Michigan State is in the middle of fall camp, and it's working hard to improve on that 5-7 record from Jonathan Smith's first season.
Joe Rossi is facing one of the toughest jobs on the team, turning around a unit that was less-than-effective against pretty much everyone in the second half of the 2024 season. Fortunately, he'll have more help this year with some important newcomers as well as returning stars like Jordan Hall, Wayne Matthews III, Jalen Thompson, and Malik Spencer.
We know who we should expect to have big seasons on the defensive side of the ball, but Rossi spoke to the media on Tuesday and identified three young standouts on that side of the ball.
Joe Rossi: “Mikeshun Beeler had a big jump from last year, Derrick Simmons and Aydan West are making a jump from the spring.”
— Emmett Matasovsky (@E_Matasovsky57) August 5, 2025
Mikeshun Beeler is heading into his second year with the program, and he redshirted in 2024 after appearing in just one game against Prairie View A&M where he recorded a tackle. He's back as one of the early standouts among the underclassmen, according to Rossi.
Along with Beeler's drastic improvement from last season, Rossi named freshmen Derrick Simmons and Aydan West as guys who have taken a big jump since spring ball.
Simmons has received a ton of praise from coaches and players so far, and the former four-star defensive lineman from Frankenmuth, Mich., should have an impact right away. West, a three-star freshman cornerback who was being pursued by Ohio State in the 2025 class, is joining a cornerback room with plenty of depth, but he could crack the playing rotation in year one.
The future is bright on the defensive side of the ball with these three to go along with Brady Pretzlaff who teammates have raved about already at the linebacker spot.
Rossi is assembling a strong defense.