Arizona State’s Linebacker Room is Reloading, and Martell Hughes is Ready to Lead the Charge
Arizona State’s defense is going through a bit of a reset-and the linebacker room is no exception. With All-Big 12 second-teamers Jordan Crook and Keyshaun Elliott off to chase NFL dreams, the Sun Devils are tasked with replacing not just two of their top tacklers, but the heart and soul of their defense.
Enter Martell Hughes, a junior who's been quietly building toward this moment. And if the linebacker group’s off-field camaraderie is any indication, Hughes is already stepping into that leadership void with confidence-and a little flair.
“He walked in the first time we went bowling with his own ball, his own shoes, and everything,” fellow linebacker Owen Long said with a laugh. “He’s over there wiping the ball down.
I’m like, ‘Oh gosh, what do we get ourselves into?’ He’s pretty legit, but I won’t hype him up too much.”
Turns out, Hughes might be just as dialed in on the field as he is at the lanes.
Last season, Hughes appeared in all 13 games for the second straight year, posting career highs across the board-39 tackles, two interceptions, and a game-sealing pick against TCU that turned heads. His 66.0 tackling grade from Pro Football Focus was the best among ASU linebackers in 2025. And with more than 1,300 defensive snaps now up for grabs, Hughes is in prime position to take the next step.
But this isn’t just about stats. It’s about presence.
Leadership. Identity.
“I’ve really just tried taking on from the roles that Keyshaun Elliott and Jordan Crook had,” Hughes said. “They really led this whole defense, so I’m just trying to take after them and push that through to the rest of the team.”
That kind of mindset is exactly what linebackers coach A.J. Cooper is looking for as he reshapes a group that’s been gutted by graduation and the draft. And Hughes isn’t alone in this rebuild.
Owen Long, a transfer from Colorado State, arrives in Tempe with a résumé that demands attention. He led the entire FBS with 151 tackles last season, earned third-team All-American honors from the Associated Press, and was named first-team All-Mountain West. He also added 5.0 tackles for loss, two sacks, and a forced fumble-all as a first-year starter.
Long wasn’t just a stat machine, though. He was a team captain as an underclassman and brings the kind of edge that head coach Kenny Dillingham loves.
“He’s a player’s guy,” Long said of Dillingham. “He’ll come walking through the locker room, and he’ll talk to you about the stupidest stuff in the world.
But you appreciate that, because you have a relationship with the head coach, which is awesome. You want to go play for a guy like that.
You want to go play hard for someone like that.”
That connection helped seal Long’s decision to join ASU, but his relationship with Cooper goes back even further-Cooper recruited him out of high school. Now reunited, the two are hoping to anchor a linebacker corps that’s suddenly full of opportunity.
And while Long’s path mirrors that of Elliott-another Group of Six standout who transferred in and became a captain-he’s bringing his own brand of swagger to the desert.
“I know we’re pretty happy with the squad we got here,” Long said. “I’ll take these guys against anybody. So you know, we’re just excited to get out there and throw the pads on again.”
As for Hughes, the former high school safety from San Diego has spent his time at ASU proving he belongs in the box. Now entering Year 3, he’s no longer just proving he can play linebacker-he’s proving he can lead.
With a bigger role on the horizon and a defense looking to re-establish its identity, Hughes and Long could be the duo that sets the tone for a new era of Sun Devil football. One’s a quiet grinder with a smooth bowling stroke. The other’s a high-volume tackler with a chip on his shoulder.
Different paths, same mission: keep the Sun Devil defense rolling.
And if the early chemistry is any indication, this linebacker room isn’t just rebuilding-it’s reloading.