A-State Eight: Sun Devils To Watch In 2017

DL JoJo Wicker

The defensive line took a step back last year, but hopes to trend upward this season. In 2015, the unit led the Pac-12 in sacks, but dropped to fifth in the conference last season. Wicker, a junior defensive lineman, has great potential. During the spring, Bennett said he wants Wicker to get to the point where opposing offensive coordinators are looking out for him and calling him a “stud.”

Bennett has a funny saying that goes, “When we blitz, one of the bands is going to be playing and we hope it’s ours.” Todd Graham’s teams at ASU have been known for this sort of “do or die” pressure scheme, but in years past, the defense got to the quarterback. The secondary is probably the biggest question mark of all the position groups, so any success on defense may need to start up front.