Indianapolis - When preseason camp begins for Michigan State on Thursday, the linebacker picture is expected to emerge as one of the most competitive and deepest, areas of the team.
And also one of the most improve.
“We have The Body Man back, Cal Haladay,” said Michigan State head coach Mel Tucker. “And we have added some guys like Aaron Brulé and Jacoby Windmon. Those guys have played a lot of football.”
Brulé is a transfer from Mississippi State and Windmon is a transfer from UNLV.
Windmon was second-team All-Mountain West last year for a UNLV team which struggled to a 2-10 record.
Haladay (6-1, 235, Soph., Elysburg, Pa.) was named honorable mention All-Big Ten by coaches and media last year, while tying for the team lead in tackles with 96.
And then there’s Darius Snow, who has moved to linebacker after starting nine games at nickel back last year. He can swing between nickel back and inside linebacker.
“I feel like that (linebacker) is a natural position for him,” Tucker said. “We feel it’s the best position for him now and beyond. He looked really good during the spring. He’s a big guy. He has a nose for the ball.
"He does have some versatility. There still may be a role for him in our secondary in some packages because of his versatility."
Sophomore Ma’a Gaoteote is a former four-star recruit, a hard hitter on special teams, eager for a shot.
Ben VanSumeren is a muscle man at inside linebacker, who has been useful in short yardage, goal line and red zone situations.
“We have some guys who have played a lot of ball, guys who are athletic, who can run and hit,” Tucker said. “It’s going to be very interesting to see how fall camp goes and how it shakes out.
“That linebacker group is very competitive and I believe it’s going to be a really strong group for us and maybe the strength of our defense. We’ll see.”
Michigan State will be replacing the graduated Noah Harvey and outgoing transfer Quavaris Crouch. They shared the starting Mike linebacker spot last year, with Crouch losing favor as the season progressed and Harvey, a 2019 starter, finishing the season with the first unit.
Crouch - a strong, athletic player but not the most accountable - wasn’t with the team for the Chick-fil-A Peach Bow. He entered the transfer portal after the season and has yet to hook up with another program.
Haladay started 11 games last year. Brulé started 19 games during his three seasons at Mississippi State.
Windmon was a two-year starter at UNLV.
In MSU’s 4-2-5 system, only two linebackers are going to be in the starting lineup. But several are likely to get on the field. Tucker likes strength in numbers.
“I like to play a lot of guys defensively,” Tucker said. “If you deserve to play, we are going to find a way to get you on the field, somehow some way.”
Michigan State showed in the spring scrimmage that it has packages in which two inside linebackers are joined by a third linebacker who plays as a stand-up defensive end in passing situations. Windmon and Brulé each took turns repping as a stand-up defensive end in the 3-3-5 set.
“We are going to keep everyone fresh, and put guys in position to do what they can do well because we have versatility in our package,” Tucker said.
Windmon led UNLV in sacks with 6.5 last year. He’s sturdy, tricky and slippery.
Brulé had 27 QB hurries in 2020, the most of any linebacker in the nation, according to Pro Football Focus. He also led the nation in pass rush snaps (192), due to his busy role, and the fact that the SEC played more games than any other conference during the COVID season.
Brulé showed explosive athleticism in 2020, with four sacks.
His role decreased last year, with eight starts and a half sack on the season.
He transferred to Michigan State for a new beginning, and he has the tools to make some noise.
“Brulé has a really good initial burst to the ball,” said Michigan State safety Xavier Henderson. “The way he pursues the ball from the backside is real good.
“They all have a little something that they are good at. Jacoby is real smart. He understands zone drops; I haven’t seen a new guy understand zone drops that well. And we run a lot of zone
“Cal is just Cal. He is just out there doing his thing.
“And Snow is smart. Snow is just a football player. He is really good at using his hands. He can play anywhere, really.”
Snow started at safety in the Chick-fil-A Bowl after spending the season at nickel.
“He knows what’s going on back there,” Henderson said. “He’ll be in front of me and he’ll say something to me real quick, and I’ll say, ‘Yeah this and that,’ and he’ll say, ‘Yeah, watch out for this or that.’ I trust what he’s got to say.
“The main thing is having all those dudes there. They’re just competing and that makes them nothing but better. It’s going to be a fun camp, watching them compete.”
They’ll be doing it with a new linebackers coach overseeing them. Defensive coordinator Scottie Hazelton is coaching the linebackers this year while former linebackers coach Ross Els is focusing on special teams.
“Coach Hazel is an NFL dude so he’s been coaching guys in the NFL so I assume he’s got good stuff for them,” Henderson said.