STILLWATER – If there was a guy on this Oklahoma State football team who makes an impact, but you might not necessarily know much about him, it would probably be Sione Asi.
Asi is a 6-1, 320-pound redshirt senior interior defensive lineman, a position that doesn’t get a lot of praise when it comes to making an impact. He played in all 11 games for the Cowboys in 2020, recording 12 total tackles, three for a loss, 1.5 sacks and a quarterback hurry. His two biggest games came against Texas and OU, where he recorded three tackles in each game.
Asi, out of Reno, NV, came to Oklahoma State prior to the 2019 season as a JUCO transfer from Snow College, where he recorded 13 total tackles, including 10 solo stops, and five tackles for loss in the 2018 Graphic Edge Bowl.
However, like most JUCO players, there was an adjustment period for Asi once he arrived at this level. He played in just two games during 2019, recording an assisted tackle against McNeese, then finished the year as a redshirt.
“I’d have to say the speed of the game [is different], just from learning from the guys ahead of me, the older guys as they’ve came in ahead of me and left what they’ve learned,” said Asi of what’s changed for him in his game. “Being able to break a lot of offenses down and the tendencies, so just kind of like the speed.”
Learning from some of those older guys Asi mentioned, like Cam Murray trying to make it in the NFL, and a rather successful performance for an interior lineman in 2020, it opens up more of a role for Asi in 2021. While he might not be the most talkative player on the roster, he leaves that to guys like Tyler Lacy and Brendon Evers.
“It helps a lot because I’m not much of a talkative guy to be the one to yell at guys, only if I need to, but it’s good to have guys like Malcolm [Rodriguez] and vocal leaders like Kolby [Harvell-Peel] and even guys on the d-line like Tyler Lacy and Brendon Evers, it’s good to have those guys around and always vocalizing energy, because we always need that.”
Pokes Report publisher Robert Allen spoke with D-line coach Joe Bob Clements back in June, and Clements said this might be the deepest the position group has ever been. That’s rather impressive considering the talent Clements has churned out over the years.
When asked about the depth at d-line, Asi was quick to agree with Clements’ sentiment.
“It actually gives me comfort because when I come off the field,” Asi said of the defensive line depth. “I’m not sitting on the sideline getting ready to go, like ‘OK, I’ve got two more plays I gotta go,’ it’s good to know that the person behind me, or in front of me, is going inside and gives you comfort and to cheer them on and just get you ready for the next round when you go back in. So, it’s a huge element for our defense, especially the d-line because it does start up front.”
Guys like Evers, who was mentioned above, as well as redshirt sophomore Jayden Jernigan, senior Israel Antwine, Samuela Tuihalamaka, and those are just a few of the interior linemen. Clements and Greg Richmond return defensive ends Trace Ford, Brock Martin, Tyren Irby, Tyler Lacy, Kody Walterscheid and Nathan Latu.
2021 looks to be a promising year for the 2021 defensive line, and Asi has a chance to be one of the anchors in the middle for the Pokes.
