Interior defensive linemen are tone-setters. They battle to move the line of scrimmage into the backfield off the snap, and how that battle goes can determine the ensuing action throughout the play.
Although Arizona State will feature three new starters in the secondary, the defensive line is one of its most experienced units, and in the middle of it all is potentially its most impactful player, junior Tashon Smallwood.
Smallwood was a four-star recruit out of Fresno, California, and committed to the Sun Devils after getting looks from USC and Oklahoma. Upon arrival, expectations were high when he began his freshman campaign in 2014.