V-Cast: Michigan State defense appears to be making progress ahead of first camp scrimmage

EAST LANSING, Mich. – Michigan State held its second practice in pads on Tuesday. Afterward, defensive coordinator Joe Rossi, linebacker Wayne Matthews III, defensive end Quindarius Dunnigan, and linebacker Darius Snow were made available for interviews with local media.

Following practice and interviews, SpartanMag staffers Jim Comparoni and Paul Konyndyk set up at Perles Plaza for the latest V-Cast.

V-CAST TOPICS

Thompson emerging as a playmaker: During Rossi’s first year as defensive coordinator at Michigan State, Jalen Thompson (6-3, 260, Jr., Detroit, MI, Cass Tech) was dependable and productive in his role at defensive end. As a junior, Rossi is looking for Thompson to take the next step in his evolution as a football player and to become a playmaker capable of moving around and making play at defensive end, rush end, or even on the interior d-line in certain scenarios.

Young Defensive Standouts: When asked about underclassmen defensive players that have caught his eye to this point in the Michigan State training camp, Rossi was a quick to mention Brady Pretzlaff (6-3, 237, R-Fr., Gaylord, MI, Gaylord), a second-year linebacker that also received high praise from senior Wayne Matthews III. Linebacker is a position of depth, so Pretzlaff may not get a ton of game reps this season, but he is a player to watch from Jonathan Smith’s first recruiting class as head coach of the Spartans. Other defensive players that have caught Rossi’s eye include sophomore defensive back Justin Denson (6-2, 194, Soph., Providence, RI, Wyoming Seminary), freshman defensive tackle Derrick Simmons (6-3, 297, Fr., Frankenmuth, MI, Frankenmuth), second-year defensive tackle Mikeshun Beeler (6-2, 293, R-Fr., Chicago, IL, Simeon), and freshman corner Aydan West (5-11, 190, Fr., Gaithersburg, MD, Quince Orchard).

How about those wide receivers: Rossi’s strongest quotes on the day were about the other side of the football, specifically the wide receiver position. Rossi believes that Michigan State has upgraded the wide receiver position substantially from last season to this and that the significant increase in pass-catching talent has pushed his own defensive backs to be better versions of themselves. For his part, Rossi also believes that Michigan State has adequately addressed defensive needs in the secondary through both the transfer portal and player development. Based on what he has seen to this point in camp, Rossi believes that Michigan State will have defensive backfield with several qualities in which he places value as a veteran defensive football coach. Those qualities that Rossi values include length, athleticism, and football IQ.