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2025 Position Group Preview Series: Defensive Line

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NCAA Football: Indiana at Michigan State
Dale Young-Imagn Images

Can Alex VanSumeren or Jalen Thompson become a star?

ARE YOU READY FOR SOME FOOTBALL!?!?

Welcome to the 2025 Michigan State University football preview series here at The Only Colors. Like last year, we are going to take a look at all the different position groups and also take a look at the opponents on the schedule to try to make some predictions for how this season could go for the Green & White. Unlike last year, TOC has a full staff in place at the beginning of August, so this year’s previews will be even better than last season’s. Hopefully that translates into the season itself also being better.

Let’s kick things off with a look at the defensive line. If Michigan State is going to improve from last year, this group is going to have to be much better than it was in 2024. Some notable names are gone from last year’s squad, some notable ones return, and, as is the way in college football in this day and age, there are a number of new names to learn.

MSU’s base defense is a 4-2-5. In certain sub-packages, they will play a third LB either in a traditional spot or sometimes on the edge of the line effectively as a fifth lineman. For the purpose of this exercise, we will be focusing on just the four guys in the base formation, 2 DTs and 2 DEs.

Departed Players:

First, a look at the players who are gone from the 2024 team.

  • Khris Bogle (12 games/12 starts, 37 tackles, 7.5 TFLs, 4.0 sacks)
  • D’Quan Douse (11 games/9 starts, 25 tackles, 5.5 TFLs, 1 sack, 1 safety)
  • Maverick Hansen (12 games/3 starts, 14 tackles, 1.5 TFLs, 0.5 sacks, 1 PBU, 1 FR)
  • Ken Talley (10 games, 6 tackles, 2 TFLs, 1.5 sacks)
  • James Schott (8 games, 2 tackles)
  • Anthony Jones (2 games, 25 tackles, 3.5 TFLs, 2 sacks)

Certainly, the biggest loss among the above players will be Khris Bogle. Bogle started all 12 games a year ago, providing a steady presence on the field in addition to leadership off of it.

Returning Players:

From last year, the Spartans have 12 players returning, 6 of whom played significant roles last year.

  • #91 Alex VanSumeren (R-Jr., 6-3, 295; 2024: 12 games/12 starts, 16 tackles, 2.5 TFLs, 1.5 sacks)
Syndication: Lansing State Journal
Nick King/Lansing State Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
  • #9 Jalen Thompson (Jr., 6-3, 260; 2024: 12 games/12 starts, 17 tackles, 2 TFLs, 1 PBU)
Syndication: Lansing State Journal
Nick King/Lansing State Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK

New Players:

In addition, Coach Jonathan Smith brought in five transfers from the portal to join the 2025 squad.

  • #16 Grady Kelly (Sr.-5, 6-2, 295; 2024 (Florida State): 12 games, 19 tackles, 2.5 TFLs, 1 sack)
NCAA Football: Florida State at Southern Methodist
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  • #41 David Santiago (R-So., 6-4, 253; 2024 (Air Force): 10 games/10 starts, 38 tackles, 5 TFLs, 3.5 sacks, 3 PBUs, 1 FF)
  • #13 Isaac Smith (Gr.-5, 6-6, 253; 2024 (Texas Tech): 12 games/6 starts, 31 tackles, 3.5 TFLs, 2.5 sacks)
  • #44 Cam Williams (Gr.-6, 6-5, 253; 2024 (Georgia State): 12 games/3 starts, 21 tackles, 5 TFLs, 1 sack, 1 FF)
  • #11 Anelu Lafaele (R-Fr., 6-2, 239)

And lastly, there are two true freshmen coming aboard.

2025 Lineup

Among the returning players, we can expect Alex VanSumeren and Jalen Thompson to plug right back into their starting roles. AVS, who missed 2023 with an injury, will start in the middle again, while Thompson will be one of the ends. Among all returning Spartan defensive linemen, Thompson had the most tackles last year. However, that number is a modest 17. VanSumeren brings back the most sacks from last year with 1.5. The progress these two make in 2025 in year two of Coach Smith will be one of the big storylines that will determine the fate of this upcoming season.

The other half of the starting unit could very well come from the portal. Grady Kelly, who played at Florida State last year and at Colorado State before that, will be another solid player in the middle. He has competed in weightlifting and will provide some serious strength to help collapse opposing pockets. And on the other end, David Santiago, who was a linebacker at Air Force, is being brought in to boost the Spartan pass rush. The 3.5 sacks he had last year for the Falcons would have been second on MSU behind only Khris Bogle.

With 19 total players making up the defensive line room, 2nd year DL coach Legi Suiaunoa will have to sift through some options to fill out the depth chart.

Trying to draw clues from last year’s contributions, Ru’Quan Buckley, Ben Roberts, Quindarius Dunnigan, and Jalen Satchell are all candidates for the second unit, though Dunnigan with his slighter frame is the only one of that four who is likely to play on the end. He will be playing his 7th season of collegiate football, so hopefully that experience helps him out. He did have one sack last year, which, sadly, is near the top of the stat sheet among returning players.

Tyler Gillison missed last year due to injury after transferring from Cincinnati. Before his injury, he was expected to be a contributor so let’s see how he looks coming back this season. He has a chance to contribute at defensive end if his rehab is complete.

We should not expect much from the two true freshmen, Simmons and Thrush. That said, incoming transfer and redshirt freshman Anelu Lafaele, who was on the Wisconsin roster last year, could crack the two-deep. He was ranked the #27 DE in the 2024 cycle according to 247Sports, and he has the pedigree with two uncles who played in the NFL.

Will any of the returning players take a big leap? Will any of the transfers be ready for a big role? Can a freshman make an impact? Probably going to have these questions for every position group, but the Spartan defensive line may be the one with the most uncertainty.

Expected Starters: Jalen Thompson (DE), Alex VanSumeren (DT), Grady Kelly (DT), David Santiago (DE)

Likely Contributors: Ru’Quan Buckley (DT), Ben Roberts (DT), Jalen Satchell (DT), Quindarius Dunnigan (DE), Tyler Gillison (DE), Anelu Lafaele (DE)