Formidable play by ASU's front five was the catalyst for an explosive Sun Devil offense in an 11-win season. In our interview with offensive line coach Saga Tuitele, we review this group's 2024 performance, the importance of continuity, and the success of the Polynesian pipeline.

DevilsDigest: As much as football has evolved over time, one thing that has never changed is that each season is won or lost in the trenches. With ASU recording an 11-3 mark and winning the Big 12, I have to believe that you're pleased with what you saw from your group last season.

Saga Tuitele: “Yes. They played hard, they played together, and they got better as the season progressed. And as a coach, that's what you want to see. You want to play your best football at the end of the year. You want to be able to make sure that you do all those little things that keep you healthy and then play your best when it counts. I think our guys did a really, really good job, and credit to Coach Connoly (strength coach Joe Connoly) and his staff in the weight room and to Coach Gerry (Director of Football Athletic training Gerry Garcia) for preparing the players in the training room, keeping them fresh and keeping them healthy enough to play the whole season. So, we're excited and we're fired up that we were able to last and stay as healthy as we did.”

DevilsDigest: There is no substitute for experience, and even though the 2023 season was vastly different than 2024, this past year, most of your two-deep were returning players from that 2023 season. What change did you see on the field or off the field from that core group of players that really allowed the unit’s performance to elevate dramatically?

Saga Tuitele: “A lot of those guys that played a lot of snaps in 2023 and they were forced to play because there weren't a lot of us. But we played hard, and I thought they played well throughout the 2023 season. And then they carried over to the next year. Not that we need outside influences to make us play better, but they just got tired of hearing about that 2023 season and about how the injuries we had. So, I think the experience and just the culture that we have of getting better, keeping things simple, and continuing to develop our culture helped, and it carried over to 2024, and I know it's going to help and carry over to this upcoming season.”

DevilsDigest: There’s still going to be a lot of continuity in the two-deep that should help you in 2025, but one player that will be hard to replace is center Leif Fautanu…

Saga Tuitele: “Yeah, that's a hard one to replace. He was just a kid that's played a lot of ball, and has done a lot for Arizona State. He meant a lot to us on the field and off the field, and it's hard to replace his experience and his leadership. He played his tail off, and he's going to be missed. And more importantly, what he did here is that he practiced and he kept his standards high. He did all the little things right and was a good example to everyone. He did everything he was supposed to do, and he did it with a great attitude and great effort, so it showed. You talk about a kid who's never had a winning season in college football, and he stayed the course, stayed the course, and finally, in his last year in college football, he was able to accomplish that first winning season and accomplish a conference championship and a bowl game. It was good for him to experience that and get all the accolades that he did.”

DevilsDigest: Maybe the best 2024 recruit that you got on the offensive line last year was a player that you already there in 2023, Ben Coleman, who suffered an Achilles injury and wasn't able to play in his first year at ASU. His presence in the starting five in 2024 was probably one of the biggest differences that made this offensive line better than the year before. And can you talk about his move from left guard to center?

Saga Tuitele: “Ben has played very, very well this past season. It took some time for him coming off an Achilles injury, and again Gerry did a great job in the training room, and Coach Connolly and his group did a great job in the weight room. Ben was able to get himself ready through spring practice of last season, getting his legs back and just getting the feel of football and the pounding. He was figuring out how to recover and figuring out how to stay healthy, and I thought he did a really good job of it. For his first year back from injury, I thought it was awesome of him gaining the confidence and, being one of the better offensive linemen in this conference. So, I thought he did a really good job of that (5:04) and just getting his body ready for this past season.

“Ben playing center, he's got, number one, the same leadership qualities as Leif. Everybody's personality is different, but Ben is equipped for it, and he's ready for it. He's doing a great job of leading the young men in the offseason because he has that football mindset and a lot of experience. He knows our system, and he's smart enough to know what we need to do. He's smart enough to make adjustments. He's got the respect of everybody, so why not put a young man where it just fits? Center fits him perfectly. He was excited for it; he's been training for it this whole offseason, and even this past year, he's been training to be the emergency center, which was good. He's able to play multiple positions. Obviously, he's played tackle at Cal, played very, very well here at guard, and now throwing him at center will be a really, really good fit for him.”

DevilsDigest: Another big difference, in my opinion, between the 2023 and 2024 offensive line was the right side of the group. The performance of Max Iheanachor at right tackle and Kye Scott at left guard were significant factors in how well the front five played. What do you see from their development?

Saga Tuitele: “Max, was still young at football when he came here (didn’t play the game until he arrived at junior college, playing just one year there). So, to see him take ownership of how to get better in his own time and really how to be a college football player was a process. It was a lot of learning for him, and I thought that he did a good job of just learning how to be a Division I athlete in 2023, getting some experience, and then he started to play well down the stretch. 2024 was about him dominating and being able to maximize what he's done and what he's learned. The more experience he got slowed the game down a little bit for him. He got valuable experience in 2023, and because of that, he was able to have a successful 2024. we look forward to seeing what his progression will be, and he's done a good job of just preparing himself for this year. He’s doing a good job with the mental part of it because it's not just X's and O's. It's the preparation, it's the recovery, it's the game within the game that only experience can give you.

“With Kyle, the number one thing was just his professionalism, how he prepared, and how he took care of his body. Both players came from junior college, and just like Max, it just took Kyle a while to figure out how to be a Division I athlete. I always thought that he had a lot of potential, and he still does. So, when you get a guy like Kyle and you get him in a structure around guys who understand what it takes to be successful, and then believing in what we're trying to do, that helps you develop. Kyle talked about his development from 2023 to now, the unbelievable turnaround with his body, the way he goes about things, and the way he prepares. All those things helped him play his best football toward the end of that year and prepared him for last year. He stepped in very well when the initial starter, Cade Briggs, got hurt, and Kyle never looked back. He just stayed the course and did a great job of keeping our culture and, at the same time, getting the feel of what he can do on the field.”

DevilsDigest: Last year’s spring practice featured a starting left tackle battle between Josh Atkins and Jalen Klemm, and later in the year Klemm had a medical issue so he was not available for the season and Atkins, for the most part, played starting left tackle. Where does that position battle stand now before this year’s spring practice?

Saga Tuitele: “Jalen is full go. He's back, he's driven, and he's excited. He's doing a great job so far this month in the weight room, and as far as we're concerned, he's ready to roll. Josh is another veteran guy who came to us through the portal, and he's just one of those offensive linemen who just got better each and every week. He's a kid who's naturally just a physical player who wants to hit people. Some said, ‘Well, he's not tall enough to play tackle.’ And I say that playing tackle is not about height. It's about length, and Josh has got the longest arms I've ever seen. Before that I thought Leif did, but Josh takes the cake on that one. Josh progressed as well and split time with Emmitt Bohle last year at the beginning of the season. And then he just started playing really, really well. He's a kid who loves ball, loves his craft, and because of his nature, he's so violent on the field. It's awesome to see a young man who loves ball as much as he does. He improved a ton since he got here, and he's got a very high IQ. He's working his tail off right now in the offseason. Last year, he was just feeling his way through, learning what to do. But now you can see him with the confidence of knowing what the offseason is going to look, and I look forward to seeing what he can do this year. We're excited about and lucky to have both of these guys back, and it's still going to be a competition between them.

“You mentioned the competition between Jalen and Josh, and we also have Sean Na’a, who battled some injuries, and we were able to redshirt him. So, we've got a lot of good competition with a couple of young freshmen we signed last year, like Terrell Kim and Champ Westbrooks. So, we're excited about them not only learning from the older guys but also competing with them.”

DevilsDigest: Let’s talk about the incoming freshmen and where you expect them to line up.

Saga Tuitele: “So we'll start with Manamo’ui Muti he is a big tackle. He’s on campus now, along with Maki Stewart, who will play inside. They both look good, adjusting to college life, and the boys are doing a great job of incorporating them into everything they do. RJ Lapuaho is not here yet, and he can play both guard and tackle. We'll start him off outside and see where he fits. Alema Iosua is part of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and will be going on his mission and joining us in 2027. But he is a tackle. Desean Bryant Jr is a good developmental player, but in the mold of an old school player, you get a little bit of an underdeveloped young man, and you put weight on him. Desean can play tackle or center. Matai Jefferson is not on campus yet, and he's more of an inside guy.

“We're just feeling through what all these players can and can't do, and especially doing this in spring ball. I’m definitely excited about all of them.

DevilsDigest: All-American running back Cam Skattebo’s success was naturally thanks in part to the play of your group, and oftentimes, Skattebo certainly gave credit to that unit. In all of your years coaching, is this the best running back your offensive line has ever blocked for?

Saga Tuitele: “Yeah, he's got the total package. Everybody sees the physical part of it, but it's his mental approach, too, and just the fact that he won't get tackled that makes him special. But also, he's a bright kid who understands life and understands football. He does a great job of studying, and he knows from protections to routes to why we're doing stuff…he knows how to be a running back instead of just being a physical mauler. And all of that really helped him to develop. For him to know where the ball is going to be hit, and hit the hole and set up the blocks, those are what good backs do. He was able to set us up to do his job. He was great in understanding what we're trying to do and then just knowing what the landmarks are. That's the big thing with O-linemen and backs, it's where's the design of the play, how to hit it and when to cut back or when to bounce it. He did a really great job just setting all that stuff up.”

DevilsDigest: So many ASU fans, since the season ended, have been asking, what does the running back room look like after Cam Skattebo? As an offensive line coach, you can tell your guys to block their asses off, execute their assignments, no matter if the running back that they're blocking for is somebody proven or somebody that still has a lot to prove, but the quality of the running back will still dictate a lot of the success. Going into spring practice, the first one for you without Skattebo, does any change in everyone’s link of thinking need to take place? There is probably a lot that needs to be figured out all throughout spring, maybe even into fall camp?

Saga Tuitele: “Every year, every personality is different, and when I say personality, I mean the personality of the team is who you're blocking for is different. We're still going to be physical, and we're still going to be violent. And the thing last year you had enough guys to replace, or to add depth to with, Sipp (Kyson Brown) and DeCarlos (Brooks) and those guys. You've got to replace DeCarlos, But Sipp has done a great job of being ready. He's in that same mold as Skattebo and he knows what to do, he knows what the offense is, and he's a different runner. And then you throw in Raleek Brown, who's one of the fastest guys in this conference, and he's explosive. Getting him healthy is huge for us.

“And then you have Kanye Udoh out of the portal, who brings some experience and some toughness. Knowing where he came from (Army) and being on that staff and knowing that culture, he understands our culture, and he understands teamwork. He understands he's got to fight to be a starter. I think he'll adjust fine with our schemes. And then you've got the young buck, Jason Brown, who's a bull, and he can roll through things. When you've got a bevy of running backs to choose from, and you've got the best running back coach in the country, Coach Aguano, I think that even though we're going to miss Skat, I think we have enough firepower in that room to continue to do what we're doing.”

DevilsDigest: Is it more fun to pass block for Sam Leavitt or run block for Sam Leavitt?

Saga Tuitele: “Both (laughs), yes. It's funny that Sam is so savvy, and a lot of times, you get a savvy kid who's kind of winging it. But Sam is that rare young man who knows the offense inside and out, and he knows what it's supposed to look like; he knows where it's supposed to go. He knows what the best play is. But he can also ad-lib and do some things with his feet and his legs. He's so athletic, and he's just a tough-ass kid that when he gets going, he goes. He's fearless, and the guys rally around him. And, like I said, he knows the offense so well that he's not just winging it out there, and that's the beauty of it. He spends as much of his time in the offices as we do. That guy is ready; he wants to be great, and he wants his team to be great.”

DevilsDigest: If you go back to this time last year, did you see the writing on the wall, maybe even just specifically with the offensive lineman, that 2024 was setting up to be as special as it was? And are you getting the same vibe, the same signs these days that 2025 can be or maybe should be just as special?

Saga Tuitele: “Every year, you try to press reset on how you develop. Last year I knew that even though 2023 was tough, that we built a good foundation for our culture, I really did. And I thought going into that offseason, the guys were going to work, going to play hard, going to play together, and going to play violent. I don't see us dropping off even if we didn't have the four returning starters. We've recruited well as a staff. As you go into the next season, you need to continue to develop and uphold our culture, and also find what the personality of this room is.

“2024 is behind us, and it was great and all that stuff. But nobody cares. You're not going to take that onto the field with you. Just like nobody cared about the 2023 season and what you did. After the season ends, you go, and you figure out, ‘Okay, what we can and can't do?’ While upholding our culture and doing things the right way, you get to see the personality of the group, who's going to fit the puzzle pieces, the feel, and the language. How do you communicate out there with a new center? What is it going to feel without Leif at center and without Ben at guard? We got to be able to get the confidence to see who can do what.”

DevilsDigest: I've been covering ASU football for 25 years, and I know when it comes to establishing a Polynesian pipeline in recruiting, it has been a talking point for decades now and something that before Kenny Dillingham and the staff he hired with coaches like yourself. Never happened. I know it takes a village to implement a strategy that brings a good number of Polynesian players each and every year, but why do you think it's finally working at ASU right now?

Saga Tuitele: “Well, I'll start off at the top, where you have a head coach who wants us to get the best players. He doesn’t care where they come from. And then you have a group of coaches, including myself, with the lineage and the means being able to relate to kids. And it's not just having Polynesian coaches recruit them; it's also having us here to support them. I'll take our tight ends coach, Jason Mohns, for example. He does a great job recruiting everybody and can recruit any type of person that he needs to. But to the support system around those players and for those Poly kids to feel comfortable, I can come in show that support and emphasize with that player that this coach will make you better, and he's going to develop you, and he's going to love you like we do.

“So, we are co-recruiting that player and just opening their eyes. It's also geographical. There are direct flights to Phoenix from these cities that have a lot of Polynesian kids. Whether the player is from Hawaii or Texas or California it’s easy for them to get here. Then once they see it, and they see how close things are and what our culture is, then it's easy for them to buy in because the culture that we're building at Arizona State is very similar to how all of us were grown up as Polynesian kids. It’s a family culture, but also tough love. You ask any Polynesian kid, and there’s tough love out there, which is part of their daily upbringing.

“So, you have a head coach that wants to get the best players in, and doesn't matter who he is, And you have a staff that understands it do a good job of pinpointing the guys we want and obviously having a couple of Polynesian coaches around helps as well.”

Join your fellow Sun Devil fans on our premium message board, the Devils’ Huddle, run by the longest-tenured Sun Devil sports beat writer, to discuss this article and other ASU football, basketball, and recruiting topics. Not a member yet? Sign up today and get your daily fix of Sun Devil news!