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Camp Update: Defensive Tackles

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Junior Mike Panasiuk anchors a physical interior defensive line.
Junior Mike Panasiuk anchors a physical interior defensive line. (Dane Robison)

EAST LANSING – Defensive tackle is a position of strength for Michigan State, given the depth on the interior d-line and the level of experience returning.

“Those guys have experience, and they have to take advantage of that now,” said defensive tackles coach Ron Burton. “They key thing for us is being able to rotate all of them through. That has been a plus for us, and it’s only going to get better.”

Few teams in college football have a collection of defensive tackles as experienced as the quartet of starters Raequan Williams (6-4, 300) and Mike Panasiuk (6-4, 280), and back-ups Gerald Owens (6-2, 310) and Naquan Jones (6-4, 339) .

“What that does for us is gives us coaches on the field,” Burton said. “They understand the defense, and that they know what everybody else around them are doing. Defense is knowing where your help is, and they’ve taken the next step of understanding what is going on around them.”


No Drop-off

Owens and Jones earned the trust of Burton while playing more than 200 snaps across 12 games as back-ups last season. Their position coach expects even more from them this season.

“You don’t feel any drop-off with them in there when you have a chance to rotate the next guys in,” Burton said. “It’s like having four starters. It’s the ability to be interchangeable, but also to coach the other guys.

“When they’re on the sideline, they can still recognize what’s happening, and they can see that they have to make adjustments. Those guys can also make suggestions now because they know the what and why of what’s going on.”

Burton wants improved fundamentals from Jones as a sophomore.

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