Michigan State Football: 3 biggest surprises from 2019 season

EAST LANSING, MICHIGAN - NOVEMBER 09: Elijah Collins #24 of the Michigan State Spartans gets around the tackle of Dele Harding #9 of the Illinois Fighting Illini for a first half touchdown at Spartan Stadium on November 09, 2019 in East Lansing, Michigan. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images) /

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MADISON, WISCONSIN – OCTOBER 12: Danny Davis III #6 of the Wisconsin Badgers is brought down by Josiah Scott #22 and Antjuan Simmons #34 of the Michigan State Spartans during the first half at Camp Randall Stadium on October 12, 2019 in Madison, Wisconsin. (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images) /

2. Antjuan Simmons

It’s hard to really call Antjuan Simmons a surprise this season because he was expected to be a solid contributor on a loaded defense, but not necessarily to the extent that he actually was in 2019.

Simmons led the team in total tackles with 90 in his first full year as a starting linebacker and he added 15 tackles for loss and 3.5 sacks. He also had an interception and two pass deflections He was all over the field and showcased that athleticism in the middle of the defense to go along with his high football IQ. He looked the part of an All-Big Ten linebacker and just set himself up for a monster senior season.

It’s wild to think that he is already a senior, but he had been buried on the depth chart before this season and never used a redshirt, so here we are.

If you’re looking for a kid who went from first-year starter and relatively unproven to one that has already stated he’ll be back in 2020 and worked his way into a potential captain role, Simmons is your guy. He’ll be one of the leaders of the team next season and he’s already becoming a star.

Although the defense took a step back as a whole, he took about 10 steps forward.

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