CAMP TONTOZONA, Ariz. -- A day after Arizona State opened fall camp earlier this month, co-defensive coordinator Paul Randolph said linebacker -- more than any other position on defense -- had to get figured out.
The linebackers answered that call quickly.
With just over half of camp completed, the linebackers have excelled and given ASU surprising clarity at a position that lost all three starters from last season to graduation.
"We've got some kids that have really stepped up," co-defensive coordinator and linebackers coach Ron West said. "A lot of questions have been answered. We're actually so much stronger than we were in the spring -- it's night and day."
With Oliver Aaron, Vontaze Burfict, Shelly Lyons and Colin Parker all gone from the 2011 team, the only certainty at linebacker in the spring was Brandon Magee, a redshirt senior coming of a season lost due to an Achilles injury. But he couldn’t even participate then, so ASU entered the fall with myriad questions at the position.
Those questions seem mostly cleared up. With Magee anchoring the right side ("will"), Carl Bradford has asserted himself at middle linebacker ("mike") and Steffon Martin, a junior-college transfer, has taken quickly to the left outside spot ("sam"). Chris Young, another junior-college transfer, has taken charge at "spur" linebacker, a roving position that combines the duties of a linebacker and defensive back.
Even the depth at linebacker is sorting itself out quickly. Junior Kipeli Koniseti battled Martin for a spot on the first team but has been slowed by a right ankle sprain. Redshirt junior Anthony Jones has pushed Young at spur, and fellow redshirt juniors Brandon Johnson and Grandville Taylor have impressed coaches lately. Even freshmen Salamo Fiso, Carlos Mendoza and Matthew Rowe look poised to contribute.
Then there is perhaps the most intriguing wrinkle in ASU's defense: the "Devilbacker" position. It's another hybrid that combines the defensive end and linebacker positions. Bradford will line up there, as will Junior Onyeali.
"We're all over the place with that guy, which means he's got a lot of alignments to learn, a lot of different ways we'll attack people with pressure," West said. "There's a confusion factor for the offensive line. ... We can send him (blitzing) or drop him back."
West wants to flesh out a firm depth chart by the middle of next week but seems confident already with a front line of Magee, Bradford, Martin and Young.
Getting Magee back helped greatly in terms of both impact and leadership. On Tuesday, Magee led the linebackers to the swimming hole at Camp Tontozona, where each jumped off Pat Tillman rock to, as Martin put it, "get initiated as true Arizona State linebackers."
"I've been here, I've played in games, I've played with great linebackers," Magee said. "I know what it takes to win games, so I need to teach these young guys how every snap you have to be intense and focused."
Magee went on to rave about his position mates individually, from Taylor (Magee's backup), whom Magee called "the surprise linebacker of camp so far," on down to Fiso, whom Magee has dubbed "Salami."
But what about Magee? Has he lost a step after a year away? According to him, it's quite the opposite.
"Honestly, I don’t even get tired anymore," Magee said. "It's kind of funny: The running backs will say I'm cheating sometimes, but you can't really cheat -- I don't know the play. But I'm just seeing the game so slow that it doesn't seem that hard to me, honestly."
Magee's greatest strength might be his field intelligence, and it seems to be spreading. Martin, who came to ASU from Arizona Western, has surprised teammates and coaches with his quick learning of the defensive scheme -- no easy task considering the 3-4 multiple front that's been installed.
"We all knew athletically, but knowledge-wise and dealing with a learning curve, that's what we've been impressed with the most," West said. "It's hard to pick up the scheme this quick."
Added Martin: "It was actually a little easier than I thought it would be. It's a lot of blitzing, so you kind of catch on to it fast."
Bradford, too, has been lauded for taking the next step after collecting 12 tackles, 3 1/2 tackles for loss and 1 1/2 sacks last season in 13 games, including one start.
"Carl Bradford is a freak in the weight room and on the field," Martin said.
Magee admits that the questions surrounding the linebacker position were a little unnerving heading into camp. But any fears he had about a slow transition were quickly alleviated.
"I've been impressed," Magee said. "I thought it was going to take some time to get used to things, but these guys are catching on."
West knows there is still more catching on to do, particularly when it comes to details and nuances such as alignments. He used an interesting analogy to describe where he wants his linebackers' grasp of the defense to be two weeks from now.
"We need to learn the scheme as if we were at home when we shut off the lights," West said. "Then, in the dark, we went to the kitchen to get some water, but we don't need any lights. We knew where the kitchen was. We ain't hitting no tables, we didn't run into anything.
"We basically need to learn it like that, with our eyes closed."
