Why Eli Coenen Critical Component of MSU's Next Defense

Solidifying the interior of the defensive line is one of the biggest keys for Michigan State this coming fall.

The lack of depth at the extremely physical position is one of the biggest flaws on the roster, in my opinion. That is why the performance of Illinois transfer Eli Coenen is going to be so crucial to the Spartans' season.

Coenen's Role at MSU

April 18, 2026; East Lansing, Mich.; Michigan State Spartans linebacker Kenny Soares Jr. (23) and defensive lineman Eli Coenen (96) walk together during MSU's "Spring Showcase" at Spartan Stadium. | Starr Portice, Michigan State Spartans on SI

Coenen is projected to be one of the two starters at defensive tackle this coming season. He's likely to be paired with returnee Ben Roberts.

Just being a starter is reason enough to talk about why Coenen is important, but I think Coenen is a bit of a gateway between the starting-level players and the rest. As I said before, the depth is a bit of a concern for me.

April 18, 2026; East Lansing, Mich.; Michigan State Spartans defensive line coach Winston DeLattiboudere III walks onto the field for MSU's "Spring Showcase" at Spartan Stadium. | Starr Portice, Michigan State Spartans on SI

Redshirt freshman Derrick Simmons has a very bright future, but he's still very inexperienced. He could've gotten more than 44 defensive snaps last season if he really wanted, but it was still probably in Simmons' best interest to redshirt. That's still not a lot of college experience, regardless.

Toledo transfer Carlos Hazelwood is probably next on the depth chart. He's also on the younger side as a redshirt sophomore and got 83 defensive snaps last season. Again, just not a lot of experience after Roberts and Coenen.

April 18, 2026; East Lansing, Mich.; Michigan State Spartans defensive lineman Mikeshun Beeler (52) runs out of the tunnel for the "Spring Showcase" at Spartan Stadium. | Starr Portice, Michigan State Spartans on SI

Those guys are all going to play this coming fall. That makes the health of Roberts and Coenen really important, too. If one of them gets hurt, you're likely digging even deeper into the roster for Mikeshun Beeler (six defensive snaps in 2025) or true freshman Hudson Aultman.

Michigan State's head coach Pat Fitzgerald calls out to players during spring football practice on Tuesday, April 14, 2026, in East Lansing. | Nick King/Lansing State Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Coenen's Path to MSU

Coenen is not necessarily an uber-experienced portal addition with thousands of snaps of experience, either. He's just more experienced by comparison. Last season was his first season of Division I football after beginning at D-II Bemidji State.

One of the things I liked about Coenen is that his snap count seemed to increase during his lone season at Illinois. He appeared in all 13 of the Fighting Illini's games, but he never saw more than 17 defensive snaps during Illinois' first seven games, according to PFF. Coenen actually only received one such snap during a game against Indiana.

It shot up during the later stages of the season, though. Coenen played at least 18 snaps in the final six games of the season. His two most-involved games were against Washington (34 snaps) and Rutgers (30 snaps). He didn't start, but he was playing a lot for a pretty decent Illinois squad that finished 9-4.

Coenen's career progression is why he is projected to be a starter. He was getting redshirted at a D-II program back in 2023. Two years later, he's getting real snaps in the Big Ten. His 6'6", 287-pound frame also makes him a very big (literally) addition to Winston DeLattiboudere III's room.

April 18, 2026; East Lansing, Mich.; Michigan State Spartans head coach Pat Fitzgerald gets his whistle ready during the "Spring Showcase" at Spartan Stadium. | Starr Portice, Michigan State Spartans on SI

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