Michigan State Adds Big Ten Transfer Prospect to Defensive Line

Michigan State's incoming transfer portal class has reached 25 people.

The Spartans added to their defensive line on Monday morning, receiving the commitment of Illinois defensive tackle Eli Coenen after he announced his decision on Instagram. He visited East Lansing on Tuesday, Jan. 6 and will have two years of eligibility remaining.

Michigan State Spartans head coach Pat Fitzgerald addresses fans during a men's basketball game against the Iowa Hawkeyes on Tuesday, Dec. 2, 2025, at the Breslin Center. Fitzgerald had been formally introduced earlier that day. | Starr Portice, Michigan State Spartans on SI

Coenen was a regular part of the Fighting Illini's defensive rotation this past season, appearing in all 13 of their games, where he made 12 total tackles with 1.5 sacks. This is a pickup that will likely have an immediate impact on MSU in 2026 and new defensive line coach Winston DeLattiboudere III's group.

Prior to Illinois, Coenen actually began his career at Division II Bemidji State. Coenan, listed by Illinois at 6-foot-7 and 290 pounds, had a breakout season in 2024 after redshirting as a true freshman, which allowed him to move up to the Big Ten level. He's a fast riser who, especially with his great size, has some big potential.

More on Coenen, Fit at MSU

Eli Coene — Dec 31, 2024; Orlando, FL, USA; A Illinois Fighting Illini helmet sitting on confetti after the game against the South Carolina Gamecocks at Camping World Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeremy Reper-Imagn Images | Jeremy Reper-Imagn Images

Coenen played 222 total defensive snaps during his first Division I season in 2025, according to PFF. He also participated in 14 special teams snaps, helping on the field goal or extra point block team.

One nice thing to see is that Coenen's snaps seemed to increase as the season went along, meaning the Illinois coaching staff's opinion of him seemed to increase as well. During the Fighting Illini's first seven games of the season, Coenen never played more than 17 defensive snaps in a game. In the six contests in succession to that, he played at least 18 and had a season-high 34 snaps against Washington.

On3 currently ranks Coenan 1,411th overall among everybody in the transfer portal. He's also ranked 153rd among defensive linemen. Rankings have not mattered too much for Coenen during his career, though. Again, he began at the D-II level and was ranked 2,780th in the transfer portal when he went from Bemidji State to Illinois.

Coenen is the second defensive lineman that Michigan State has picked up from the transfer portal. The Spartans landed Toledo transfer Carlos Hazelwood this past Thursday. MSU is losing quite a bit in that area from last year; top interior lineman Alex VanSumeren is transferring to USC, Grady Kelly and Ru'Quan Buckley are out of eligibility. It's still up to DeLattiboudere to find enough talent and/or productivity to replace those guys.

Nov 23, 2025; Glendale, Arizona, USA; Arizona Cardinals defensive line coach Winston DeLattiboudere III against the Jacksonville Jaguars at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Keep up with all our content when you follow the official Spartan Nation page on Facebook, Spartan Nation, WHEN YOU CLICK RIGHT HERE, and be sure to share your thoughts on MSU landing Coenen when you join our community group, Go Green Go White, WHEN YOU CLICK RIGHT HERE. Don't forget to give us a follow on X @MSUSpartansOnSI as well.

Never again miss one major story related to your beloved Spartans when you sign up for our 100% FREE newsletter that comes straight to your email with the latest news. SIGN UP HERE NOW