Last year, Michigan State's football team's defense was a major weakness for the Spartans, who were ranked outside of Pro Football Focus' top 100 (112).
Michigan State hired new head coach Jonathan Smith this offseason and saw many of its players enter the transfer portal, including key big-name defenders Derrick Harmon, Jaden Mangum and Simeon Burrow Jr., who left for better opportunities.
But Smith has acquired some quality players through the portal to fill those voids. Guys like Wayne Matthews III, Ed Woods and Jalen Satchel are all solid additions with a good chance of starting right away. Smith also acquired players like Jeremiah Hughes and Semaj Bridgeman, who may not play right away but could see significant playing time in the future.
Brett Ciancia of 247Sports reviewed every defense in the Big Ten and rated them as either trending up or trending down, and Ciancia placed Michigan State in the trending up category.
“This is a defense that finished in the bottom 10 of the Power Five last year but benefits from having a top 20 player returning,” Ciancia said. “Certainly, they're not going to resemble the Dantonio-era no-fly zone units overnight, but Jonathan Smith's staff will certainly lift them out of the bottom 10.”
Michigan State has hired Joe Rossi to replace former defensive coordinator Scotty Hazelton, who led a successful and accomplished defense during his six-year stint as defensive coordinator at Minnesota.
Rossi was hired as the team's defensive coordinator and linebackers coach on Dec. 14. Smith spoke about Rossi during Big Ten Football Media Days.
“He's great,” Smith said, “You can tell his experience, his organization and he has a clear vision of what he wants, but … he's constantly thinking about evaluating the talent and putting the guys on the roster in the best position possible on a day-to-day basis. I think he's done a great job of organizing the defensive staff because he hasn't worked with everyone before. A couple of them moved over with me. And he's welcomed their contributions to the team, even though we have some big-name coaches on the defensive side of the ball. So far, it's been good.”
Michigan State's defense can't be worse than last year, so they can only get better. This Spartans defense may not be a great team this season, but with Rossi and a quality player coming through the portal, the defense should be strong again in the future.
Don't forget to follow our official Spartan Nation page Spartan Nation on Facebook by clicking here and join our vibrant community group Go Green Go White by clicking here.
