The Outlook for This MSU Freshman LB

Could Michigan State freshman linebacker DeJae White contribute in 2025?

Nov 24, 2023; Detroit, Michigan, USA; A Michigan State Spartans helmet sits on a bench during the second half game against the Penn State Nittany Lions at Ford Field. Mandatory Credit: David Reginek-Imagn Images | David Reginek-Imagn Images

When Jonathan Smith took over the Michigan State Spartans in November of 2023, he had work to do on the recruiting trail. 

MSU’s class was decimated after Mel Tucker’s termination, so Smith had to pull together a 2024 class quickly. He did a fine job of finding quality players in a short amount of time.

His 2025 class would be his first opportunity to scout the landscape and evaluate talent in a new place. While his national rankings did not blow anyone out of the water, Smith did a nice job finding under-the-radar talent that can contribute now and in the future. 

Among that group is freshman linebacker DeJae White. Officially changing his name from Charles, White joins a deep Spartan linebacker class. 

Orchard Lake St. Mary’s wide receiver Charles White celebrates looking over at students, friends and family in the stands after he and his teammates beat Birmingham Groves 28-27 in one overtime during the MHSAA Division 2 semifinal game at West Bloomfield High School in West Bloomfield on Saturday, Nov. 23, 2024. | Eric Seals / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Ranked as the No. 1 overall linebacker in the state of Michigan on 247Sports, White was one of two four-star prospects Smith added in his 2025 class, the other being defensive tackle Derrick Simmons from Frankenmuth. 

White was a two-sport athlete at Orchard Lake-St. Mary’s High School, starring as a track and field athlete when he was not a tackling machine on the football field. 

He is an instinctive linebacker who diagnoses the run well and can shoot gaps to create pressure on the interior. His high-level processing may allow him to see the field sooner rather than later. 

However, MSU’s linebacker room is considerably deep in 2025. Wayne Matthews III and Jordan Hall should hold down starting spots, while young players like Brady Pretzlaff, Semaj Bridgeman and Marcellius Pulliam are expected to be ahead of White on the depth chart. 

Smith and his staff showed a willingness to play freshmen last season, so it would not be all that surprising to see a player like White earn snaps in blowouts and toward the end of the season. 

Michigan State defensive coordinator Joe Rossi looks on before the game against Florida Atlantic on Friday, Aug. 30, 2024, at Spartan Stadium in East Lansing. | Nick King/Lansing State Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK

White was one of two linebackers in Smith’s 2025 class, the other being Dakota High School’s three-star DiMari Malone. The staff prioritized finding linebacker talent and found two quality ones in this class. 

White was an impressive find by this staff, and while it may take him some time to climb the depth chart, expect to see him be a mainstay in the next few seasons.

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