Thin spring gives MSU defensive linemen chance to grow
EAST LANSING – A spring filled with injuries and a pair of defections along Michigan State’s defensive line opened up opportunities for the guys who were left standing.
Tight end Jamal Lyles, though, made the most surprising impact there during Saturday’s Green and White game. Both of the senior’s tackles while playing defensive end were impressive. He dropped LJ Scott for an 11-yard loss and sacked White quarterback Damion Terry for 4 more lost yards.
“It was the very first snap, he got that (tackle for loss on Scott),” said co-defensive coordinator Mike Tressel, who ran the Green team. “As a coach, you gotta make that decision. ‘Hmm, maybe he should play a bit more over there.’ "
Line play was the biggest area the Spartans’ defensive coaches wanted to see progress this spring, Tressel said. However, MSU played its spring game with a depleted front four.
Defensive tackles Damon Knox, Cassius Peat and Enoch Smith all sat out the Green and White game with injuries. Defensive tackle Craig Evans and defensive end Montez Sweat left the team before the final week of workouts. That’s part of the reason why Lyles – who moved to offense from defensive end in 2013 – got a chance for some snaps on defense.
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It also provided plenty of chances for players to make their case for playing time this fall.
Redshirt freshman Raequan Williams impressed coaches all spring and made two tackles in the final scrimmage. The Chicago product could see significant time in the middle alongside junior nose tackle Malik McDowell and sixth-year senior Knox, the projected replacement for Joel Heath.
“We’re excited about him,” Tressel said of the 6-foot-4, 307-pound Williams. “The big thing is he needs to take the role upon himself that he’s going to be one of the guys next year. He certainly has the tools, and he’s learning fast. He got a whole bunch of reps this spring and certainly looks like he belongs.”
McDowell is the star of the group. ESPN on Tuesday named him as the No. 5 college junior who potentially could declare for the 2017 NFL Draft. Tressel said the Spartans need more interior lineman with McDowell this fall to be able to "move him around a little bit more and attack protections in different ways."
At defensive end, junior Demetrius Cooper and senior Evan Jones – a converted tight end – are penciled in to start with the losses of Shilique Calhoun and Lawrence Thomas. Jones had two tackles Saturday, while Cooper got a sack for his lone stop.
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True freshman defensive end Mufi Hunt enrolled “early” in January, but he was originally part of the Spartans’ 2015 recruiting class and actually got a late start due to his Mormon mission. During the spring game, showed raw quickness in pursuit off the edge, stopping Gerald Holmes for a 1-yard loss with his only tackle.Sophomore Robert Bowers made four tackles in the spring game and equally wowed and scared coaches when he chased down and drilled quarterback Damion Terry – who was not supposed to be hit – on one pass play.
“For the most part, coach Dantonio has made the point that, hey, we’re going to continue to recruit guys that fit our mold,” Tressel said. “That’s ‘pound, green, pound,’ toughness. We’re gonna tackle more in practice than most teams. And you need to fight around here to get on the football field.”
That will include a highly regarded incoming freshman group when preseason camp begins in August. MSU coach Mark Dantonio already has dubbed defensive ends Josh King and Auston Robertson, and interior tackles Naquan Jones and Mike Panasiuk with the “Fearsome Foursome” nickname.
“Obviously, there are some issues with depth that we need to address,” Dantonio said. “I think we have a great defensive class coming, first of all, so that's going to be exciting, especially in the defensive line position.”