Michigan State Football: Young depth graces defensive line in 2019
Michigan State football has a veteran defensive line in place, but it’s the young guys who are intriguing heading into the 2019 season.
Michigan State’s defensive line was great last season. Stopping the run was a given and the pass rush got a lot better. The Spartans are in a perfect spot as they are flooded with talent on the line and have veteran stars ready to go.
The word potential was thrown around a lot with the Spartans’ defensive line in years past, but in 2018 that was turned into results. Michigan State ranked ninth in total defense and was nearly impossible to run on.
The current starters for the Spartans are a given: Kenny Willekes, Mike Panasiuk, Raequan Williams and Jacob Panasiuk — Naquan Jones completes the veteran core. Those guys are ready to have prime seasons. But the biggest excitement for Michigan State has got to be the younger names being added to the already-dangerous defensive line.
Parks Gissinger (DE, R-Freshman)
Parks Gissinger is a relatively unknown name for Spartan fans. The defensive line production kept guys like this hidden in the mix — go watch some of Gissinger’s high school film. He’s quick off the snap, good with his hands and has good size at 6-4, 230 pounds.
In addition, the 2018 redshirt gave Gissinger plenty of time to complete his game and get an understanding for defensive concepts. He will be in used sparingly due to guys like Jack Camper and Drew Beesley, but keep an eye out for Gissinger — rumor has it he’s pretty good.
Dashaun Mallory (DT, R-Freshman)
At 6-foot-3 and 310 pounds, Dashaun Mallory is set to be a factor. He’s a name that was thrown around a lot throughout the year by coaches in 2018. It sounded like they really wanted to squeeze him in some situations but with him not burning the redshirt, that only creates more time and an abundance of knowledge and skills for his career. Don’t be surprised if Mallory really makes a splash in 2019.
J.D. Duplain (DT, Freshman)
J.D. Duplain is a player that was highlighted by Mark Dantonio. He’s a guy that is able to play either side of the ball and be effective and has elite strength. As an early enrolleem Duplain was able to get a head start on learning and gaining Big Ten size. He’s another player that’s received great compliments from defensive veterans.
Zach Slade (DL, R-Freshman)
One can only assume Zach Slade is in the mix for some playing time after his spring performance. With a heady interception and good read on the ball, that’s only going to elevate him in the mix for playing time in 2019. He will most likely be a bigger part of 2020 rather than 2019 but after his spring game, he’s definitely going to have a chance to burst out in summer and at Michigan State, the best players play.
Next. MSU Football: 10 post-spring bold predictions for 2019. dark
Defensive line prediction
Michigan State is in a great position with its defensive line. There’s already veteran leadership and talent ready to go. The biggest advantage the Spartans have now is depth on the defensive line. They’ve added a lot of everything: Size, speed and raw ability. It will be interesting to see how the new names get added into the rotation. The defensive line is already extremely dangerous, but in 2019, expect Michigan State to cause serious problems with opposing offenses.