Yesterday on Facebook, we asked fans to post any pressing questions they had regarding the 2014 Sun Devils.

Rob Malara & Don Hansen of the Devils Den Podcast answer a number of these questions below. In their newest podcast, to be released on iTunes or Stitcher Friday morning, they will also discuss the top-3 questions that were posted to Facebook along with terrific interviews with experts on ASU’s 2014 opponents.

Aaron Webster II asked, Which incoming freshman has the best chance of starting and how much of an impact will they make?

DH: Tashon Smallwood or Connor Humphreys have the best chance of starting due to the massive turnover along the defensive line. In this Todd Graham defense, they will be asked to make an immediate impact, but how positive (or negative) that impact could be is dependent on them learning the defense quickly. Certainly, it is a difficult task to ask 18 year old boys who are new to college to line up against 21 or 22 year old big offensive linemen, but Humphreys and Smallwood have unique skills that could make them effective immediately in the correct situations.

RM: Smallwood and Humphreys definitely have the best chance to start on defense as does a D.J. Calhoun. But Kalen Ballage has a chance to sneak in and play some 3-back if Nelson and Washington do indeed live their lives as defensive players this fall as Todd Graham has stated in practice this week.  While he is raw, he certainly could fill the roll Nelson played in 2013 at the hybrid position.

Tom C Murray asked, “Who is Not on the Team that was here for Spring Ball?”

DH: The biggest name would be Rashad Wadood who transferred to Eastern Washington. With the loss of Robert Nelson and Osahon Irabor, Wadood was a candidate to start. However, Wadood never truly fit into the Graham style of football and transferred.

Pumbaa Lopez asked, “I know our offense is gonna put up some points but is our defense gonna hold up?”

DH: Certainly, all eyes are on the defense this preseason. Head Coach Todd Graham and his defensive staff, including new Defensive Coordinator / Linebackers Coach Keith Patterson, have a lot of work to do evaluating all defensive personnel against all positions. Last season, the Sun Devils total defense ranking placed them fourth in the Pac-12 conference. One can only expect that final ranking to drop slightly due to personnel changes. The list of defensive contributors to replace is long: Will Sutton, Davon Coleman, Gannon Conway, Chris Young, Anthony Jones, Carl Bradford, Alden Darby, Robert Nelson, and Osahon Irabor to name a few.

The defense will “hold up” as the there is a lot of talent on the roster. The key players returning, Salamo Fiso and Damarious Randall, are a great backbone to the defense. Viliami Moeakiola and Lloyd Carrington have played enough in the past and in the spring such that it isn’t completely new to them. Furthermore, there is a lot of talent on the roster to create unique packages built around certain player’s strengths.

Remember, the Arizona State defensive system is built on big plays like tackles for loss and turnovers. That’s the real question . . . who will step up?  Will Sutton, Carl Bradford, and Chris Young just knew how to make big plays. Sutton made a game saving read and interceptions at Utah. Bradford made a huge interception and touchdown return at UCLA while Chris Young closed out the UCLA game with huge sacks late.

RM: I think you are going to see this staff scheme the defense uniquely to each team it plays, regardless of its aggressive DNA.  Think back to how differently the front seven lined up against Stanford and Wisconsin last year, as opposed to a USC, Washington, UCLA, or Arizona.  While you have an ultra-aggressive mindset, there will be some cat and mouse tactics to play off this explosive and experienced offense. The question is, does a young defense have the mental toughness to withstand winning games where they give up their fair share of scores?  It comes down to picking your spots; in the Red Zone, on third down, keeping the down and distance in favorable situations.

Pat Gammill asked, “With the loss of 9 defensive starters, are the Sun Devils more likely to blitz this year? GO SUN DEVILS!!!“

RM: It really comes down to how this new secondary gels together up through the Colorado game. We saw Damarious Randall come alive against Notre Dame and then build from that the rest of the 2013 season.  It might be the same for guys like Kweishi Brown, Marcus Ball, and Jordan Simone.  Some players get it and are good from the opening game.  Others take time to fit the scheme, get the coaching, and keep up with the speed of the game at this level.

DH: The percentage of blitzes will not go up due to the new personnel. The Sun Devils defense just attacks with the blitz relentlessly, and I expect the same amount of blitzes as the past two seasons.

Angel Ornelas asked, “Are we gonna blitz more appropriately?“

DH: The Sun Devils blitz appropriately for their style and game plan, so it comes down to execution. The flip side to sacks and tackles for loss is giving up the big play. The first step would be to make the blitzes more effective by disrupting the play. An effective blitz does NOT have to end up in a sack or tackle for loss. Too often last season, blitzing was ineffective due to the defender. If those blitzes are not successful, then the first 20 minutes of the Holiday Bowl will happen. Remember, the Holiday Bowl was disappointing, but the Arizona State defense gave up 3 points in the last 40 minutes of the game (over two and a half quarters)

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