ASU Football: Linebackers positional breakdown

Linebackers is the deepest position for ASU football defensively with the likes of Koron Crump, D.J. Calhoun and Marcus Ball leading the group.

Last season, the ASU football linebacker core was the most productive defensive unit with three of the leading four tacklers on the team linebackers.

Of the returning players, linebacker D.J. Calhoun and Marcus Ball were the two leading tacklers last season as Calhoun recorded a team-high 77 tackles, 11.5 tackles for loss and 4.5 sacks and one forced fumble last season.

Ball also had a strong season after moving from the secondary to linebacker finishing second on the team with 64 tackles, three TFLs, one sack, one interception and one fumble recovery.

Another player who also had a strong season was Koron Crump.

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Crump, who was named to the Butkus Award watch list, finished with a team-high nine sacks to go along with 37 tackles, 10.5 TFLs, one interception, three forced fumbles and three fumble recoveries.

These three players were a big part of Arizona State finishing fifth in the Pac-12 with 28 sacks last season and fifth in opponents third-down conversion percentage at 35.8 percent.

The depth of this linebacker core is what makes this group destined to have an even better season next year with Christian Sam and Alani Latu.

Sam played in only two games last season recording one tackle after suffering a foot injury at the beginning of last season after he broke out in 2015.

The redshirt junior linebacker finished second on the team with 98 tackles in the 2015 season to go along with 6.5 TFLs, three sacks and one interception.

Latu will look to increase his production after finishing last season with 22 tackles and 1.5 TFLs.

As discussed in the defensive line positional breakdown, Arizona State faced the fewest opponent rushes and the most pass attempts in the conference last season.

If those numbers become more balanced next season, it will further increase the production and will allow head coach Todd Graham and defensive coordinator Phil Bennett to be more creative in their blitz packages.

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The linebacker group has the potential to be one of the best in the Pac-12 and will play a huge part in what hopes to be an improved defense next season.