Xavion Alford brings a 'jack-of-all-trades' safety role to Arizona State

Xavion Alford was brought to Arizona State to shrink the field and provide the necessary support at the safety position, which lost significant experience in the offseason.

The man who calls himself the "100-yard landlord" played a role in a dominant performance for the secondary on the second day of spring practices. The USC transfer was quick to assimilate into the team, and it is reflected in the multitude of reps he has taken at both safety positions with the first group on the field during the 11-on-11 team period. Despite being a newcomer, his voice reaches his teammates' ears on the field with him.

Alford spent his first season at Texas but transferred to the Trojans shortly after. As a sophomore, Alford made two starts collected 27 solo tackles, and assisted on four others while grabbing three interceptions. However, a lingering leg injury suffered against California persisted through spring and then ultimately the 2022 season, keeping Alford out the entire year.

When Alford left USC to enter the transfer portal in December, he was looking for a team and an environment that believed in his ability to develop. He feels like Arizona State has delivered in that regard so far.

"I wanted to find a home," Alford said in an interview Thursday. "I wanted to find a place I could be comfortable, be myself playing the game, to be around a staff that's going to help me out to elevate me. A staff that's going to help me take my game to the next level because that's where I want to play. I feel like this was really a place for me."

Defensive backs have a reputation for being some of the most competitive souls on a football team. But despite the underlying battle for the five starting jobs in the 4-2-5 scheme Arizona State will deploy this season, Alford said it has been easy to adjust to all the changes.

"These guys welcomed me with open arms," Alford remarked. "I just love it here. Love the staff, love everything."

Arizona State graduated Khoury Bethley last season, who started nine games and ranked second on the team with 90 tackles. Entering the 2021 season, Bethley had the most career tackles and the second-most snaps at his position out of all returning FBS safeties. As a veteran transfer player from Hawaii, he brought leadership, consistency, and experience.

Even with new players getting integrated, defensive coordinator Brian Ward is expected to be aggressive in the box this season. At Washington State, his preference for loading the line of scrimmage with MUG fronts to confuse the protection helped the Cougars earn 33 sacks. Ward also fancies zero blitzes, an all-out pressure that places each coverage defender on an island as the remaining pieces seek out the quarterback.

Alford felt like he was a match during the discussions with the Arizona State staff about what was expected from the team's safeties in a new scheme.

"They said it would be a guy that's gonna have to do everything," Alford commented. "Be a leader, be versatile, we've got to make quick decisions, good decisions, obviously, playing the safety position with all the space back there. You kind of got to be able to navigate and make quick decisions, make smart decisions to help your team make a play on a down."

The style certainly suits Alford, who liked Ward's words describing how Arizona State will defend some of the top offenses in college football this season.

"Fast, physical," Alford described. "We're going to run to the ball and be smart. Those four things make up what we are going to provide on defense. I can do whatever he needs me to do. If he needs me to play man, play zone, or play the deep post, I can get it done. I feel like that's my skill set. I've always prided myself in that from high school all the way into college, just being a jack of all trades and trying to be good at everything."

One aspect of the defense Arizona State's safeties must be good at is run support. A leaky run defense was exposed several times in 2022, namely in games against Eastern Michigan, UCLA, and Oregon State. Against those opponents alone, the Sun Devils gave up a total of 932 rushing yards. The Bruins accounted for nearly half that total by themselves, with 402 yards and five touchdowns.

With ASU switching to the 4-2-5 alignment, a nickel defensive back will be part of its base scheme. However, the system takes a linebacker off the field and thus sacrifices size in the process. Therefore, in order for this scheme to be successful, it requires the defensive backs to be active in the run fits.

Fortunately, Alford wears his run-stopping abilities as a badge of pride.

"It's definitely a mentality thing with me," Alford explained. "I feel like coming down like that, it kind of sets the tone for what type of player you are as a safety being in a box. Sometimes we have an extra guy kind of in there with a linebacker, so we're kind of with the linebackers, but we're a defensive back. So just having the linebackers knowing that we got a safety that can fit everything right, but can come down and cap it off, for me, that's a big, that's a big part of it. I like to implement that in my game and have that mentality when I'm coming down."

Thirteen more sessions of spring practices remain for Alford to continue to give the coaching staff an early taste of those abilities. Yet one thing has been clear to the Sun Devils' offense this week: the landlord has already begun to collect his rent at Arizona State.

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!