“At first we were open to going to different schools, but eventually, when we started getting the same offers, we said, ‘We’re definitely going to end up going to school together,’” Jacob said.

Jacob – who was ranked as the 47th best high school prospect in Ohio by ESPN – said the coaches and family atmosphere drew him to Michigan State.

Sophomore offensive tackle Luke Campbell, who attended Olentangy High School with Jacob and his brother, was a factor in Jacob’s decision as well.

“Luke Campbell was a big influence on me coming here, but mostly it was the staff in general and it (MSU) being a very family-oriented program,” Jacob said.

“It’s really cool because I’m four hours away from home, so I’m independent and by myself, but I still have my family with me, I still got my brother.”

When Jacob and Zach began their recruitment process, they knew there was a possibility they could end up at different schools. They both committed to MSU the summer before their senior year, but Zach had to wait a couple of days longer for his scholarship than his brother.

“My mom was getting mad at me and she asked, ‘Why didn’t you get an offer, too?’” Zach, who plays at defensive end, said. “But, even if he got the offer, we would have wanted to go to the same school. To this day I don’t know what he would have done if I wouldn’t have went to MSU, but we definitely wanted to go to the same school and I’m glad it was Michigan State.”

Jacob played in one game this season against Utah State. He didn’t think he would get to play against the Aggies, as he was listed as a backup on the depth chart before the game. The true freshman learned during halftime that he would be playing in his first game at Spartan Stadium.

“I was thrown right in. Coach came up to me and told me I was rolling with the second team … honestly, I didn’t have time to be nervous,” Jacob said.

Jacob registered one tackle during the game, and has not made another appearance on the field this season, but that could soon change for the freshman. 

Coach Mark Dantonio made an announcement during an Oct. 2 press conference that he would like to play Jacob in four more games during the season to hold his redshirt eligibility.  

“He’s a very good player,” Dantonio said. “He’s strong enough right now, he’s physically able to play. He understands leverage and he understands technique.” 

Jacob’s brother has not seen any action this season after recovering from a shoulder injury he endured in high school. During his senior year, Zach dislocated his shoulder in a game and popped it back in to get back onto the field and continue playing. He later discovered he suffered a tear in his shoulder, and would sit out a few games. He later reaggravated the injury, causing him to have surgery and miss the rest of the season.

Zach knows he is at a disadvantage, but he is trying to work on the way he uses his body and his hands while recovering and regaining the strength he had before the injury. 

“I can’t power rush (linemen) or things like that, so I use my hands a lot better,” Zach said. “I try to stay a lot lower and that’s a problem I had my senior year. I would just use my strength against guys, but once you get to the college level you really need to stay a lot lower.”

Dantonio does not know when Zach will see the field, but he knows he will end up being a powerful player once he is fully healthy. 

“He is practicing, but he’s playing in the defensive end position. He’s probably going to be just like his brother and be another 280-pound, 290-pound guy, but he needs to get a little bit stronger,” Dantonio said.  

Both Jacob and Zach hope to help bring the Spartans a championship one day, and earn their spots as full-time starters. 

And while they might not accomplish those goals in the immediate future, Dantonio believes they will fit in with the team just fine.

“Both of them will be very good players for us, I think they’re tough guys, they play with an edge,” Dantonio said. “So, they will be outstanding.”