Jordan HammMost ASU practices this fall have ended with the entire team congregating at mid-field. Kenny Dillingham gives a closing message and runs off to talk to the media off-field.
Each position group meets up and has their own routine. The lineman will usually do some up-downs. The wide receivers may run a few more routes.
The linebackers have a group stretch, and on their final break down, they howl before dispersing.
Yes, a howl.
This year’s group is known as the werewolves.
Cooper came to the linebacker group this offseason wanting to have a rallying cry for the group. The message was simple: A full moon comes out when you step on the field. Flip a switch from man to beast during that time.
It’s been a crucial bonding measure for a group that has seen a major overhaul since last year. Tate Romney, Caleb McCoullough, K’Vion Thunderbird and Krew Jackson return with more experience in the second year with position coach AJ Cooper. This group overachieved last year given the depth issues that were created due to injury and a mid-season transfer by Will Shaffer. It was a reliable group, and the coaching staff looked to add this offseason.
Add they did.
Through the portal, ASU added New Mexico State’s Keyshaun Elliott and San Diego State’s Zyrus Fiaseu – both captains for their respective teams – as well as Arkansas’ Jordan Crook. Martell Hughes was also a prep commitment that joined the team in the spring.
What the newcomers could do on the field was crucial, but knowing they could mesh off the field was imperative as well.
“We spent so much time with the four new guys vetting who they are as people,” Cooper said.”What is their investment in ASU as a university, as a football program is going to be? Not just are they going to be talented guys. Anybody can spot talent. It’s the guys who are going to fit into the culture that Coach Dillingham and the rest of the culture want to do.”
The individuals become a group. A pack, if you will. It’s a diverse group of skillsets and dispositions to become the most improved unit on the team according to head coach Kenny Dillingham.
“That’s what’s cool,” Cooper said. “They all bring different personalities. Nobody tries to be anything they’re not.”
That was on full display in the Sun Devils’ season-opening win against Wyoming, where the linebackers produc
Let’s examine what each werewolf brings to the pack:
The Godfather – Tre Brown
Brown isn’t on this year’s roster, but helped lay the foundation for what Cooper was looking for in the linebacker room. They worked together at Washington State, and Brown was the unquestioned leader of this group last year. He set the tone for the group, young and old, and they are still following his lead now that he’s moved on from Tempe.
“The guys who were here last year were blessed to be around a guy like Tre Brown who set an example to how to study the game, how to process the game, how to play it in this system,” Cooper said. “Those guys have really taken that from Tre has taught them in terms of preparation, their IQ and their understanding. He has passed it on and those guys are taking it to a different level.”
The Leader of the Pack – Keyshaun Elliott
The New Mexico State linebacker knows how to win – the Aggies notched 10 victories last year – and he led the way with 111 total tackles. He set the alarm for his cabin when the group was up at Camp Tontozona and is on the Pat Tillman Leadership Council. He wears the green dot on his helmet to handle communication from the sideline, a new feature for college football this year. He hasn’t shied away from being a leader in any way, shape or form.
“I have a lot of pride in that,” Elliott said. “Being a leader, it’s an important task. Some people can’t do it, but I enjoy it. I used to play quarterback in high school so I think I’m a more vocal guy and lead by example.”
The Swiss Army Knife – Zyrus Fiaseu
One thing Cooper loves about this group is everyone brings their own skillset. “They’re all a different piece of the pie.”
The coach highlighted Fiaseu – a San Diego State transfer – as a guy that can help in so many different ways and set an emotional edge for the group.
“He can cover. He can blitz. He’s getting better in the run game,” Cooper said. “He’s loose. He’s having fun, he’s talking a little bit and he’s a guy that’s very experienced and accomplished at another school.”
That experience was on display early against Wyoming. 41 seconds into the season, Fiaseu intercepted a pass and returned it for a touchdown, opening the floodgates for the Sun Devils on their way to a season-opening win.
The Spark Plug – Jordan Crook
Crook missed game one due to injury but has made an impact since transferring to Arkansas.
“We joke that him and (running back Christian Skattebo) are twins,” Cooper said. “He just has this energy about him, his presence about him when he hits the field. He’s a mixture of all business and trying to tear your face off.”
When Martell Hughes was asked to describe Crook on the field, he gave one word: “violent.”
Simultaneously off the field, he’s been able to mesh with the group and create a light-hearted nature.
But – mimicking that werewolf persona – he flips a switch when he takes the field.
“The Old Man” – Tate Romney
The Arizona native is out for the next few weeks after breaking his arm in fall camp. Last season, he brought stability to the unit early on and didn’t look back. Romney was a standout at Chandler High School from the Class of 2020 and went on a LDS mission before spending time at BYU. He was in his first year at ASU last year and is a newly-wed. Cooper was quick to point out his acumen on the field, and maturity that comes with living internationally and starting a family.
His teammates gravitate to him when looking for guidance.
“You can see it on the field,” Cooper said. “New or old guys go to him with questions so that shows me he’s established himself in his own personality and his own way.”
The Trial by Fire Guy – Caleb McCullough
After Caleb McCullough experienced three years of limited action, he stepped in 2023 next to Romney & Brown (depending on who was healthy at the time) and hit the ground running. His role really expanded after Will Shaffer entered the transfer portal, and he was a mainstay in the middle of the defense.
“The defenses I ran in the past were very simple,” McCullough said. “They weren’t too hard. They ran one or two coverages. Then I got to this defense and it was a change for me. There’s a lot of check, there’s a lot of different coverages and blitzes. To be able to grow and learn, I was playing two positions last year. Last year, it was kind of hard for me, now it’s a lot easier.”
Despite last year’s difficulties, McCullough and Romney tied for fourth on the team with 54 total tackles last year.
The Guy Primed to Make a Jump – K’Vion Thunderbird
When asked about a young guy he is excited about, Cooper named the redshirt freshman first. In his second year in the system and working with his linebacker coach, Thunderbird has made big strides.
“He had a really good summer,” Cooper said. “I think he’s in a really better state, really more comfortable with who he is now going into his second year at Arizona State.”
Another year with his coaches and learning from experienced linebackers will help fuel his upward trajectory.
“I’ve been very excited for K’Vion, not just right now, but what his future is going to look like.”
The Converted Safety – Martell Hughes
True freshman Martell Hughes has made strides since coming to Tempe in the spring. According to Cooper, things have slowed down for the linebacker as he went through his first few months with the program and saw time during the Sun Devils’ win over Wyoming.
He played safety in high school, and brings athleticism and length to the room.
“He’s a weapon in space and the passing game,” Cooper said. “He does so many things naturally in terms of reading quarterbacks’ eyes, covering up zones with his length…He’s a long, good athlete that can play in space. He understands coverages and sees the bigger picture really well.”
The Unicorn – Krew Jackson
Jackson came up through the prep ranks at Queen Creek High School and, like Hughes, played safety in high school. He provides incredible length and has a build similar to that of former Sun Devil linebacker Eric Gentry with long arms that can bat down passes. Cooper said Jackson added about 20 pounds in the winter.
“You see a more confident guy,” Cooper said. “That’s a credit to (ASU strength and conditioning coach Joe Connolly) and his staff…he’s doing great in academics. I think he’s feeling comfortable here and getting a little bit better every day.”
The Student of the Game – Prayer Young-Blackcoat
There’s no doubt there’s experience in the linebacker room. For some young players, it’s intimidating to break through.
“With the young guys in our system, sometimes it’s going to take a little longer,” Cooper said.
Other young players look at it as an opportunity to learn and soak up as much information as possible.
Freshman Prayer Young-Blackcoat fits in the latter category.
He’s been diligent in the position room, taking in all he can to make an impact in the room.
“I don’t see young guys who are this hard on themselves not have success in their career,” Cooper said. “At some point these things will click, realizing what we do on defense, so it’s going to come.”
The transition from man to beast was prevalent in Week 1. The linebacker group is hopeful that transition bleeds into the entire defense on their way to a successful 2024.
