Michigan State's edge rushers will look different this season with the new scheme that defensive coordinator/linebackers coach Joe Rossi has brought over from Minnesota.
Lined up alongside the interior defensive linemen, the strong-side/field-side defensive end will be a big part of the defensive line. That won’t necessarily look any different than a traditional defensive end.
However, the rush end position is new to this defense. It is such a pivotal piece on the defense that Michigan State has a dedicated position coach for the rush ends – Chad Wilt (who also serves as the team's co-special teams coordinator). Defensive line coach Legi Suiaunoa coaches the rest of the defensive line, including the defensive tackles.
The rush end acts as a hybrid between an outside linebacker and defensive end. An ideal rush end in Rossi’s system has the ability to rush the passer effectively, but also drop back in coverage when needed. It takes a versatile, athletic guy to play the position well.
Here is an in-depth look at the personnel for Michigan State’s defensive ends and rush ends positions under Rossi, Wilt, Suiaunoa and head coach Jonathan Smith ahead of the 2024 regular season:
Defensive ends
A sixth-year graduate transfer defensive end from Middle Tennessee State, Quindarius Dunnigan (6-foot-4, 271 pounds) joined the Spartans in January as a mid-year enrollee. He has 13 career starts under his belt. During his five years and 33 career games with the Blue Raiders, Dunnigan had 68 tackles, 17 tackles for loss and 5.5 sacks.
Dunnigan’s best season, statistically, came in 2023 when he earned second-team All-Conference USA honors, recording a career-high 35 tackles, 10 tackles for loss, three sacks and eight pass breaks. Dunningan ranked first in the FBS among defensive linemen for pass breakups last season with eight. He is expected to have a big role at defensive end this season for Michigan State.
After spending time at rush end during the spring, returning sophomore Jalen Thompson (6-foot-3, 253 pounds) is back at his more comfortable spot – defensive end. Thompson was one of the few standout freshmen last season as he was forced into action due to injuries at his position. He started the final four games of the season for the Spartans and recorded 19 tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks. The Cass Tech product is poised to to have a solid sophomore campaign and a bright future ahead of him.
A redshirt sophomore from Philadelphia, Ken Talley (6-foot-3, 256 pounds) returns to MSU looking to take the next step at defensive end. He transferred from Penn State to Michigan State during the first month of the 2022 regular season. Talley appeared for the first time in game action during the 2023 season. He appeared in five games for the Spartans, recording five tackles and one tackle for loss on 58 total defensive snaps. He will look to make a bigger impact in 2024.
Jaxson Wilson (6-foot-5, 252 pounds), a redshirt freshman out of Hartland, is now heading into his second season with the Spartans after joining the program as a preferred walk-on in 2023. Wilson played his high school career for Hartland High School as a defensive end and tight end. He led Hartland to a berth in the Division I state playoffs as a senior and recorded 50 tackles, seven tackles for loss and 5.5 sacks on defense. His dad, Travis Wilson, lettered as a fullback at Michigan State in 2000 and also played at Kansas State.
A true freshman and native of Honolulu, Hawaii, Kekai Burnett (6-foot-2, 250 pounds) comes to East Lansing rated as a three-star prospect. Burnett led Punahou School to two straight ILH Open Division titles in 2022 and 2023. In 2022, Burnett was awarded the 2022 Cover2 Olin Kreutz Award winner for Lineman of the Year in his junior season.
Rush ends
While the rush end position is new for MSU in 2024, the most experienced college football player in the group is Khris Bogle (6-foot-4, 244 pounds). Bogle is back for his third season at Michigan State and sixth season in college football. Bogle spent three seasons with Florida before transferring to Michigan State. In 2022, he played in four games, but missed the final eight games of the season due to injury. Bogle finished the 2022 campaign with 11 tackles, three tackles for loss and one sack. He followed that up with a 14-tackle season in 2023 to go along with two tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks.
Bogle started five games last season and played in 10 contests in total. He briefly entered the transfer portal following the 2023 campaign, but withdrew his name in January and decided to return to the Spartans under Smith. Given Bogle’s experience, veteran presence, and athletic ability, expect to see him a lot at rush end this season.
With three career starts for the Spartans, Avery Dunn (6-foot-4, 254 pounds) returns to MSU as a redshirt senior and makes the transition from defensive end to rush end. During his career in a Spartan uniform, Dunn has recorded 40 career tackles with six tackles for a loss and three sacks. As a redshirt junior in 2023, Dunn played in 10 games, recording 12 tackles while playing a total of 196 snaps on defense, along with 14 snaps on special teams. Dunn is now in his fifth year with the Spartans and should be a contributor at rush end.
In the spring, Michigan State hit the transfer portal pretty hard and landed two rush ends. Tyler Gillison (6-foot-2, 244 pounds) was one of those transfer additions. He spent two seasons with Cincinnati and has three years of eligibility remaining. Last season, he appeared in 10 games for the Bearcats, playing primarily at outside linebacker. Gillison finished the season with 15 tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss and one pass breakup.
Michigan State fans might be familiar with the last name Gillison. Tyler’s older brother, Trenton Gillison, played at Michigan State from 2019 through 2021. The family connection with Michigan State and the relationship between Bogle, Dunn and the elder Gillison, drew Tyler Gillison to East Lansing.
The other transfer rush end that arrived over the summer was Anthony Jones (6-foot-4, 260 pounds). Michigan State is now Jones’ third school. In 2022, he was a freshman at Oregon. Then, he spent his redshirt freshman season with Wilt at Indiana in 2023. Now, he is at Michigan State once again with Wilt as his position coach. Jones has three seasons of eligibility remaining. He played in 14 games in his first two college seasons and recorded 13 tackles.
Redshirt sophomore James Schott (6-foot-4, 242 pounds) out of Indiana is back for his third season in the Green and White. After not playing a snap in 2022, he appeared in 11 games in 2023, although it was mostly on special teams. He played 53 snaps on special teams and 18 snaps on defense. When he did play on defense, he was a defensive end. Schott recorded a total of three tackles last season.
An in-state, preferred walk-on addition, true freshamn Stone Chaney (6-foot-4, 225 pounds) shined during his high school career at Detroit Catholic Central. Chaney received numerous accolades for his performance on the field. He was a first-team all-state selection by the MHSFCA and the Detroit News, a second-team all-state pick by the Associated Press, and was named one of the five nominees for the Detroit Free Press Defensive Player of the Year. He was also named to the All-Catholic and All-North teams by the Detroit Free Press. In his senior season with Catholic Central, Chaney collected 64 tackles, 16 tackles for loss, nine sacks, and one interception.
It is important to note that sophomore linebacker Jordan Hall (6-foot-3, 236 pounds) has been getting reps at rush end in addition to linebacker reps during fall camp. It is unknown how much he’ll play at rush end during the season, however.
More 2024 football season preview content:
Roster breakdown by the numbers
Breakout candidates on offense
Breaking down Michigan State's schedule
Bold predictions
Positional Preview: Quarterbacks
Positional Preview: Running backs
Positional Preview: Wide receivers
Positional Preview: Tight ends
Positional Preview: Offensive line
Positional Preview: Interior defensive line
Positional Preview: Linebackers
Positional Preview: Defensive backs
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