Michigan State Football: Zach Slade could be surprise contributor in 2019
Zach Slade had a big spring for Michigan State football and could be a surprise contributor as a redshirt freshman in 2019.
If you didn’t know the name Zach Slade before the spring of 2019, the Green & White Game changed that.
Michigan State fans got their first look at Slade during the spring scrimmage after redshirting in 2018 and he appeared to be a breakout candidate. He may not have had all the fanfare guys like Jacub Panasiuk, Raequan Williams or Mike Panasiuk did on the defensive line entering the college ranks, but the underrated Slade looked poised to prove people wrong.
There’s something to be said about underrated recruits at Michigan State out-performing their rankings, and Mark Dantonio usually does a solid job at spotting diamonds in the rough and getting the most out of them — just ask Kenny Willekes.
Now that he’s entering his second year and got to learn behind the likes of Panasiuk and Willekes at defensive end, he could slide right into a backup role, challenging Jack Camper and Drew Beesley for snaps.
Slade has a solid 6-4, 260-pound frame and has quickness off the line of scrimmage that makes him tough to handle. If he can add in some different moves, he will be a regular contributor for the green and white in 2019, and beyond.
Is he the next Willekes? It’s far too early to tell, but he can be a Marcus Rush-type of player who quietly puts up great numbers and an All-Big Ten career in East Lansing.
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It all starts in 2019 as his role should be one of a backup defensive end. I expect him to pass up either Beesley or Camper and act as the first guy off the bench when either Willekes or Panasiuk need a rest.