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Michigan State Football: What’s on a Spartan fan’s ideal Christmas wish list?

By Emmett Matasovsky

Sep 25, 2021; East Lansing, Michigan, USA; Michigan State Spartans punter Bryce Baringer (99) punts the ball during the third quarter against the Nebraska Cornhuskers at Spartan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Raj Mehta-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 25, 2021; East Lansing, Michigan, USA; Michigan State Spartans punter Bryce Baringer (99) punts the ball during the third quarter against the Nebraska Cornhuskers at Spartan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Raj Mehta-USA TODAY Sports /
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Michigan State’s Jacob Slade, right, tackles Ohio State’s Justin Fields during the first quarter on Saturday, Dec. 5, 2020, at Spartan Stadium in East Lansing.201205 Msu Osu 076a
Michigan State’s Jacob Slade, right, tackles Ohio State’s Justin Fields during the first quarter on Saturday, Dec. 5, 2020, at Spartan Stadium in East Lansing.201205 Msu Osu 076a /

6. Defensive line help

Between injuries and suspensions, part of Michigan State’s struggles in 2022 has to be attributed to the lack of depth on the defensive line.

Khris Bogle and Jeff Pietrowski spent most of the season banged up, and Zion Young, Brandon Wright, and Jacoby Windmon got suspended after the Michigan game which decimated the edges of the front seven. Avery Dunn had a surprise breakout, and then the offseason hit.

Jalen Hunt and Dashaun Mallory, two of the key pieces that stepped up during the final four games, have entered the transfer portal. Additionally, Michael Fletcher and Chase Carter, two players that had a few injuries this year to prevent them from larger roles, are also in the portal. It is unclear if Wright will elect to use a waiver due to the COVID-19 season, but his eligibility is up after 2023 regardless.

Coming off the edge, the Spartans have Dunn back, Young, and potentially Windmon (if he does not declare or move back to linebacker) returning from suspension, and a healthy Bogle and Pietrowski, but that is it for players who have collegiate experience. James Schott and Ken Talley both redshirted this year, and Bai Jobe and Andrew Depaepe enter as the top 150 players from the 2022 class. Depaepe was injured during his high school senior season, which will not help the early depth of the defensive line.

Aaron Brule and Tank Brown have also seen action on the edge, but both are natural linebackers.

On the interior, the Spartans lose Jacob Slade to graduation. Hunt played on the interior front until the suspensions required him on the edge. The Spartans do return a large threat in Simeon Barrow, with seven sacks between his first two seasons. Additionally, Derrick Harmon, Maverick Hansen, and Alex VanSumeren are all scheduled to return.

Jalen Thompson is another defensive line commit from this class, and the Cass Tech product is ranked No. 219 in the country at the time of this writing. At 6-foot-4 and 245 pounds, I expect to see Thompson on the interior.

While we have a two-deep at each spot, an additional defensive lineman or two would help, considering the number of injuries we have had at this position in the past. With Brandon Jordan’s tutelage, giving him a few more players to turn into threats can only mean good things for MSU and bad news for the rest of the Big Ten.

A defensive lineman finding their way home for Christmas is a heartwarming story, right?

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