An influx of intensity on defense begins with ASU's front four

Throughout the course of Arizona State’s spring practices, head coach Kenny Dillingham has repeatedly noted that this 2026 roster is “on the way” to being a tough team, but thus far, he hasn’t seen enough to give this team that title. 

However, the previous two sessions have taken a physical turn for the better, with big hits and furious tackles becoming the new normal. 

“[I’ve] been happy with how our guys have responded after day five,” Dillingham said Thursday in regards to physicality. “Really challenged them, and I’ve been happy with how they’ve responded.” 

Up front, it’s been the defensive line group that has embraced Dillingham’s test with open arms and aggressive play. Led by position coach Diron Reyonlds, the group has shown steady improvement over the course of spring, despite having difficult days defending the run. 

Since joining the Sun Devils ahead of the 2024 season, Reynolds immediately earned the respect and admiration from every lineman who’s entered his room. Racking up nearly 30 years of coaching experience on the NFL and college level following a collegiate playing career at Wake Forest, Reynolds still finds value in leading by example, physically repping what he expects from his players before a drill.

“You have to show them what body position you want,” Reynolds noted. “I think it’s very important for the coach to be able to get out there in some aspects and show what we can do.” 

A player who has evaded the instruction of Reynolds for the beginning of spring is Graduate Clayton Smith. Despite the two having worked together since Reynolds’ arrival in Tempe, Smith, who gained another year of eligibility by the NCAA, was instructed by the coaching staff to switch sides and practice with the wide receivers early on. 

Because of Smith’s familiarity with the playbook and the defensive end room, he was able to work on other knacks of his game with wide receivers coach and former Super Bowl XL MVP Hines Ward. 

“I think it was smart because we had him over there running around getting himself in shape because he hadn’t been with us in the offseason,” Reynolds said about Smith’s transition to wide out. “I think it was a good thing to get that done and not have him take the pounding early.”

While Smith and Reynolds have been acquainted on the gridiron for years, sophomore defensive tackle Mykeil Gardner is just now getting his feet wet with the position group. Gardner, a local product and a former three-star recruit from El Mirage, transferred from Oregon ahead of the 2025 season. However, an Achelies injury sidelined him for the entire year, and only now is he getting used to playing with the Sun Devils’ defensive unit. 

“It’s really good to have him back,” Reynolds noted about Gardner. “Inside position, you need that depth. A guy’s body takes a beating, but we keep him healthy, man. He brings a really good twitchy element to our defense.”

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Led by the defensive line, Dillingham noticed hefty improvements from the defense. During inside run and other live periods, the offense struggled to get over the line on third-and-short scenarios. Gardner was an integral figure in some of these notable plays as well. 

Defense won all day, other than a few periods,” Dilliingham praised. “ Then the last drive, two-minute drill to end the game, we jump off sides, give the team a fade, catch the ball, lose the game.

“So we put a lot of time into third-and-short this year just because we want to be a team that wins those down distances.”

Where Dillingham is excited to see growth from younger players on the defensive side of the ball, vocally, all spring, he’s preached a mindset to the team, and much of that begins with having the courage to be a leader. 

“Volume is confidence,” Dillingham noted. “So if you’re saying something loud and you’re wrong, usually it’s because you thought you were right. Clayton’s a talker, and I think sometimes when you have guys with talk and juice, it, you know, it energizes the rest of the room, and I think he really energized that room.” 

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Smith’s time with the offense was his “dream come true.” his defensive numbers speak for themselves, as the former five-star recruit has played some outstanding seasons in Tempe. In 2024, he posted a career-high 33 tackles with 4.5 sacks. He’s notched at least four sacks in each of his three previous seasons at ASU.

“It’s actually surreal to see where we came from four years ago,” Smith noted on his time with Dillingham, who arrived in Tempe in 2023 just as Smith did. “It’s amazing.”

Regardless of his dominant play at the line of scrimmage, Smith has always wanted to play receiver at heart. He played the position in high school and showed really impressive skills with his hands tracking the ball.

“Dilly said he wanted to go over offense, learn the playbook just in case,” Smith laughed. “That’s what I did. It was fun. Couldn’t stay too long. I didn’t want anybody to think I was going to take their spot. It’s a real competitive receiver room.” 

Smith admitted that spending time with Ward and in the receiver room improved some aspects of his game, including footwork and hands. 

“Running routes, getting in and out breaks and quickly, it translates to coming off the edge for sure,” Smith noted. “Keeping my pass down and stuff coming out of my brakes. It definitely translated.”

In early March, Smith announced he’d be returning to ASU despite previously declaring for the NFL Draft at the end of 2025. While this raised eyebrows among fans, Smith noted that this is not the end of his future professional career. 

“With me and my team, we were looking into it and just noticed that I had a year at Oklahoma, I didn’t really do anything, and I got charged for that year, so we decided to look more into it, and I was eligible for a medical,” Smith explained. “So we decided to push it, and I got ready with my medical, so thank God you know, but I got an opportunity to be here.

“Essentially, I kind of took the approach that this is my rookie year. So I can go ahead and get to that mindset of being a pro.”

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A player who’s been with Smith since he arrived at ASU in 2023 is defensive tackle C.J. Fite, as the lone player currently on the Pat Tillman Leadership Council. He’s been a necessary tone setter for the program. 

“The guys are good about living up to the standard,” Fite noted. “I think we got the point across quick that if you don’t live live up to the standard that you will point out you will stick out.”

According to Fite, players haven’t folded under the pressure of early expectations, despite not having Smith or Gardner early on. Marquee freshmen such as Julian Hugo and Daeshon Morgan have impressed coaches and spectators all spring. 

“This group has so much depth that there’s no drop off between the groups,” Fite said. “ It’s a special place and the special people doing special things. So I’m just trying to do my part and try to take this place as far as we can.” 

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New additions to the defensive line group have raved about the camaraderie and high level of football that is expected from all the players, including Redshirt senior Emar’rion Winston. 

The former Baylor and Oregon player, Winston, had an incredible year in 2025, posting 25 tackles with the Bears, including 18 solo tackles and three sacks, but when he entered his name in the transfer portal, Tempe was the only place that stood out. 

“In my opinion, there was nothing or no one better,” Winston said. “Not because of the resumes. I think a lot of people will talk resumes. The resumes were great. Of course they were. They fill out, but at the same time, because of the individual people that they are when you just talk to them in the recruitment process.” 

One of those individuals Winston was referring to is Dillingham himself; the two became acquainted during his freshman year at Oregon when Dillingham was still the program’s offensive coordinator. 

Winston enjoyed his time around Dilliingham, although they worked on opposite sides of the ball, he noted that the energy and attention to detail could be seen from a mile away. 

“They’re coaching you hard every single day,” Winston noted. “There’s not a day off when you come in. If it’s an off day and we’re doing walkthroughs and things like that, they’re coaching the walkthrough as if it’s another practice of ours.” 

In his position group, Reynolds has been an amazing coach for Winston thus far. Now, at his third power conference stop, Winston is fully bought into the coaching that he’s been given from Reynolds, and the results are paying off early in spring. 

“The way he explains those things as if it’s the simplest thing in the world is where that professional mindset definitely steps into me,” Winston noted. “Like and his organization is insane.” 

Amongst his new teammates, Winston has found common ground in a space where a large chunk of Sun Devils find solace, the bowling alley. Numerous players have been noted to be avid bowlers who can put up high scores, and Winston, like the rest, loves the chance to compete even if it’s not on the field. 

“As soon as I walk in, we’re all tight,” Winston noted. “I figured out the guys love to go bowling. I’m a bowler myself. I got four bowling balls and a pair of shoes. I got a couple of wipes, because you have to keep the ball clean. But that’s just what we love to do. It’s our activity. And I thought I would be the only one. Then we all go bowling in the D-line room, and then everybody brings their ball.”