Michigan State Football: Joe Bachie could finish career as Dantonio’s best LB ever

Michigan State football has had some elite linebackers over the years, but can Joe Bachie become the best in the Mark Dantonio era.

Surpassing the likes of Greg Jones, Max Bullough and Denicos Allen when it comes to all-time Mark Dantonio era linebackers seems impossible, but Joe Bachie has a chance to do just that after the 2019 season.

Jones is pretty clearly the best linebacker Dantonio has ever coached, ranking in the top 10 in Michigan State history for essentially every major statistical category. He’s broken 400 career tackles and was an All-American for the Spartans, but decided to forgo the NFL draft after his junior season for a senior campaign.

Jones, who was considered an early-round prospect after his junior campaign, went on to be a sixth-rounder in 2011, at No. 185 overall. He won a Super Bowl and is one of few Spartans to do so, but his career in the NFL has since concluded.

But Bachie had the same type of choice. While he probably wouldn’t have been an early-round pick, he had the choice to either depart or come back for a senior season — he made the right choice.

Bachie has a chance to actually improve his stock after back-to-back 100-tackle seasons and it’s likely he’ll achieve his third. And while he may not finish in the top-10 in terms of Michigan State’s all-time tackles leaders, he’ll be one of the most successful since 2000.

Could he be Dantonio’s best?

It’s going to take a huge season, culminating with a Big Ten title, for Bachie to take over that No. 1 spot from Jones. He’s already surpassed Allen, Bullough and the rest of Michigan State’s great linebackers under Dantonio not named Greg Jones, but he’s the final hurdle.

Let’s say Bachie is named an All-American, All-Big Ten first-teamer and finishes with 100-110 tackles with 10 tackles for loss and couple of sacks with Michigan State winning the Big Ten East, there’s a good chance he would be considered the Spartans’ best linebacker during the Dantonio era.

Those are big ifs but they’re not impossible. This kid has all the talent and he’s one of the best leaders to come through East Lansing and no matter what type of senior season he has, he’s cemented himself on the All-Dantonio team.