Michigan State Football 2026 Top 30 Players: No. 23
In this story:
Michigan State is ready to give a younger player plenty of snaps on the interior of its next interior defensive line.
Derrick Simmons redshirted last year, only appearing in four games during the 2025 season. The jump for Simmons has the potential to be one of the biggest on the team this fall.
Simmons’ Projected Role
There seems to be a gap between the top three and the rest at defensive tackle. This might give away some future inclusions on my top 30 list, but Ben Roberts and Eli Coenen are likely the two interior defensive linemen ahead of Simmons right now. Roberts was a starter when healthy last year, and Coenen got some regular snaps while at Illinois in 2025 and is a bit more experienced than Simmons.
Simmons probably has the upper hand on all the other options at defensive tackle, though. Incoming transfer Carlos Hazelwood got fewer than 100 snaps last fall, Mikeshun Beeler got four total snaps during his redshirt freshman season, and Hudson Aultman is a true freshman not high enough on the recruiting rankings where regular snaps seem to be a serious possibility.
The decision to redshirt Simmons was probably less obvious than it was for most true freshmen. He was the best recruit MSU landed in its 2025 class, ranked 278th overall in the Rivals Industry Rankings.
Simmons was the only 4-star prospect in that class, in fact. He probably would’ve played more if the likely incoming ‘5-in-5’ rule that basically does away with redshirts were in place.
Simmons needed a bit of an adjustment year, despite his blue-chip status. He was playing Division 5 MHSAA competition at Frankenmuth High School. Jumping from high school to the Big Ten is never an easy task, but Simmons had a steeper climb than most.
“I’d play both ways,” Simmons said about his time in high school during the spring. “I’d get 100-something snaps in my high school games. Coming here, I play, like, 15, and I feel like I played twice as many snaps as I did in high school.”
Everyone Simmons is facing now is at or nearly 300 pounds, or bigger. They’re also quicker, stronger, and a lot more skilled. It’s just a completely different world from D5 Michigan high school football.
“I went up to try and tip a pass [against Boston College],” Simmons when asked about a ‘welcome to college football’ moment he had. “I jumped, reached out with my hands, and I almost got dumped. It was like, ‘Ooooh, you’ve got to be ready for things like that, because it’s not like when I was playing against, like, 200-pound o-linemen that are, like 5’10”. Now they’re 6’6”, 300-something pounds. You’ve got to get used to that physicality.”
Linemen on either side of the ball usually have to take a bit longer before they’re truly ready to play. It usually takes a year or two before a player is simply strong enough or has enough weight to hold their own in the trenches. Simmons’ weight went up from 297 as a true freshman to 305 on the Spartans’ spring roster.
That year, adjusting to college life and college football, has made Simmons ready for his second season in college football. The metaphorical snowplow has also come out to clear the way for Simmons to rise up the depth chart. Among the outgoing defensive tackles are Alex VanSumren (now at USC), Grady Kelly, Jalen Satchell, and Ru’Quan Buckley.
Importance of Simmons, Starting DL
The lack of depth on the interior of the defensive line is one of the concerns I’ve had for the roster as constructed. I think the top three of Roberts, Coenen, and Simmons can actually be relatively effective. Roberts was effective when he was available last season, and Coenen has risen quickly in his career after starting at Division II Bemidji State.
Most teams want to rotate three or four defensive tackles into the game. The position is one of the most physically demanding on the field, whether you’re talking bumps and bruises or actually serious injuries. Making sure fresh legs are on the field is a huge part of ensuring players stay healthy and that the level of play remains high.
Michigan State is going to need Simmons and those ahead of him to remain available. The interior of the defensive line and the run defense were two areas where MSU was relatively effective last year, at least compared to other parts of the defense. VanSumeren and Kelly were the two best players in that area last year. There will be a lot to replace with their departures.
The hope for the Spartans is that there is enough internal talent to match that. Only taking two transfers at defensive tackle (Coenen, Hazelwood) felt like a mild surprise, given that more proven names were on the way out. Simmons’ development is probably a big part of that equation.
Chances are that MSU will deal with an injury at some point, though. Once that happens, Michigan State will have to give snaps to somebody who hasn’t proven themselves on a stage like the Big Ten before. Perhaps Hazelwood or Beeler could perform well enough to fill in the gap or gaps, but the “next man up” can only go for so long.
Simmons hasn’t played extended snaps before, either. But he’s a former 4-star recruit for a reason and would’ve played more last year if it hadn’t meant he’d lose a year of eligibility he didn’t need to lose. His ceiling is much higher in that sense, and his spot on the depth chart was shown to be just behind Roberts and Coenen during spring ball.
The hope is that Simmons is much higher than No. 23 this time next year.
He’s an in-state, blue-chip recruit who could potentially be a significant contributor at an important position that doesn’t get as much glory as it really should. This should be the year he comes onto the scene, but there will be plenty of room for growth in the future.
Previous Top 30 Articles
No. 30, WR Samson Gash | No. 29, WR Charles Taplin | No. 28, S Devin Vaught | No. 27, KR Kenneth Williams | No. 26, OL Luka Vincic | No. 25, OL Rakeem Johnson | No. 24, CB Tyran Chappell
Add us as a preferred source on Google
A 2025 graduate from Michigan State University, Cotsonika brings a wealth of experience covering the Spartans from Rivals and On3 to his role as Michigan State Spartans Beat Writer on SI. At Michigan State, he was also a member of the world-renowned Spartan marching band for two seasons.
Follow jacobcotsonika