When Jonathan Smith accepted the Michigan State job, he knew he had some veteran leaders in East Lansing who he could rely on to ease the transition between coaching changes.
Maverick Hansen was one of those veteran leaders.
The senior defensive lineman was fresh off a 21-tackle, 1.5-sack season in 2023 and he was expected to take another step in the right direction. However, his numbers dipped from the 2022 season when he had 41 tackles and a tackle for loss. Even that was a drop-off in pass-rushing numbers from 2021 when he had six tackles for loss and 3.5 sacks.
In his lone year under Smith, he stepped up as a leader who stuck around for his entire collegiate career but his numbers dropped again to 14 tackles, two tackles for loss, and 0.5 sacks.
Hansen went from a potential NFL prospect a couple of years ago to hoping for a camp invite and he actually earned one over the weekend thanks to the Indianapolis Colts.
go show ‘em, Mav! pic.twitter.com/ahiKKb9VIb
— Michigan State Football (@MSU_Football) April 27, 2025
Hansen is going to make it tough for the Colts to not at least add him to the practice squad after a rather productive five-year career in East Lansing where he totaled 104 tackles, 11 tackles for loss, and 5.5 sacks. In the right system, he could be a legitimate contributor.
Michigan State fans loved Hansen for his tough, hard-nosed style of play and that's a big body that will be missed in the middle of the defense, especially on a thin line.
A camp invite is far from a guarantee for a roster spot, but Hansen will at least have a fighting chance.