’s not the case for the depth, who still have strides to establish the same bonds.

“We work at it every day,” Shaffer said. “Communication is a big part of our defense. We have a lot of checks and calls through communicating. If you don’t talk to each other, then you’ve lost. So that’s what we harp on every day.”

The return of Soelle and Robertson helps mask some of the hiccups that can pop up.

“If you pay attention to them and listen to them, they’ll lead you in the right direction,” redshirt freshman Jaydon Williams said.

Butler’s influence is still felt despite his absence from the room. With a sharp nose for the football and natural instincts in coverage, Butler proved himself as a three-down player capable of fulfilling any role. However, his determination and work ethic as an overlooked prospect has rubbed off the most as a mentor.

“Just gotta have that dawg mentality,” Shaffer said. “He's a really smart, really energetic football player, and he’s passionate. That’s how I feel like most of his teaching came onto me because he’s passionate about it. He loves it.”

“He was someone you felt would truly die on that field for you,” redshirt junior Connor Soelle, younger brother to Kyle, said. “That’s just something we’re trying to continue in the linebacker room in general, just the way that he played and the style he played.”

Last spring, Claiborne was in an adjustment period in his first season as a position coach. Having three established starters allowed him to grow into the title as well as concentrate on the younger players in the room. Over the last few weeks, Claiborne has been noticeably more vocal and assertive. He will challenge the notoriously booming octave of defensive line coach Robert Rodriguez a few meters away to drive home a point to his players.

“He definitely wants us to be the best group on the field at all times,” Shaffer said.

“We’ve got a thing that we say: ‘carpe diem,’ seize the day,’” Soelle said. “That’s a big thing for Coach Claiborne. Every single day you come into work, you seize the day and do what you can to make the team better.”

Claiborne’s ambition is unlocking the potential of his disciples. McCullough made a switch from middle linebacker to the strong side (SAM) position. With less of an emphasis on the relay of responsibilities and information, McCullough said he “can play a lot more free.”

“The past two years, I was just so focused on making the right plays and trying to focus on stuff I had no control over,” McCullough said. “Now I’m just focusing on what I can control.”

In his press conference, Claiborne said McCullough has been the player he’s seen improve his game the most over the last month. However, the praise won’t impact his objective.

“It means a lot, but I still have a lot of work to do,” McCullough said. “I haven’t done anything yet. It’s spring ball, so he can say a lot right now, but I really gotta show it Saturday on the field.”

McCullough said he wants to increase his weight after sitting at 205 pounds. That’s where Williams is at now, who entered the program undersized at 180 pounds. He’s only five pounds off his target, which has helped increase his assurance in the weight room.

“I feel like I’m kind of a big dog in the weight room now,” Williams smiled.

Although learning under a new defensive coordinator was daunting initially for Williams, the speedy linebacker also sees progress in his understanding.

“At first, I was stressing about it, but now I’m kinda getting it and learning it better,” Williams said. “When Coach tells you that you’re learning it, it boosts your confidence.”

Soelle hopes his enhanced knowledge of the game will translate to more playing time headed into his fourth season.

“Coming from high school, a lot of guys just use their talent to be better than everybody else,” Soelle said. That’s just the way it works, but when you get to college, you just can’t do that. So I really just locked it in, understanding what I’m doing schematically all across the field.”

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