Arizona State DB Discusses State of Program

Brian Ward is now entering year three as defensive coordinator of the Arizona State football program - coinciding with Kenny Dillingham's tenure as well.

Ward has continued to impress during his time in the role - especially last season, when the Sun Devil defense ranked inside the top five of the Big 12 in numerous team stats.

Star safety Xavion Alford was an absolutely integral piece to the 2024 defense succeeding at the level that it did - and the former four star is looking to take an even larger step in 2025.

Alford joined the PHNX podcast on Sunday to discuss a myriad of topics surrounding the Sun Devils in 2025

The starter was asked if it was easy to buy into Dillingham's vision of 'activating the Valley' - a resounding theme in the early days of the head coach's tenure in Tempe.

Alford's response was fascinating.

"For me, I looked at it as a sign because my high school I went to was brand new... coming here with somebody (Dillingham) who's from here who really wants this place to be great."

Alford then went on to discuss how he and Dillingham interacted daily once his commitment was secured - ultimately what it meant to buying into the vision of the program.

The senior was then handed a frequently asked question during this offseason - when did he feel like the 2024 team could be special?

"I think it was both of the losses, really. You know, we went to Texas Tech. It was the first time on the road... we came back and sat back and was like, 'man, we really played our worst game ever...'"

He discussed how the loss to the Red Raiders and the follow-up loss to the Cincinnati Bearcats truly spearheaded the late season run - mentioning a locker room meeting between him, QB Sam Leavitt, and other leaders of the team as one that motivated the group to turn a corner.

It clearly worked - as the Sun Devils won six consecutive games - including three ranked victories in the process - that resulted in a berth in the College Football Playoff.

The eventual narrow loss to Texas was a gut-wrenching one, but the foundation that was built behind Alford and others could result in an even better 2025.

Read more about other key Arizona State athletes in 2025 - C.J. Fite here, and Chamon Metayer here.

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