With the commencement of fall camps throughout college football, and kickoff on the horizon, fans are eagerly awaiting the start of the regular season.
However, there is always one reason for pessimism: injuries.
Injuries can make or break any team, and Michigan State is certainly no stranger to that fact. The Spartans were forced to use 27 different defensive starters in 2022, and head coach Mel Tucker estimated that the team used 43 different starters in total, which was among the highest in the country.
With the 2023 season opener quickly approaching — Michigan State hosts Central Michigan on Sept. 1. — Tucker, defensive coordinator/linebackers coach Scottie Hazelton, defensive line coach Diron Reynolds, and the rest of the staff are looking to rebound from last year's subpar performances on defense.
Recently, the coaches spoke with the media about the importance of depth and having a strong rotation in place in 2023.
Depth has been an issue for Spartan teams in past years, and last year was no different. MSU was often forced to play people out of position, particularly when it came to the defensive line, in 2022.
Effective rushing defense has been the premier trait of many memorable Michigan State teams, but the Spartans allowed, on average, 178.6 yards per game last season.
This left MSU at No. 101 in the FBS and No. 12 in the Big Ten. The Spartans were significantly behind many in-state teams in rushing defense as well, such as Michigan (85.2), Western Michigan (140.1). Central Michigan (151) and Eastern Michigan (158.1).
There is, however, reason for optimism. The Spartans received much-needed reinforcements in the defensive trenches through the transfer portal this offseason. MSU added defensive linemen Tunmise Adeleye (Texas A&M), Jalen Sami (Colorado), Jarrett Jackson (Florida State), and Dre Butler (Liberty).
With these additions - and with the return of talented players such as Simeon Barrow, Maverick Hansen, Derrick Harmon and others - the defensive line seems poised to make a giant leap this year.
While rushing the passer is important, stopping the run is the top priority for the Spartans in 2023. The players know that eliminating the run will lead to a better pass rush as well.
"We're stopping the run this year," Harmon said earlier this week. "No doubt about it. We're going to get it done ... We have to stop the run. You can't rush (the quarterback) if we don't stop the run. So that's our main goal."
Hazelton feels that having rotational pieces at any position is a plus and notes that, with depth, his players are able to stay fresh longer. He thinks this is especially true with the defensive line, and will allow his pass rushers to get to the quarterback more efficiently.
“With the guys up front, we're pretty excited with those guys,” Hazelton recently told the media. “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.”
At the second level of the defense, linebacker Cal Haladay, who was just named to the Butkus Award watch list, led the team in total tackles with 120 last season.
Regarding Haladay, Hazelton mentioned, "he is going to be a better football player for us if his reps are reduced even slightly."
Getting players a rest between plays will help them significantly on the field, especially as the game reaches the fourth quarter.
The linebacker room features a couple new additions this year, such as true freshman Jordan Hall and UMass transfer Aaron Alexander. The team also has several players returning at the position with Haladay, Jacoby Windmon, Aaron Brule, Darius Snow (who is still recovering from a leg injury, but is participating in drills in practice), Ma'a Gaoteote, Sam Edwards and Quavian Carter.
Although Haladay could very well still lead the team in total tackles in 2023, we may see more linebackers in the rotation this year for the Spartans.
Meanwhile, Reynolds seemed pleased with the defensive line throughout fall camp thus far.
Following Wednesday's practice, Reynolds — who most previously coached the defensive line at Stanford — talked to the media a little about the inevitable Pac-12 fallout, but more notably for Spartans fans, the depth in his defensive unit.
"I'm trying to go as deep as I can go," Reynolds said about the defensive line rotation. "So, if we can get three or four deep, and if somebody has a special trait where they can come in and rush for me on third down, and that's all he does as a freshman, we'll do that. But we're gonna try to go as deep as we can go because we want to be fresh, we want to be running."
Reynolds also said that there isn't a specified starting group right now and that "everybody's fighting for playing time."
Just like his players, Reynolds also spoke about the importance of stopping the run, noting that everything the Spartans are trying to accomplish is centered around stopping opponents' ground attack first and foremost.
Reynolds has a similar approach to Hazelton when it comes to preparing his units. If they both stick to their word, we may see a revamped MSU defense that features new pieces and multiple players seeing significant snaps to keep their guys healthy and fresh.
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