- Slug: Sports-ASU Defensive Line, 780 words.
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By Justin de Haas
Cronkite News
TEMPE — With the NFL draft and transfer portal taking players from teams across the country, Arizona State is relying on returnees to bolster the defensive line.
ASU must deal with two big departures with defensive linemen B.J. Green and Dashaun Mallory going to Colorado and the draft, respectively. The Sun Devils will also be without graduate defensive lineman Anthonie Cooper this season after an ACL injury, so there are several major holes to fill.
Mallory is an especially difficult loss as he was a graduate transfer from Michigan State who provided leadership and was a run-stuffer up the middle. While Mallory hopes to be selected in the NFL draft, which begins Thursday night, ASU will evaluate potential replacements.
The Sun Devils added some defensive lineman from the transfer portal with junior Jacob Rich Kongaika from rival Arizona and graduate transfer Jeff Clark from Louisville, but they will also look at potential in-house solutions.
Returnees include edge rushers Prince Dorbah, a redshirt senior, and Clayton Smith, a redshirt junior. Sun Devil Source publisher Chris Karpman also touted senior defensive lineman Elijah O’Neal as “one of ASU’s most improved defensive players,” so that’s another name to watch.
One more returnee of note is sophomore defensive lineman C.J. Fite, who expects more playing time after making 15 tackles as a freshman. A bigger role for Fite means that the defensive lineman needs to get his body in proper shape, which was his primary focus this past offseason.
“My body fat dropped and muscle has gone up, so I’m glad to be working with (football sports performance) coach Joe Connolly,” Fite said. “I’ve gotten stronger for sure. I dropped 4% body fat just this winter training, so now I’m just trying to build on it and make sure I don’t go backwards over the summer.”
Fite said he was in a similar situation last winter where he dropped body fat, but regained the weight in the summer. The rising sophomore has a chance to start fresh, especially now that he has a new defensive line coach.
ASU coach Kenny Dillingham hired Diron Reynolds in December 2023 to coach the defensive lineman. Reynolds, who was a defensive line coach at other places, including Oklahoma, Stanford and Michigan State, now can make an imprint during his first year in Tempe.
Fite is one of the players who caught Reynolds’ attention during spring practice, which is good for a young player hoping to start in his second season.
“I’ve seen C.J. just really take off from where he is right now,” Reynolds said. “He’s been really dominant in the run game inside. I’m really pleased where he is. For as young as he is, he has become kind of a savvy vet with the way he does things. (I’d) just like to see his pass rush continue to trend in the right direction, continue to get better so that he can possibly give us some third-down snaps too.”
Unlike Fite, Smith and Dorbah started for the Sun Devils last year after transferring from Oklahoma and Texas, respectively. Those defensive ends provide leadership as upperclassmen as they go through spring ball to get ready for another season.
Dorbah, in particular, has taken a leadership role entering his fifth collegiate season. The former Longhorn knows the grind of getting ready for the season, especially with the hot temperatures at spring practice.
“Just like yesterday, practice at 10 (a.m.),” Dorbah said. “People’s bodies are hurting. People are (low on energy). A lot of people don’t want to be here.”
These are the conditions that get the team ready to compete. It’s something that all the players endure and they are able to push each other to get the best version of themselves.
“Coming out with that same mindset of holding people accountable and push each other to get one percent better each day. You’re not always great one day, so get one percent better and work on the little fundamental things,” Dorbah said. “Your technique, your eyes, your vision, your playcalling. I guarantee you there is someone out there to take your spot, so come out with that mindset and get better.”
That’s the mindset the ASU defensive line has as it prepares for Friday’s spring game, with the hope that it continues through the upcoming season.
“When you go through the fire with guys, you just build a certain bond with them,” Fite said. “Going through the season last year. Working with them and training and just working hard with them. You just build another level of connection. Now this spring we’ve just been building upon that and we just have that brotherhood.”
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