Michigan State bullish on d-end position despite the lack of proven edge rushers
East Lansing, Mich. – Michigan State has less proven depth at defensive end than it does at defensive tackle ahead of the 2023 season. The Spartans do, however, are confident that they have enough bodies at d-end with enough diversity in skillsets to adequately handle most scenarios they will face this season.
“We are pretty excited about those guys,” said defensive coordinator Scottie Hazelton said. “It feels different with those guys, having some defensive ends in camp, and a lot of depth, and guys can rotate through, stay fresh, and do their job.”
With 10 scholarship defensive ends and two walk-ons in training camp, the biggest issue facing Michigan State at defensive end is getting enough quality practice reps for everybody.
“We have a lot of defensive ends,” defensive line coach Diron Reynolds said. “The problem now is getting everybody reps. There are not a whole lot of reps to go around.”
That’s a good problem to have according to Hazelton, who is excited about the potential for Michigan State to match personnel at d-end to opponents on a week-to-week basis.
“Now that you have different pieces, it’s going to make those things better,” Hazelton said. “To be able to jump in and out of different defenses and personnel groups. If they are a big team, we might use bigger ends or tackles. We’re going forwards saying, ‘these are the guys that we’ve got and we’re going to use them all as much as we can.’ We’ve got to cross train them as much as we can.”
As for Reynolds, the first-year Michigan State assistant welcomes the opportunity to utilize a large rotation at defensive end.
“I am trying to go as deep as I can go,” said Reynolds. “If we can get three or four deep, and somebody has a special trait and can come in and rush for me on third down, and that is all he does, we’ll do that. We want to be as deep as we can go because we want to be fresh, and we want to be running.”
Pass rush still biggest question for Michigan State at DE
Michigan State lacked credible pass-rush threats at the defensive end position going into the 2022 season, which is why Jacoby Windmon was moved from linebacker to defensive end during training camp last August.
Windmon is still available as a pass-rusher off the edge for the Spartans in a third-down package. His primary position for Michigan State this season will be linebacker.
“Hopefully, he won’t have to play d-line except to rush,” Hazelton said. “Having spring with Jacoby (at linebacker) has really helped us. He has had a chance to get his rust knocked off and become a backer again. He is moving like a backer and playing a little bit cleaner. We’re working on some of his stuff, but in the run game he has been solid.”
As for pass-rushers beyond Windmon, simply having a large pool of defensive ends is a good place to start when looking to generate consistent pressure off the edge.
“Rushing the passer takes the most energy out of anything,” Hazelton said. “If you’ve got guys that can beat the guy in front of them and at least make the quarterback move, that’s almost as helpful as anything. That’s where it all starts up front and takes the pressure off everything behind it.”
Michigan State’s inability to stop the run last season led to fewer pass-rush opportunities.
“It starts with stopping the run,” Hazelton said. “When you stop the run, you put them in positions where you know they are going to throw. Now, we can blitz. We can let the four guys up front rush. We can change up stuff, change up coverages. When we pressure the quarterback and we mess with coverage, we get the ball out … Those things come from winning on first down. If we do those things on early downs, it gives us the right to rush on third.”
Candidates to fill a pass-rush role are varied. Among defensive ends that have shown themselves to be functional against the run, Brandon Wright and Avery Dunn have also shown the capacity to generate pressure when given the opportunity. In nine games last season, Dunn ranked second in sacks (3.0) and tackles for loss (4.5) at the d-end position behind Windmon.
Wright had one sack and 1.5 tackles for loss in eight games. Wright played fewer snaps than Dunn, who saw his playing time increase substantially after the post-game tunnel incident at Michigan sidelined Windmon, Wright, and Zion Young for the final four games of the 2022 season.
Young, a bigger-bodied defensive end, established himself a rare true freshman starter at defensive end in 2022. In eight games last season, Young a made a minimal impact as a pass-rusher, finishing with one sack. That could, however, change for Young as a sophomore.
In third-and-long scenarios, Young possesses the flexibility to move inside to bolster the inside pass-rush.
“All the pieces are starting to come together,” Reynolds said. “He is able to see things faster and he is playing more freely. Zion is a great talent. He’s a long guy that can play on the inside and the outside. You will see him on the edge on first and second down, and you might see him inside on some interior pass-rush. His pass-rush is getting a whole lot better. As long as he is, he is really slippery. He is starting to see things. He is starting to ask great questions.”
Khris Bogle earned a spot in the rotation at d-end rotation for his ability as firm run defender last season. He started one game at defensive end in the Big Ten opener against Minnesota before being lost for the season to injury. While Bogle may flash as a pass-rusher this season, his skillset is likely suited more toward run defense.
One of two seniors at d-end along with Wright, Bogle has also embraced a leadership role at defensive end.
“Kris is one of those vets in the room that has a voice,” Reynolds said. “You want him on the field. You want a guy like that on the field because he understands football. Good at recognizing blocks, a tough competitor. Taking on blocks, playing against the tight end. I think he is getting right back to season form.”
Tunmise Adeleye is also thought to possess good pass-rush potential as a near 300-pounder. His primary value, however, as six-technique defensive end is stopping the run.
“You’ve got a guy like Tunmise. He is going to add some toughness and qualities to the edge,” Hazelton said. “You’re like that’s a guy that can beat up a tight end as a six technique.”
Freshmen Andrew Depaepe and Jalen Thompson have been touted among the more physical true freshmen in Michigan State’s touted 2023 d-line class. Class headliner Bai Jobe, a near-consensus Top 100 recruit, is an edge threat with elite pass-rush potential. As such, he could potentially fill a niche role on passing downs this season.
“His skill and his specialty is pass-rush, so whenever we get those opportunities, what we are trying to say is, ‘how far can Bai come along and play in those kind of things?’” Hazelton said. “Everybody has their own niche, whether it’s a corner or a linebacker. If we feel like we can find a role or something someone can do, we are going to try and feed them in that role as much as we can because it is something they are naturally good at. He’s naturally good at pass-rush. We have to teach him all of the other stuff because he is not good yet defending the run game. Those steps will come.”
Still evaluating
Reynolds has mixed and matched freely at the defensive end position, while assessing personnel and determining the strengths and weaknesses of a diverse group of players. At some point during training camp, likely after Michigan State’s second scrimmage this on Saturday, Reynolds will be forced to set a rotation.
For the time being, however, Michigan State will continue to tinker and promote competition at defensive end.
“Right now, if you’ve been watching the way practice is going, there is no starting group,” Reynolds said. “We’ve been mixing and matching. I let a different group trot out there every day. I might change one or two pieces. Everybody is on the edge right now. Everybody is fighting for a role, and everybody is fighting for playing time. We want to keep it that way all the way up until game week. We want to keep everybody on the edge. We want to see who the best are, and then we’ll see who is available.”
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