Michigan State Football: Kenny Willekes drawing Marcus Rush comparisons

Michigan State football has a budding star on defense in the form of former walk-on Kenny Willekes who is drawing Marcus Rush comparisons.

When he committed to play for Michigan State football as a preferred walk-on, Kenny Willekes probably didn’t realize his moment in the spotlight would come so soon. The Rockford-native was buried on the depth chart in 2016, but still found a way to wrestle some snaps from the guys ahead of him.

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Moreover, he earned a scholarship from Mark Dantonio. He worked hard and it paid off. Jack Conklin is living proof that just because you’re a walk-on, doesn’t mean that you’re exempt from competing for a starting spot — Conklin is now an all-pro with the Tennessee Titans.

While Willekes has a long way to go to reach Conklin status, he’s earning some high praise from the coaching staff as well as media members. No, not just Michigan State media, but Big Ten Network reporters got a first-hand look at what the former walk-on brings to the table.

Tom Dienhart was on campus with the crew on Saturday to document practice and he sang the praises of Willekes. He even compared him to Marcus Rush.

In case you don’t remember, Rush was an All-Big Ten caliber end for the Spartans from 2011-14 and was truly the unsung hero on the defensive line. He finished his career with 163 total tackles, 37.5 for loss and 18.5 sacks before making an impression as a practice squad member in the NFL.

Being compared to Rush is a huge compliment for Willekes who has just one season under his belt and looks to start at defensive end as a redshirt sophomore.

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The defensive line may be thinned out, but if the next Marcus Rush is in the mix, there’s reason for optimism.