TEMPE, Ariz. -- The question has been asked ad nauseam since the 2013 season ended: How will ASU make up for the loss of nine defensive starters?
ASU has spent the spring and fall trying to answer that question, and with the season opener looming, the Sun Devils are confident with the progress they've made, showing strong belief in coach Todd Graham's system as their saving grace.
"I think we're going to shock people," defensive coordinator Keith Patterson said. "I think when (teams) start playing us they're going to be looking for those nine starters that left, and they're going to have a hard time trying to find them."
Graham hired Patterson away from West Virginia this offseason, reuniting with his longtime assistant in part to overhaul special teams but just as much to bring in the defensive mind he trusts most outside himself.
Patterson coaches the linebackers but has been at the forefront of ASU's scheming and will initiate blitzes and play calls in the defensive front this season. Here's what Patterson said about the identity he wants the defense to have this year:
"We just want to be aggressive. We want to play disciplined, team defense. We want to eliminate big plays, create negative yardage plays. It's just when people see us play they (should) go 'Wow, look how hard those guys play.' "
Meanwhile, ASU's secondary is as deep and talented as ever under Graham, which the third-year coach believes will solve ASU's biggest problem from last season.
"The worst thing we did last year was give up big plays," Graham said. "We had three all-conference defensive backs. We led the Pac-12 in interceptions. But we gave up way too many one-play touchdowns. So that's going to be the big focus there."
The defense will be young and inexperienced at the start, but Patterson believes it will excel with a greater team effort and togetherness as opposed to the more individual performances that defined last season's defense.
"I think we're on track," Patterson said. "We replaced a lot of people, we have a lot of newcomers, and we've just got to continue to become a little more disciplined, but I think we're on track."
With the season opener a week away, here's a position-by-position look at the ASU defense:
Marcus Hardison
Projected starters: Marcus Hardison (DE), Jaxon Hood (DT), Tashon Smallwood (DT)
Outlook: This is undoubtedly ASU's biggest question mark, as it lost the entire starting line from last season, but defensive line coach Jackie Shipp seems completely unfazed.
"We play in such a great system that gives (players), especially D-lineman, opportunities to make plays," Shipp said. "You can look in my eyes and tell I'm confident. We are confident because our system is going to help them. It's a great system to be a D-lineman in, one of the best systems you could be in."
For better or worse, ASU seems to have found its starting line, starting with Hardison at end. Hardison has a good deal of game experience, but coaches seem to think he still has another step to take. Perhaps that will come when he gets game experience as a starter.
While his conditioning remains a work in progress after a two-week absence from camp, Hood appears the likely starter at nose tackle and brings more experience (17 career starts) to the defense than anyone else. He has the technique and the reps in the trenches, so if he gets in shape he should be a key run-stopping presence in the middle.
The biggest unknown with perhaps the most upside: Smallwood, a true freshman who takes over at the spot Will Sutton manned the last two seasons. Graham has called Smallwood "unblockable" at times and said he's the fastest freshman off the ball he's ever seen. He appears to have adjusted well to the college level, and he seems to have nowhere to go but up.
ASU also has a few solid if unknown depth pieces in junior Demetrius Cherry, sophomore Viliami Latu and freshmen Renell Wren and Connor Humphreys. Junior Mo Latu should also be an important run-stopping presence.
"They're all making improvements, they're all doing some good things," Shipp said. "The goal is to pressure more than the group last year, the goal is to be more physical than the group last year."
Player to watch: Smallwood. He's a little undersized for a defensive tackle, but he's only a freshman. From the way coaches talk about him, he seems to have big potential, so it will be interesting to see if he can help ASU pressure the way it wants to.
Antonio Longino
Projected starter: Edmond Boateng/Antonio Longino/De'Marieya Nelson
Outlook: This was ASU's No. 1 priority in fall camp as it tried to replace Carl Bradford. No runaway candidate emerged. Still, ASU is confident it can be successful with a by-committee approach.
Boateng, a junior college transfer who needed much conditioning after arriving in the spring, just started playing the hybrid defensive lineman/linebacker position this week but impressed so much on his first day that ASU listed him as a co-starter later in the day. Having worked as an interior lineman, Boateng gives ASU a Devil-backer who's comfortable with his hand on the ground and perhaps most capable of impacting the quarterback.
"He's the best pass rusher we've got out here in camp," Graham said.
Longino provides a different look as a standup linebacker who can get through the line of scrimmage in a less direct way. He's also one of ASU's hardest hitters and should be an asset in run stopping.
Nelson is most likely to handle third down, though how his offensive and defensive duties will be split remains fluid. When he does play defense, he provides a big, physical presence and athleticism that should translate to plenty of negative-yardage plays.
Whether it's by committee or one player grabbing hold of the job, this position is paramount to the success of the defensive scheme.
Player to watch: Boateng. ASU has moved plenty of guys around this fall, and the moves often don't stick. It's still very early to tell if Boateng will last here, but he could be the surprise of the defense.
Salamo Fiso
Projected starters: Salamo Fiso (sam), D.J. Calhoun (will), Viliami Moeakiola (spur)
Outlook: ASU came to camp confident with Fiso at strong-side but wasn't sure he was progressing as much as he could based on an average spring. Fiso quelled those concerns this fall.
"Salamo has really stepped up," Patterson said. "He's had a great fall camp."
Fiso might not be a big time playmaker, but he's as solid as anyone on ASU's defense and a key leader.
Moeakiola has found a home at spur after bouncing around the defense. He should be able to impact the quarterback more than Anthony Jones did last season. Against power run teams, ASU will likely swap in freshman Christian Sam, who is also working at will and has made a big impression in camp.
Calhoun has done nothing but impress since enrolling early to participate in spring practice and should provide a solid blitzing presence at will.
"We're continuing to see at times really good things from an explosive blitzer standpoint from D.J.," Patterson said.
As many solid pieces as ASU appears to have here, the group has something to prove once the season begins, especially against teams that can run the ball.
Player to watch: Calhoun. It's easy to get caught up in hype over a freshman that has performed well in practices and scrimmages, but it's games that reveal true ability. If Calhoun can prove it on the field, ASU may have a long-term answer.
Jordan Simone
Projected starters: Damarious Randall (boundary), Marcus Ball (field)
Outlook: Graham has said more than once during camp that ASU is deeper than ever at safety. The battle for position there this fall has backed up his claim. Randall came to camp with the field safety job locked down and has since moved to boundary. The competition for the other spot has been tight all camp.
Initially, redshirt junior Jordan Simone and redshirt freshman James Johnson were locked in a battle for the job, pitting Simone's energy and vocal nature against Johnson's superior tackling. In the end, neither really won the job, as redshirt freshman Ball retuned from a medical absence to take a spot atop the depth chart.
Holding onto the job will depend on his health. If Ball has any continuing issues, Johnson will start. Either way, the Sun Devils have enviable depth.
Randall is a likely All-Pac-12 candidate who says his goal is double-digit interceptions.
"He's really got a mastery of what he's doing and what he's good at," Graham said. "He's got a chance to be special."
With impressive freshman Chad Adams behind Randall, ASU is stacked at safety.
Player to watch: Simone. The former walk-on didn't win the starting job, but his fearless, all-out style and infectious energy may be hard to keep off the field. He's shown a knack for making big plays, and ASU might look to get him on the field as a spur linebacker.
Lloyd Carrington
Projected starters: Lloyd Carrington (boundary), Solomon Means (field)
Outlook: ASU isn't quite as deep at cornerback as it is at safety, but it has adequate depth. It starts with Carrington, a third-year Sun Devil who Graham likens to a returning starter.
Carrington isn't a flashy playmaker but quietly excels, giving ASU confidence they're solid at boundary, especially with true freshmen Armand Perry and Tyler Whiley showing well in camp to earn spots behind Carrington on the depth chart.
Means, a fourth-year junior, is more of an unknown. He knows the defense but hasn't made an overwhelming case as the starter. Junior college transfer Kweishi Brown will push Means and could end up starting.
Player to watch: Brown. Expectations were high for Brown coming from Grossmont College in El Cajon, Calif., but he needed time to adjust. Graham started speaking highly of Brown late in camp, calling him the team's most physical cornerback, so don't be surprised if he's in the starting lineup once he's more up to speed.
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