Prayers have been answered: Michigan State football has added depth to its defensive line.
The Spartans have needed some extra beef in the trenches, and Winston Lattiboudere III and Co. have gotten some in the form of an Illinois defensive line transfer.
On Monday afternoon, Justin Thind of 247Sports announced that Michigan State landed former FCS standout Eli Coenen from Illinois.
NEWS: #MichiganState has landed #Illinois transfer defensive tackle Eli Coenen.
— Justin Thind (@JustinThind) January 12, 2026
As a true sophomore, the 6-foot-7, 290lb DT had a really solid rotational season in the Big Ten after being a breakout freshman in the FCS.
More (FREE): https://t.co/O7k2jtd6Cg pic.twitter.com/6ySobIQKMT
Coenen committed to Michigan State on Monday afternoon after spending the 2025 season at Illinois where he played in all 12 games and had eight tackles and 0.5 sacks. It was a modest stat line in his first FBS season. He spent the previous two years in the FCS at Bemidji State, according to his Illinois profile.
After redshirting in 2023 with Bemidji State, Coenen broke out as a redshirt freshman in 2024, totaling 20 tackles, 5.5 tackles for loss, four quarterback hurries, two sacks, and a pass breakup. He did a little of everything in 13 appearances.
The Wisconsin native decided to make the jump to the Big Ten, and he had a relatively quiet first season, but now he’s transferring to Michigan State with two years of eligibility remaining.
Hopefully there’s more beef on the way, but this is a solid start.
Michigan State could use more DL help
Derrick Simmons did announce that he’d be returning in 2026 a couple of days ago, and the Spartans have several promising defensive linemen.
The Spartans haven’t had an effective pass rush in years, and losing guys like Jalen Thompson and Alex VanSumeren isn’t going to help. Coenen should be a nice addition to the defensive line rotation, but the group is rather unproven which could be a concern.
Coenen has some really good size at 6-foot-7 and 290 pounds, and he has the ability to play on the interior or on the outside. While he’s no “splash” transfer, he’s going to have a serious opportunity in 2026 under Pat Fitzgerald and Lattiboudere.
Michigan State could use more help on the defensive line, although it did just edge transfer Trey Lisle, edge Keahnist Thompson, and defensive lineman Carlos Hazelton. These are all rotational pieces, but adding a sure starter would be ideal.