Positional Breakdown: Sun Devils bring fully revamped offensive line to 2026 season
The 2025 season featured a changing of the guard on the offensive line, quite literally. The loss of Ben Coleman in a midseason matchup at Utah proved devastating for the Sun Devils, ushering in a test of the collective depth on the line. At the end of the season, the massive changeover was already apparent with the coming.
Coleman graduated after exhausting his collegiate eligibility, Max Iheanachor and Kyle Scott declared for the NFL Draft, with Iheanachor hearing his name called in the first round by the Pittsburgh Steelers, and Josh Atkins entered the transfer portal and found a new home in Missouri.
There is some returning continuity in Wade Helton and Makua Pule, but the 2026 offensive line is shaping up to be a whole new look in front of newly-named starting quarterback Cutter Boley when the season opens next Saturday at home against Morgan State.
Arguably the most important piece of the offensive line is the center, and the Sun Devils got their guy in Georgia Tech transfer Tana Alo-Tupuola. Entering his junior season, he is the seasoned veteran of the line. The Yellow Jackets led the ACC in 2025 with 197.5 rushing yards per game with Alo-Tupuola leading the line, and he did not allow a sack in 225 pass blocking attempts.
At 6’1”, 335 lbs, his low center of gravity should be a strong anchor on running plays, but pull blocking in space could be a weakness if the Sun Devils look to stretch the running game laterally. Alo-Tupuola garnered preseason accolades by being named to the Polynesian College Football Player of the Year Watchlist.
At offensive tackle, the positional battle is slightly more intricate but the top two units seem to have been identified. Luke Baklenko and Jaden Klemm have been getting the majority of snaps with the first unit in recent practices, while Champ Westbrooks and Jarmaine Mitchell have been with the second unit.
The real story of the season is Jaden Klemm’s return from suffering a stroke two years ago, and was one of seven representatives for the Sun Devils at Big 12 Media Days in July as a member of the Pat Tillman Leadership Council. Baklenko comes to Tempe by way of Oklahoma where he logged a 78.1 pass-blocking grade, good for 10th among all SEC offensive tackles. Despite his large frame (6’6”, 313 lbs), lateral quickness is a weakness in his game and he could be susceptible to quick counter moves from speedier blitzing linebackers.
Champ Westbrooks returns from the 2025 team, playing in 5 games and earning his first career start in the Sun Bowl loss to Duke. He brings versatility to his game, able to slot in either outside at tackle or on the interior at guard. His inexperience looks to be part of the reason why he’s been moved down to the second unit on the other side of Camp Tontozona, but his strong play in the Sun Bowl shows promise for his development.
Jarmaine Mitchell comes in as a highly touted prospect, coming to Tempe as the consensus No. 1 JUCO offensive lineman and No. 3 overall JUCO player in the transfer portal, flipping prior commitments to Mississippi State and Georgia. His raw technique will be refined as he works his way up the depth chart, but there is undeniable value in his massive 6’8”, 320 lb frame. Combined with his four-sport history growing up, he possesses rare footspeed for a player of his size, able to overwhelm defenders at the point of attach and open holes in the line for the rushing attack.
The battle for interior linemen is more cut and dry, with Maki Stewart anchoring the left guard starting position and Wade Helton on the right side. As a true freshman in 2025, Stewart came on the scene in the second half of the season with four starts as part of a rotation on the line. He made his value known right away, producing the 6th-best run-blocking grade for Big 12 interior linemen (74.2), which was third in the nation among all freshmen interior linemen in FBS.
Returning for his sophomore season, he comes back to Tempe more conditioned than his freshman campaign, dropping from 360 lbs to 340. This should help improve his foot speed, and combined with his “mean streak” in the trenches, look for him to bury opposing defenders instead of settling for stalling them.
Wade Helton is the pass-blocking equivalent to Stewart, peaking at an 83.1 pass-blocking grade in last season’s Territorial Cup loss to Arizona. His versatility is an easy plus, as he saw time at center following Ben Coleman’s injury, and is able to play all three positions on the offensive line. His run-blocking leaves something to be desired, as does his down-to-down consistency. With more consistent playing time, that should be an area of improvement as the 2026 season progresses.
Stewart and Helton will be backed up respectively by JUCO transfer Siosaia “Leni” Lapuaho and returning sophomore Rob Lapuaho. Both standing 6’5” or taller, they bring invaluable depth in pass-blocking, with Rob standing out with a 77.7 pass-blocking grade in limited action last season.
The brand new offensive line will see the first action of the season on Saturday, September 5th against Morgan State. Kickoff from Mountain America Stadium is set for 7pm.
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