DEVELOPMENTAL UPDATE: Linebacker rising as a position of strength at Michigan State
East Lansing, Mich. – Michigan State’s quest to achieve competitive, productive depth at every position might not be fulfilled this season, but there are a few positions that have sneakily become solid, experienced and potentially dangerous.
Linebacker is in that category.
Michigan State has an eclectic mix of veterans and prospects at the two inside linebacker positions, and also at the third slot linebacker position for occasions when the Spartans move from its base 4-2 to a 4-3.
Cal Haladay is a veteran holdover from the Mark Dantonio era.
Jacoby Windmon and Aaron Brulé are a pair of second-year transfers from New Orleans. Windmon was an overlooked two-star recruit who transferred up from a mid-major (UNLV). Brulé was a four-star prospect who made a lateral move from one MSU (Mississippi State) to another.
Ma’a Gaoteote is a Californian and one of the first four-star recruits of the Mel Tucker era.
Jordan Hall is a Floridian and arguably the top four star recruit of Tucker’s most recent recruiting class.
Aaron Alexander, of Belleville, Mich., was once committed to Michigan, wound up at UMass, and is now back in the Great Lakes State as a Spartan.
Darius Snow was on pace to be the best of the bunch before being sidelined by a career-threatening injury in the opening game of the 2022 season. Snow is still rehabilitating. Tucker is offering no updates on his progress or potential to help in 2023. “He’ll be ready when he’s ready,” Tucker said with a smile last month.
The others are more ready than they were a year ago.
“It’s huge to get Windmon back,” Tucker said. “And then to get Brulé to come back, that was good for them (Windmon and Brulé) and good for us. Good for our team.
“We saw Brulé start to come on toward the latter part of the season. We see what skillset he brings to the table, so we are going to emphasize what he does well.
“We have seen what Jacoby can do, and he is going to continue to get better. We have a lot of competition at that position. We have experience. We have guys coming back and it’s good to get them back.”
THE REWIND & WHAT’S NEXT
Haladay has experienced the entire spectrum. He rose up as a surprise starter during the 2021 Peach Bowl season as a redshirt-freshman.
Last year, he began the season as a surprise second-stringer, behind inside linebackers Snow and Ben VanSumeren. Windmon was supposed to be a starting Mike linebacker, but moved to defensive end at the outset of the season.
When Snow went down with an injury, Haladay moved back into the starting lineup.
As VanSumeren struggled, Windmon returned to Mike linebacker after the midway point of the season.
Brulé was added to the starting lineup as a third linebacker in a victory over Wisconsin, joining Windmon and Haladay in a 4-3. That’s when the defense was briefly at its best.
Then Windmon was lost for the last four games of the season due to the tunnel incident at Michigan. VanSumeren moved back into the starting lineup. Brulé continued to come on as a contributor, creating optimism and depth for 2023 although overall team defensive solvency was never achieved in 2022.
This spring, Haladay is back, and a few pounds thicker. Windmon continues to ascend as a team leader. Brulé is lurking.
If Michigan State goes with a two-LB set for the opening games against Central Michigan and Richmond in September, one of those three players will be coming off the bench. It’s not likely to be Windmon. Either way, the Spartans will be stronger at second-string linebacker than at any time in the Tucker era.
“You have to love competition,” Haladay said. “You don’t come here just to hang out on the sidelines. You come to play and everyone knows that.”
With spread offenses and uptempo attacks, the days of standing pat with a starting unit of linebackers for the entire game ended a long time ago. Michigan State appears to be well-equipped to mix and match at the second level in 2023.
Gaoteote has yet to earn time as a regular in the playing group, but he’s competing for a look. Hall, Alexander and redshirt freshman Quavian Carter are getting acclimated to the system.
“We have a really good room and that will allow us to play more guys, and we have young guys that can play,” Haladay said. “I think we’re going to be a well-rounded room.”
FULL-TIME SPARTAN THUMPER?
Haladay and Windmon (6-2, 250, R-Sr., New Orleans) return as the Spartans’ most accomplished linebackers. Windmon started six games at defensive end last year and led the FBS with six forced fumbles. He had team highs in tackles for loss (10.5) and sacks (5.5).
When Windmon was at defensive end last year, Michigan State lacked a thumping inside linebacker. VanSumeren had the size and force to do it, but never quite delivered. Windmon was occasionally electric at d-end, but the Spartans need someone to be consistently big, tough and smart at Mike linebacker – and Windmon might be the only player in the program with the physical goods to deliver at that position at a high level.
Windmon is expected to be at MLB full-time in 2023. Haladay is capable of playing next to Windmon as a Will linebacker or as a MLB if and when Windmon needs a breather.
Haladay has added mass, hopeful to improve his ability to provide help as a between-the-tackles thumper. But Windmon is best-suited for that role, physically.
ANTJUAN SIMMONS’ TAKE AT MICHIGAN STATE
First-year graduate assistant Antjuan Simmons, a former linebacker in the Dantonio and Tucker systems, has been an astute observer of the progress.
“When I was watching Jacoby last year, I got to see him off the edge a lot,” Simmons said. “As the season went on, he started being more off the ball. Seeing him this spring, in my eyes, in my opinion, he looks like a different player. He is getting aggressive, he’s getting downhill. He’s striking people, running. He’s getting better in the pass game as well. He has taken huge steps throughout spring ball.”
Simmons has been working with linebackers coach/defensive coordinator Scottie Hazelton in trying to bring the best out of the group.
“I watched most of the games from last season since I’ve been back, just going through it,” Simmons said, “seeing how guys were moving toward the middle and end of the season, how they were moving around, how their hips and feet were, how they were striking people, dropping and everything, fluidity in the hips and feet.
“And now a lot of the mistakes that Jacoby, Brulé, Cal, a lot of the guys who got reps during the season, they are making a lot of improvements as far as what they were doing wrong last season, as far as little things, like having the proper footwork when dropping, making the correct reads. They’re fixing that and bringing it every day. Every day, those guys want to be on the field, they want to get better. We got a couple of guys nicked up and they are still like, ‘No, no. I need these reps.’
“And I have to make them, like, ‘No, no. You’re done for today.’
“It’s been really exciting to see the guys growing through spring. I can’t wait to see them when the end of spring comes around and when we get into fall camp and when the season comes around I’m excited to see how these are going to look when fall comes.”
Simmons was Haladay’s teammate in 2020, with Simmons emerging as a second-team All-Big Ten standout and Haladay seeing action in four games as a true freshman.
Now Haladay is a veteran and Simmons is an assistant to the coaching staff. Simmons loves how far Haladay has come.
“You can’t say enough about the guy,” Simmons said. “He shows up, he works hard, he’s a leader, he makes plays, he does it off the field too. He’s fast, he strikes, he ain’t scared and he’s going to demand the best from the guys around him.”
Hall (6-3, 235, Fredericksburg, Va./Florida IMG Academy) was the third-highest ranked recruit in Michigan State’s 2023 class, according to the On3 Industry Rankings.
He was ranked No. 198 in the nation by On3 and No. 76 by Rivals.
Hall enrolled in January and has been turning heads this spring.
“I really like Jordan Hall,” Simmons said. “Great young man. He’s a sponge. He learns. He listens. Extremely coachable. Great size. He can move. He can do everything you ask him to do. I see a bright future for him as long as he keeps doing what he’s doing, he’s going to be very good for us.
“Across the board, all of our guys are improving. I’m really happy to see it. Everyone is on a positive turn right now. Even the new guys, like an Aaron Alexander, who just got here. He is improving every day as well. He is a really good athlete. He’s explosive. He can strike. I just want to see him get more reps.
“(Walk-on) Sam Edwards, he has been here for awhile now and you can’t ask anymore from Sam.
“Everyone is working. Everyone is busting their butts right now, providing value, doing everything they possibly can.”
THE POST-SCRIPT
What other positions have sneaky-good competitive depth? Defensive line, running back, some areas of the offensive line and quarterback.
Michigan State won’t have a full complement of healthy defensive ends for the spring scrimmage on April 15, but by September, the Spartans could be solid as Keith Bogle regains health and continues to progress, and if sophomore Zion Young builds on last year’s success, along with Avery Dunn and DT/DE cross-trainer Tunmise Adeleye, a transfer from Texas A&M. Adeleye is seeing time at DT and DT this spring.
X-factors at d-end include Penn State transfer Ken Talley, fifth-year senior Brandon Wright, true freshmen Bai Jobe and Andrew Depaepe.
There aren’t enough snaps for all eight to play regularly, but competition should yield two, three or four decent candidates at d-end, to complement a strong defensive tackle picture.
Inside at DT, Simeon Barrow will compete for All-Big Ten recognition. Big redshirt-sophomore Derrick Harmon appears to be a star on the rise. Transfers Jarrett Jackson (Florida State) and DeAndre Butler (Liberty) will provide depth and may compete for starting status. Redshirt-freshman Alex VanSumeren, who played in four games last year, is on schedule.
At running back, Jalen Berger is back after being the team’s leading rusher last year. He needs to continue to improve if he’s going to remain the starter ahead of transfers Nathan Carter (UConn) and Jaren Mangham (South Florida). It’s hard to give more than two running backs a full dose of carries. The competition is stiff. Mangham and Carter have been good this spring.
On the offensive line, second-stringers Keyshawn Blackstock, Dallas Fincher, Kevin Wigenton and Ethan Boyd are knocking on the door for a role. None of them are proven players at this point, but their time is coming.
At quarterback, Payton Thorne has five career games with 300-plus passing yards, and is No. 4 on the school’s all-time list for TD passes (49) and is No. 6 in school history in passing yards (6,494). He quarterbacked Michigan State to an 11-2 record in 2021 and to a 5-7 record last year.
Thorne is a known commodity, and is working to sharpen his game. He needs to improve, because Noah Kim (6-2, 185, R-Jr., Centreville, Va.) is maturing and providing real competitive pressure.
The post DEVELOPMENTAL UPDATE: Linebacker rising as a position of strength at Michigan State appeared first on On3.
