Michigan State Football 2023 Positional Preview: Defensive line
The well-known adage is often that football games are won in the trenches, and if Michigan State wants to turn its defense around in 2023, the defensive line play will be crucial.
It’s a clean slate this fall with a new position coach in Diron Reynolds, who comes in with over 25 years years of experience at both the college and NFL level. Reynolds also knows a thing or two about championship defenses, as he won a Super Bowl ring with the Indianapolis Colts. We’ll see exactly how he impacts this group as we head into the season.
Reynolds like the depth and talent in the defensive line room, which has a strong mix of veteran experience and youth.
"It feels really good to have experience in the room," Reynolds said on Wednesday.
He also noted that MSU has a "bunch of alpha dogs" along the defensive line.
Defensive coordinator Scottie Hazelton talked about the improved depth in the defensive trenches as well.
“With the guys up front, we're pretty excited with those guys,” Hazelton said about the defensive line. “There's a ton of depth up front. It feels different with those guys, having some defensive ends in camp and a lot of depth and guys can rotate through and stay fresh and do their job. Inside, we've got some really good football players in there that are clogging things up.”
Let’s jump into the roster.
Returning Players
Maverick Hansen (R-Sr.) is one player that could really take a step forward this fall. In 2022, Hansen played in all 12 games and had a career-high 41 tackles, along with his first fumble recovery against Akron. In 2021, Hansen was fourth on the team in sacks with 3.5. He’s a unit as well, standing at 6-feet-4-inches tall and weighing 300 pounds. With some stiff competition in the position room, he may not "start" every game at defensive tackle, but, at a minimum, he will be a heavy part of the rotation this fall.
Simeon Barrow (R-Jr.) is looking to start for the Spartans again in 2023. In 2022, he recorded career-highs in tackles (40), tackles for loss (nine) and sacks (four). He logged the most snaps last season among defensive linemen with 537, so there is a significant amount of experience that Barrow brings to the group. Reynolds spoke very highly of Barrow during media availability earlier this week, and he is poised to be a force in the interior once again.
Khris Bogle (R-Sr.) has some motivation to hit this season hard. He played in the first four games of 2022 after transferring from Florida in the offseason before ultimately missing the last eight contests due to a leg injury. Bogle was ranked highly as a four-star recruit in the 2019 class, finishing as the 66th overall player and 11th in the state of Florida, according to Rivals. He played a fair amount for the Gators before transferring in, and showed some promise in the first games of 2022 with 11 tackles, three tackles for loss and one sack. Reynolds noted that they were ramping things up for Bogle in fall camp, and that he is "getting really close back to game form."
Avery Dunn (R-Jr.) played in nine games for the Spartans last season, and logged 28 tackles, 5.5 tackles for loss, and three sacks. He ranked fourth on the team in both tackles for loss and sacks. It was an impressive step forward after only appearing in one game in 2021, and Dunn seemed to be coming on strongly as the season progressed. Dunn is another player who may not start, but could very well still see significant snaps off the edge in 2023.
Alex VanSumeren (R-Fr.) played in the first four games of his freshman season in 2022, but ultimately preserved his redshirt the rest of the season. He logged a total of 21 snaps last year, and recorded three tackles. While he didn’t play much as a true freshman, VanSumeren was a highly-ranked recruit out of the 2022 class. He was a top-250 prospect in his class, and ranked fourth in the state of Michigan. It's certainly possibly he could see a bit more time on the field in 2023, but the depth at the defensive tackle position is pretty loaded, so it will be interesting to see how the rotation shakes out.
Derrick Harmon (R-So.) played in all 12 games last year, and started five of them. He played a total of 468 snaps, second among defensive tackles on the team to Barrow. He also logged 30 tackles, three tackles for loss and two sacks. Additionally, he recorded a fumble recovery against Akron. The 6-foot-5, 320-pound Detroit native should be in line to start once again, or at least play a significant amount of snaps. However, Reynolds has noted that a starting lineup has not been decided on at the defensive line position yet, and that he plans to use a deep rotation.
Brandon Wright (R-Sr.) has an interesting story. Wright came to the Spartans as a running back during the tail end of head coach Mark Dantonio’s tenure, joining the team in 2019. He was actually a pretty well-ranked recruit at the position, checking in as the No. 42 running back in the 2019 class, and as the top running back recruit in Ohio. But, he didn’t really find much success at the position as a Spartan. Wright switched to a defensive end during spring practice in 2021 and recorded 2.5 sacks that season. In 2022, Wright recorded 1.5 tackles for loss and one sack, as well as a forced fumble. He played in eight games before missing the final four games of the season due to a suspension for his part in the tunnel incident at Michigan. It will be interesting to see what sort of result 2023 brings for Wright.
Zion Young (So.) played in eight games last fall, including two starts against Wisconsin and Michigan, before also getting suspended for the remainder of the season due to his role in the tunnel incident in Ann Arbor. Young recorded 21 tackles including two tackles for loss and one sack. Young is still very early in his Spartan career, but given the opportunities he saw last season, I wouldn’t be surprised to see him get even more snaps this year. In fact, Reynolds noted that Young could play on the edge on early downs and rush the passer from the interior on third downs or obvious passing situations. Reynolds has been very pleased with Young's progression.
James Schott (R-Fr.) redshirted in 2022 and did not see game action. He was ranked the 15th-overall prospect in the state of Indiana, as well as the 42nd-overall weak-side defensive end in the country in the 2022 class. Schott will provide depth on the defensive line and try to earn a role.
Ken Talley (R-Fr.) transferred to Michigan State from Penn State during September of the 2022 season and sat out for the entire fall and redshirted. The former Nittany Lion was a four-star prospect and one of the top-250 players in the class of 2022. Technically speaking, Talley is a "returner," but he will have his first season of competition in East Lansing in 2023. It will be interesting to watch if he is able to make an impact.
Before we move on, it’s important to note Jacoby Windmon (R-Sr.) will be returning as well. He is listed as a linebacker on the Spartans’ roster, and Hazelton noted that is where Windmon has primarily played since fall camp started. With that said, there could still be certain situations and packages in which Windmon lines up on the edge as well this fall. However, that is expected to happen to much less in 2023.
Windmon started six games at defensive end and two at linebacker last season, and earned multiple national and Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week awards. Windmon dominated as a pass rusher early and was a fumble-forcing machine in September of 2022, logging an FBS-leading six forced fumbles. Windmon also missed the final four games of last season due to a suspension after the Michigan game. Overall, expect Windmon to play much more frequently as a linebacker in 2023.
New Faces
Tunmise Adeleye (R-So.) transferred this offseason from Texas A&M. He started the first two games of 2022 for the Aggies, and recorded five tackles and a half-tackle for loss in a game against Appalachian State. Adeleye was a huge transfer addition for the Spartans, ranking as one of the top defensive linemen in the portal. He was also ranked as a five-star recruit in high school in 2021, as well as 25th-overall prospect nationally. Adeleye, who said the move to Michigan State and the Spartans' underdog mentality was like a "breath of fresh air," will likely have an immediate impact along the defensive line. Head coach Mel Tucker that Adeleye will primarily play as a defensive end, but wil likely see reps from the interior as well.
Dre Butler (R-Sr.) brings some SEC experience along with him. Transferring to Michigan State from Liberty after the 2022 season, Butler also spent time at Auburn before playing for the Flames. Before that, Butler was at Independence Community College in Kanas and was a four-star prospect out of the junior college ranks, and the No. 1 JUCO player overall, in the 2020 cycle. In 2022, Butler recorded 23 tackles, two tackles for loss, and 1.5 sacks.
Jarrett Jackson (Grad transfer/sixth-year senior) spent time at both Louisville and Florida State before transferring to Michigan State ahead of the 2023 season. In 2022, he played in 11 games with one start against Boston College. He’s logged 45 tackles with 4.5 tackles for loss and 2.5 sacks in his career. Jackson said he made the move to MSU to "maximize my opportunity for my last year."
Jalen Sami (Grad transfer/sixth-year senior) started 32 games out of the 40 he appeared in at Colorado, including 11 of 12 games under Tucker in 2019. Sami is huge, measuring in at 6-foot-6 and 330 pounds. Sami started all 12 games for the Buffaloes in 2022, recording a career-high 28 tackles. When Sami entered the transfer portal, Tucker noted that was literal "running" in the hallways from the personnel department to get to him. Reynolds and Hazelton both recently had high praise for Sami as well.
Bai Jobe (Fr.) comes in with some high expectations. Ranked as the 73rd-overall player nationally, Jobe was a four-star prospect and the top recruit in the state of Oklahoma in the 2023 class. Jobe could easily earn significant playing time this season as a true freshman, especially in pure pass-rushing situations. Reynolds praised Jobe's athleticism and fast first-step off the snap, but noted the Senegal native is still learning the game of football.
Andrew Depaepe (Fr.) is another highly-ranked true freshman that could earn playing time early. Depaepe was rated a four-star prospect, and was a top-250 recruit nationally. He was heavily coveted by many other teams, but never back off his commitment from the Spartans. Depaepe dealt with a torn labrum injury as a senior in high shcool, but appears to be healthy during fall camp and will look for ways to contribute.
Jalen Thompson (Fr.) is yet another four-star freshman for the defensive line. Hailing from powerhouse Cass Tech in Detroit, Thompson was ranked in the top-250 in the 2023 class, and third in the state of Michigan. Thompson may not be counted on too much as a true freshman, but he is ready "to put the work in" and earn a role. Thompson, Depaepe and Jobe have all the makings of a dangerous pass-rushing trio in the future.
Jaxson Wilson (Fr.) joins the team as a preferred walk-on. He’s also a legacy recruit, as his dad, Travis Wilson, played fullback for Michigan State in the late 1990s and early 2000s. Wilson was a multi-sport athlete at Hartland High School as he also played basketball and competed in track and field in the shot put event.
Final Thoughts
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The defensive line is loaded with lots of returning talent, as well as some new faces. There’s plenty to be excited about with the group, and their success will really play a huge role in how this season will turn out for the Spartans.
Reynolds spoke in February, after joining the staff in late January, about what attracted him to the school. He said the room has a good foundation.
“(The talent in the defensive line room) was very attractive, when I got a chance to see the roster once I got up here and did the interview, I felt like they had a really good foundation,” Reynolds said. “They have some younger guys that are coming along, and they’ve been able to get some older guys from other places to kind of jell together. It seems like they have really good leadership qualities, and it looked like they’ve done a good job with their roster, trying to find guys from other programs with those leadership qualities.”
More recently, Reynolds spoke this week about the depth in the room and how everybody is fighting for a role.
"We have a lot of defensive ends," Reynolds noted. "The problem now is just trying to get everybody reps. There's not a lot a whole lot of reps to go around. So right now, if you've been watching the way the practices have been going, there is no starting group at all. We've been mixing and matching. We let a different group trot out there every day. We might change one or two pieces.
"Everybody's on edge right now, so everybody's fighting for a role and everybody's fighting for playing time. And we want to keep it that way. We're gonna be that way all the way up to game week and try to keep everybody on edge. We're gonna see who the best are and then we're gonna see who's available. That's what it's gonna be."
Reynolds also mentioned that Sami, Barrow, Harmon, Hansen and Bogle are standing out as leaders in the defensive line room so far during fall camp.
We’ll see what ultimately happens when the Spartans take the field on Sept. 1 versus Central Michigan, but overall, MSU appears to be in a very good spot with the defensive line heading into the season. At the very least, the depth and the talent in the room has been upgraded. Now, we'll soon find out if the production will match.
Check out the previous Spartans Illustrated 2023 positional breakdowns here: