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.”
