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Michigan State football: Playing time odds for 2022 class defensive signees

By Emmett Matasovsky

Michigan State's head coach Mel Turner gives encouragement to players during football camp on Tuesday, Aug. 17, 2021, on the MSU campus in East Lansing.210817 Msu Football Camp 121a
Michigan State's head coach Mel Turner gives encouragement to players during football camp on Tuesday, Aug. 17, 2021, on the MSU campus in East Lansing.210817 Msu Football Camp 121a /
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Zion Young, DL

DL room:

Losing: Drew Jordan, Jacub Panasiuk, Drew Beesley, Jack Camper, Zach Slade, Kyle King, Tyson Watson
Returning: Jacob Slade, Simeon Barrow, Dashaun Mallory, Jalen Hunt, Maverick Hansen, Derrick Harmon, Michael Fletcher
Bringing in: Alex VanSumeren

Zion Young (No. 1385 nationally, No. 163 DL) is the final defensive commit for the Spartans, both by ranking and by date committed. He committed and signed with the Spartans on signing day directly after decommitting from West Virginia the previous month.

Despite being ranked well outside the top-1200, Young holds impressive offers, such as Missouri, Florida, and aforementioned West Virginia. Additionally, he was primarily recruited by former positional coach Ron Burton, who produced quite a few interior defensive line studs during his time with the program.

If Young would like to contribute to the interior, he faces the same issues as classmates James Schott and Chase Carter, as Young is only 230 pounds. Bulking up against the run is a necessity in the Big Ten. With the new staff and experienced defensive interior, Young will have time to grow into a monster to terrorize offensive lines in a few years’ time.

Young is a player I will be following closely, as I am intrigued to see how the staff utilizes the “last” of the Ron Burton recruits. Burton traditionally had a space-eating interior tackle (Jacob Slade, Jalen Hunt, Joel Heath, Gerald Owens, Mike Panasiuk) to pair with a tackle that was also heavy but excelled more in getting after the quarterback (Simeon Barrow, Dashon Mallory, Malik McDowell, Raequan Williams, Naquan Jones).

With this class, it is clear to see who fits the roles between VanSumeren and Young, so their new utilization under different coaches will be something to see.

Prediction

Redshirt. Young is too light to play defensive tackle currently, and not projected to be an edge rusher based on how he was recruited. As a result, I think he spends this summer in the weight room with the training staff to become the player the staff knows he can be.

Young will have an opportunity to break into the two-deep soon, as Jacob Slade and Dashaun Mallory are graduating this year, followed by Jalen Hunt and Maverick Hansen the next.

Next. 3 bold predictions for MSU basketball in March. dark

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