Michigan State Football: 5 upperclassmen poised for 2018 breakout

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EAST LANSING, MI – OCTOBER 21: Defensive end Jacub Panasiuk #96 of the Michigan State Spartans is congratulated by his brother, defensive tackle Mike Panasiuk #72 of the Michigan State Spartans, after sacking quarterback Peyton Ramsey of the Indiana Hoosiers for a 4-yard loss during the first quarter at Spartan Stadium on October 21, 2017 in East Lansing, Michigan. Michigan State defeated Indiana 17-9. (Photo by Duane Burleson/Getty Images) /

It’s hard to believe Mike Panasiuk is already an upperclassman, but he had his redshirt buried as a true freshman and time has flown by since then.

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The Roselle, Ill., native spent time as a freshman trying to help fix that disaster of a defensive line, but there’s only so much a true freshman can do as he finished with 14 tackles and 0.5 sacks before leaving the last game of the year with an injury.

Panasiuk rebounded as a sophomore to rack up 23 tackles and 2.5 for loss, but didn’t record a single sack from the tackle position.

It’s safe to say we haven’t quite seen Panasiuk even scratch the surface, and that’s a scary thought. He’s one of the strongest guys on the team and his 6-4, 296-pound frame is perfect for wreaking havoc on opponents. He’s going to be a quarterback’s nightmare in 2018.

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The coaching staff has already sung his praises this spring, calling him one of the MVPs, and he’s the starting tackle alongside fellow monster Raequan Williams. Both of those guys could pop off this season.

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