Michigan State Football Top 30 Players Countdown: No. 11
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One of the largest determining factors for Michigan State football this year will be its defensive line.
This makes the year from defensive lineman Ben Roberts absolutely critical in several ways. MSU needs him healthy this year, and “Big Worm” will certainly be one of the leaders the Spartans look to in the locker room. For that, and other reasons discussed below, Roberts comes in at No. 11 on my “top 30 players” list for the 2026 season.
Roberts’ Career So Far
Roberts is headed into his third season with the program this fall. He spent the first two years of his college football career at Oregon before transferring to Michigan State ahead of the 2024 season. Roberts was also a former 4-star recruit in the 2022 class, coming out of Salt Lake City, Utah. He picked the Ducks originally over Washington, Tennessee, Virginia Tech, and Nebraska.
There wasn’t a ton of playing time for Roberts in Eugene, though. He appeared in just nine total games across the 2022 and 2023 seasons with the Ducks, totaling 82 defensive snaps. Roberts didn’t get a ton of transfer portal hype when he left Oregon after that — he was ranked 1,409th overall on 247Sports’ 2024 portal rankings, including 150th among defensive linemen.
The 2024 season was the first year Roberts got to see the field somewhat regularly. He earned 128 defensive snaps over 10 appearances as a redshirt sophomore with the Spartans. Those other two games he missed were due to injury.
Last season, Roberts’ role got even bigger. He appeared in seven games for Michigan State in 2025, including six starts. His 69.9 overall defensive grade by Pro Football Focus was the best among MSU’s interior defensive linemen.
Injury Concerns
The biggest problem for Roberts during his time in East Lansing has just been staying on the field. He has missed time due to injury during both of his seasons at MSU. This isn’t something entirely within the Spartans’ control, but they cannot afford to lose Roberts for an extended period of time as they did in 2025.
Depth is a legitimate concern for Michigan State’s interior defensive line this season. This is one of the toughest positions to build serious depth in, as most teams regularly play at least three interior defensive linemen every game. The Spartans have about, well, three that will confidently be playable.
Roberts is probably the best that MSU has at defensive tackle, but the Spartans can also feel decent about having Illinois transfer Eli Coenen and former 4-star recruit Derrick Simmons at the position. After that, though, you reach seriously unproven territory.
Next up would likely be Toledo transfer, Carlos Hazelwood. He played just a total of 83 defensive snaps last season for the Rockets. Then it’s probably Mikeshun Beeler; he played just six defensive snaps last year. Rounding out the group is true freshman Hudson Aultman, who flipped to Michigan State as a recruit from Miami (OH).
The thing here is that Roberts is the lone player in the starting group with injury history. Coenen played in all 13 of Illinois’ games last year, and he played in 13 of 14 possible games the year before that while attending Division II Bemidji State. Simmons hasn’t even played long enough to have any real history; he got 44 defensive snaps last fall as a true freshman, but his blue-chip recruit status means he’ll be expected to heavily contribute this season.
There’s just a bit of a drop-off there. Keeping the top three at defensive tackle healthy will have a tremendous impact on the whole defense. If the defensive line thins out, teams will start having more success running the ball against Michigan State, which then makes it easier to throw the ball, which makes it easier to throw the ball. It’s a bit of a snowball effect.
Roberts’ Personal Outlook for 2026
Roberts’ decision to stay is also worth examining. He could’ve probably been a grad transfer and spent his final season elsewhere, but Roberts decided to stick around through the coaching change. One factor was Pat Fitzgerald’s decision to keep defensive coordinator Joe Rossi on the staff.
“Coach Rossi has done a great job with me,” Roberts said during the spring. “He's kept it 100 [percent] with me. He's one of the best defensive coordinators in the country. I mean, who wouldn’t want to play for Coach Rossi? He brings the fire every day, and that’s why we want to play [for him].”
Fitzgerald has also left a strong impression on Roberts and the team. One of the most common reports from spring ball was that practices were much more energetic this year. His more intense demeanor is one of the things that has made his hiring make sense. Teams usually hire relatively opposite versions of the coaches they just fired. Jonathan Smith was a mild-mannered, offensive-minded coach; Fitzgerald is an energetic, defensive-minded coach.
“I think it’s definitely a blessing to have Coach Fitz,” Roberts said. “He’s done a great job trying to establish a culture and in trying to bring this place back and put it back on top where it belongs, because, obviously, Coach [Mark] Dantonio and all of them have done it. Everybody on the team, we have faith and belief in Coach Fitz and what he can do as a defense.”
A truly successful season for Fitzgerald in Year 1 would really just be earning the right to play a 13th game by reaching six wins. There have been four straight losing seasons before this one, after all. Fans are restless enough, but just any real progress will be that: progress.
Roberts will be a huge part of Michigan State football's story in 2026. He could or should be the best defensive tackle the Spartans have. If he and others can stay healthy, MSU’s front seven will be in a nice position, especially with the depth Michigan State has at linebacker.
Other 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 | No. 23, DL Derrick Simmons | No. 22, TE Carson Gulker | No. 21, WR KK Smith
No. 20, DL Eli Coenen | No. 19, OL Nick Sharpe | No. 18, LB Caleb Wheatland | No. 17, RB Marvis Parrish | No. 16, DB Michael Richard | No. 15, EDGE Anelu Lafaele | No. 14, P Rhys Dakin | No. 13, LB Dion Crawford | No. 12, C Trent Fraley
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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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