Are Arizona State's Lofty Defensive Goals Attainable?

This season may be the season.

The season in which the Arizona State Sun Devils officially reach the perceived unattainable goal of 30 sacks and 40 takeaways set by ASU defensive coordinator Brian Ward back in 2023.

It may have been a long-term goal in the long run, but it came off as an immediate goal — especially after a season where the Sun Devils went 3-9.

And woof. In Ward’s first season, ASU was in the bottom 10 in turnovers gained, and only registered 26 sacks. But as the Devils were finding success, the numbers started mounting.

Even though their sack numbers may have dropped a smidge, the turnover numbers skyrocketed. From ranking 124th out of 130 teams, they ranked 23rd last season when they captured the Big 12 title.

So why not up the ante?

If there was a team to capture the 30-sack and 40-takeaway goal, it may just be this program.

Starting off in the trenches, it’s hard to imagine a more efficient defensive line.

Both seasons where he's been in Tempe, Clayton Smith has registered 4.5 sacks each. But last season in particular, Smith started keeping an active eye on the passing lanes. Sticking his arm up while trying to chase the quarterback — it’s hard to imagine a harder path to follow in football, but Smith did it.

He generated four passes defended, while also forcing a fumble for the first time in his college career.

One of the bigger names for this program though is C.J. Fite, third-year defensive tackle, who is starting to show up in NFL mock draft boards already.

The difference is, Fite hasn’t done a whole lot of stat-padding. His effectiveness on the field is hard to ignore, but if coach Kenny Dillingham was trying to unlock a stat monster, then these two seasons have been a disappointment.

However, after being interviewed by Devils Digest, Fite made sure that the message for Arizona State’s defense is clear: don’t get complacent and raise the bar, or the season will be a failure.

“We’ve had talks,” Fite said. “We’ve had talks on what we’re going to do, how we’re going to go about things. But we work day in and day out. But you still gotta have the same mindset, while also having fun with it.”

Fite and the Sun Devils don’t just aim to meet the bar — they are the bar. A bar that programs across the Big 12 are trying to reach, and one ASU keeps pushing higher.

And if that 30-sack, 40-takeaway stat line becomes reality?

Don’t call them lucky.

Just call them Big 12 royalty.