One Big Issue for MSU Last Year Hasn't Gone Away
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Michigan State's pass rush was going to have to vastly improve from last season. The 2024 squad once went six consecutive games without recording a sack.
Obviously, something was going to have to change as far as production from that unit and the amount of pressure placed upon opposing quarterbacks. Through three games in the 2025 season and despite a 3-0 start, MSU's pass rush hasn't been convincing enough to inspire confidence headed into the Big Ten schedule.
Roster Turnover
As was expected, Michigan State hit the portal hard for reinforcements to try and buff this portion of the defense.
New players to the team from other schools include Isaac Smith (Texas Tech), Anelu Lafaele (Wisconsin), David Santiago (Air Force), and Cam Williams (Georgia State).
Here's the issue: none of these players has truly proven that they can be productive at the Power Four level yet.
Smith was a starter during the earlier portion of the season last year at Texas Tech, but saw his snaps decrease as the year went on. He finished with 2.5 sacks last year. While he's listed as a redshirt senior on MSU's roster, Smith could probably get a medical redshirt for missing the 2023 season due to injury and play in the 2026 season.
Lafaele is the most promising of the group. He's gotten two sacks --- tied for first on the team with Jordan Hall --- and a forced fumble so far this year after redshirting as a true freshman in Madison in 2024. There's also the bonus that he came to East Lansing with all four years of his eligibility still available.
Santiago is another guy with plenty of potential, but is still searching for his first sack as a Spartan. He transferred in from Air Force after a 3.5-sack season last season and with three years of eligibility remaining.
Williams has also rotated in for MSU. He was also mostly in a rotational role at Georgia State last year, but graded out pretty well on Pro Football Focus. This is his final year of collegiate eligibility.
Lack of Overall Production
Through three games, Michigan State has only six total sacks; four were against Western Michigan and two came on Saturday versus Youngstown State.
MSU failed to get a sack against Boston College, the best team the Spartans have seen so far, and that was one of the reasons the Eagles hung around into double overtime. BC quarterback Dylan Lonergan had a lot of time to throw throughout the game and ended up throwing for 390 yards and four touchdowns.
USC's Red-Hot Offense
With the schedule only getting tougher now and with No. 25 USC up next, Michigan State's pass rush needs to show up sooner rather than later. The Trojans are first in the entire FBS in total offense at 604 yards per game.
If Michigan State gives too much time to USC quarterback Jayden Maiava, who averages 14.1 yards an attempt and hasn't thrown an interception, it's hard to see the Spartans having much of a chance.
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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.
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