Michigan State football players during a practice on August 5, 2024. Courtesy of PJ Pfeiffer.
Week two of MSU football’s fall camp is underway with positive developments under first-year MSU head coach Jonathan Smith continuing to emerge, particularly at the linebacker position.
Sophomore linebacker Jordan Hall was a staple of MSU's defense as a freshman last season, recording 67 tackles and 4.5 sacks in 12 games, six as a starter. From the transfer portal, Smith added linebacker Wayne Matthews III, a redshirt junior who racked up 135 tackles last season at Old Dominion.
Smith said he's been pleased with the group's effort and attention to detail, adding that the defense has been playing at a high level in recent practices.
Monday’s practice was the Spartans' first time in full pads with light tackling. Referees were present during drills.
The depth chart is the main thing Smith and his assistants aim to finalize in the following weeks. After practice Monday, he said it's been competitive thus far.
“Still a lot to be decided there," Smith said of the depth chart.
Matthews said in the coming weeks, focus and attention to detail are extremely important in the integration of new defensive players.
"As a linebacker, you want to practice good habits,” Matthews said after practice. “The more we repeat the plays, it’ll come like second nature.”
Matthews said the communication between the defense as a whole has been better, which helps everybody out and allows for more progress.
If the pieces at linebacker and elsewhere on the defensive side come together, it could go a long way toward establishing a solid foundation in the first year of Smith's MSU tenure.
“It’s going to be really scary for our opponents," Matthews said.
Hall said this year's team has a lot more depth than that of last season, and more improvements can happen once it finds its identity a bit more.
“Coming into this year, we have a lot of doubt from outside sources about what we’re capable of and what people think the outcome of our season will be. But, I believe, and I think everyone in this building believes, that we have the potential to do a lot of great things this year,” Hall said. “We’ve added some new coaches and players. Everybody in this building has high achievements.”
Hall also said MSU has “the best linebacker (group) in the country.”
Though Smith mentioned this season is a fresh start — a new adventure, implementing the ground level of work, learning from the players and coaches — he said fall camp will be monumental in determining how the season will play out for the Spartans.
“This is going to be a huge two weeks coming together,” Smith said. “Settle on a depth chart, schematics and tighten up a bunch of details. We got a bunch of work to continue to do, but I think (the team is) coming together.”
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