The latest episode of The Sun Devil Source Report Podcast continues an offseason series that is a little different from our normal podcasts. We are providing our audience with a bit of a treat in the form of interviews that Sun Devil Source publisher Chris Karpman conducted with Arizona State assistant coaches.

The sixth episode of this series is from Karpman's recent conversation with ASU first-year defensive backs coach Chris Hawkins, who is believed to be ASU’s youngest-ever position coach in the modern era.

Hawkins was just 24 when hired by Sun Devil head coach Herm Edwards in late December. He previously worked as a graduate assistant at his alma mater, USC, where he worked with defensive backs after playing in the secondary for the Trojans from 2014-17.

While at USC, Hawkins played his first season at cornerback before moving to safety for the next three seasons. He totaled 234 tackles, four interceptions and six passes defended in 36 career starts for the Trojans.

Following last season, ASU lost three-year starting cornerback Kobe Williams, who was signed as an undrafted free agent by the Jacksonville Jaguars. Even so, the Sun Devils do return a veteran group to their secondary, led by senior cornerbacks Chase Lucas and Jack Jones, senior safety Evan Fields and junior safety Aashari Crosswell.

In this podcast, Hawkins provides his initial thoughts on the experienced talent he has inherited throughout the team’s defensive backfield, including what it will take for some of his key players to elevate their level of play in pursuit of all-conference status and their NFL aspirations.