Wednesday was a tough day for Michigan State football fans. They watched as Keon Coleman picked Florida State to spend his next “eight or nine months” and then TCU cornerback transfer Kee’yon Stewart who committed back on May 6 flipped to Arkansas seemingly out of nowhere.
But there was some good news.
Colorado defensive tackle Jalen Sami, a multi-year starter, announced his commitment to Michigan State. This somewhat made up for the loss of Stewart.
This addition aids the defense and while the line doesn’t exactly lack depth, it was the reason there wasn’t a legit spring scrimmage for fans this year. There just weren’t enough healthy bodies along the defensive line. Plus, the run defense ranked 12th out of 14 Big Ten teams a year ago. Sami will help that.
The big-bodied defensive tackle is a welcome addition.
Michigan State football could use a run-stopper
As previously stated, Michigan State ranked near the bottom of college football against the run and adding a big body in the middle of that defensive line to clog holes was imperative.
Just ask Corey Robinson of 247Sports:
Former Colorado DT Jalen Sami will be a huge addition to the line.
— Corey Robinson (@C_Robinson247) May 17, 2023
Michigan State needed to improve their run defense from last season and Sami will do that https://t.co/CeBp8Qrk3x https://t.co/vYG6CRhQhk
Sami stands 6-foot-6 and 295 pounds so it’s no surprise that he was a monster against the run. He’s a load to handle in a one-on-one situation and should cause problems for opposing linemen in the Big Ten next year.
During his time at Colorado, he finished with 83 total tackles, six tackles for loss, and two sacks in 42 games and he looks like a guy who can immediately add depth up front.
If there’s one position group that should not be worrisome heading into the season, it’s the defensive line.