Michigan State Football: Sky is the limit for Cal Haladay in 2022 and beyond

Michigan State football linebacker Cal Haladay was one of the biggest bright spots on the defense in 2021 and it’s evident that the sky’s the limit.

In 2021, the Spartans’ defense did not have many bright spots despite the team having success overall, There were a few standout players that deserve to be recognized more. One of those players is linebacker Cal Haladay

Haladay committed to the Spartans way back in the 2020 class and last season he got a chance as the starting linebacker, and it’s a good thing he did. The 6-foot-1, 235-pound linebacker from Pennsylvania had himself one heck of a season. He finished with 89 total tackles, a forced fumble, and two interceptions; both of his interceptions were pick-sixes. One even came in the Peach Bowl that ultimately won the Spartans the game.

Cal’s stats are nothing mind-blowing, by any means, but when you watch him play, it makes you wonder how he did not get a shot in 2020. How could a guy like this redshirt?

When you watch him on the field, he is great at stopping the run on top of being a really good pass defender. He keeps up with almost every tight end and running back because of his speed. That is one aspect of his game that gets severely overlooked. For a guy who weighs 235 pounds, he can fly on the field.

Another reason Haladay was so successful last year was because of his pure strength and athleticism. When you see him on the field, he’s doing things that you just can’t see from basic analytics. He is a play disruptor and is always playing a key role in the defense. The way Cal can take out a running back or tight end in the passing game goes underappreciated.

He was also one of the more important factors in helping stop the run game. This was most evident when the Spartans played the Wolverines and essentially shut down the Michigan run game. Though they still had a ridiculously good game passing-wise that is not on Cal he was selling out for the run and it worked because of that.

Since Haladay redshirted in 2020, he has a lot more knowledge of the game than a typical freshman would, which is probably part of the reason he had such a good year in 2021. Because of that reason that he didn’t see the field but he was still doing drills and working with other coaches and former players and shaping his game into what we saw on the field.

So as his career progresses, I think it will be a fun journey to watch him grow as a player on the field and believe the sky’s the limit for Cal Haladay.