I LOVE what they did to overhaul the LB room. The new staff inherited starters in Hall and Haladay but doubled-down to add depth and new skill sets. Lets dive in.
Who We Know
Cal Haladay is a run stuffer (300+ tackles), and not much else. He is a leader with a TON of experience (35 starts in 41 games w/ 2,362 snaps). And provides a high floor (3x All Big10 Recognition).
Jordan Hall is a true SO this year, with 6 starts under his belt and impressive productivity. As a freshman in 2023 Hall delivered 67 tackles, 7.5 TFLs 4.5 sacks. He's a natural leader, and more skilled in coverage than Haladay.
Dont Forget About:
Darius Snow (r-Jr) is the unknown. Snow is a converted safety to LB, who is still recovering from a major injury from the first game in 2022. While he saw limited action in 2023, he's still not 100% recovered. While the processing power is there, the speed is still a work in progress. That said, when healthy, he's legit. Back in 2021 he 9 starts and racked up 87 tackles. This is compared to 8 tackles over the last two seasons. His specialty is coverage, and IF healthy, he would likely be the second-best coverage LB in the room, behind Matthews. And IF the speed gets back, he could play in the slot a bit as well. Needless to say, a healthy Snow would go a long way in cleaning up our LB coverage deficiency.
Aaron Alexander (r-So) played limited action in all 12 games of 2023. This was mostly on special teams, only logging 34 snaps on defense
Meet the New Guys
Jordan Turner (r-Sr) transfers in as an experienced run-stopper. In 2023 he had 60 tackles and 6.5 TFL. And totals 125+ tackles, 12.5 TFLs, 5 sacks, and 3 interceptions across his 30 games with the Badgers (18 starts at inside linebacker). His on-field success earned recognition, being named HM All-BigTen. He was primarily used on run-downs, as pass coverage isn't his strength. I expect him to be paired with Haladay and Hall on run-downs, short-yardage situations, and goal-line sets. And sub out for clear passing down in exchange for Hall, Matthews, and possibly Snow.
Wayne Matthews (Jr) transfers in from ODU and is a Coverage Specialist. Last year, he was PFF graded 88.9 in Coverage across 386 Coverage Snaps. But he isn't just a coverage guy. Matthews has 148 tackles in 26 career games, showing how he flies around the field. Look for Hall and Matthews to get the most passing-down reps, maybe Snow chips in. Two two LB sets with Hall and Haladay could be used with Matthews in the slot. Something to monitor against teams with RB releasing on routes, or teams featuring TEs in the passing game
Brady Preztlaff (True Fr) could be the next great MSU LB from Northern Michigan. Ideally, we can get him reps but retain the redshirt. He's good size, at 6-3 230. One of the taller LBs in the room. I would like to see his length interrupt passing lanes and show some bend on edge.
Packing Bags
Ma'a Gaoteote is hitting the portal. One of Mel's highest-ranked recruits, it's a bummer that it didn't work out. He's a big body and a decent run stuffer but he lacked the athleticism to work out at this level. I wish him the best wherever he lands.
Looking Ahead to 2025:
Hall and Matthews can return and figure to be in starting roles. Snow will be further removed from injury and help in coverage. And we will need to monitor Alexander and Preztlaff development. Expect LB to be a position they target heavily from the HS ranks as Tucker never did, and supplement in the portal to add depth.
Assessment: CJS did an excellent job using the portal to get a run-stuffer in Turner to pair with the returning duo in Haladay and Hall. As well as grab a Coverage specialist in Matthews to add some versatility to the room. All together, this room has good depth and improved versatility heading into the season.
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