Arizona State DL Speaks on Football Program Culture

The Arizona State Sun Devils football program is currently building up a national profile at an impressive rate - it only took two seasons for the program to make a splash under head coach Kenny Dillingham.

The Sun Devils are the reigning champions of the Big 12 conference after defeating Iowa State in the title game that capped off the program's maiden voyage in the league after being forced to leave the Pac-12.

Why is the Sun Devil program experiencing so much success currently?

The answer very well could come down to one word - culture.

Redshirt sophomore defensive lineman Zac Swanson joined Brad Denny on the 'Speak of the Devils' podcast to discuss the impact the Arizona State coaching staff as a collective unit has had on him since transferring to Tempe in May of last year.

"Mainly, I appreciate this staff so much. They do so much for us, and the main thing is, like, they really create a relationship with their players. Like, a lot of times, programs around the country will just kind of treat the players like they're robots, like they're just football players."

"And it's hard to do that. It's hard to be treated like that and not fall out of love with the game. When the coaches really care for you and want the best for you, and in their eyes, you're not just a football player, it really helps improve your mental a lot, and you realize this is a good spot. Like, football's really actually fun."

Swanson was a three star recruit in the class of 2022 out of Phoenix's Brophy College Prep. Texas was his ultimate college choice, where the 6'4" lineman played sparingly in his freshman season before not recording any stats in 2023.

The pull from Dillingham and the rest of the coaching staff drew Swanson in - now the Sun Devils are looking to put out one of the best collective defensive units the program has seen in years.

Swanson isn't alone - numerous high school recruits and transfer players alike have lamented about the impressive culture that has been built ever since Dillingham took over the program in November 2022.

Read more about the recruiting efforts from the program in the form of potentially landing Devin Fitzgerald here, and CB commit Jalen Williams reaffirming his pledge to the program here.

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