Michigan State Football: Predicting final stat leaders for upcoming 2020 season

Tackles

Tackles leader: Antjuan Simmons

If you’re looking for the leader of the defense, that search should stop at Antjuan Simmons, a senior linebacker from Ann Arbor who led the Spartans with 90 total tackles last season.

Not many people expected Simmons to lead a defense with guys like Tyriq Thompson, Xavier Henderson and Joe Bachie in tackles, but he did just that. Thompson was fourth, Henderson was second and Bachie was suspended for the latter third of the season and finished fifth with 72 tackles — he was on pace for a breakout season.

Henderson is back to challenge for that tackle title after posting 83 from the safety position as a sophomore, but Simmons just has the look of a superstar on defense.

I wouldn’t be shocked to see the senior linebacker not only lead the Spartans in total tackles this upcoming season, but surpass the 100-tackle mark and even break 15 tackles for loss for the second straight season and maybe 4.5 or five sacks.

Simmons is going to have an All-Big Ten caliber season.