Michigan State D-Line Coach Legi Suiaunoa Still Assessing His Group

Michigan State football will have a new-look defensive line this season. Defensive Line Coach Legi Suiaunoa said he is still figuring out what his room will look like.

Aidan Champion

Michigan State’s football team will have a different look and feel this upcoming season.

After making considerable changes this offseason, the Spartans will soon kick off the season at home against Florida Atlantic. Coach Jonathan Smith has used the team’s fall camp to install a new offense and help the many new additions to Michigan State’s roster acclimate to the program. 

After the team recently held its first scrimmage, Coach Smith said the defense is currently slightly ahead of the offense in terms of development. With Michigan State just weeks away from its first game of the season against Florida Atlantic, Coach Smith noted that is normal for this time of the year, with the team still in its first few weeks of fall camp. 

However, Defensive Line Coach Legi Suiaunoa believes the defense, specifically his unit, has a lot of work to do. Suiaunoa says that while the defense may be ahead of the offense and the defensive line recently had a productive first scrimmage, he plans to use the team’s upcoming scrimmage to continue assessing which players will start on the defensive line at the start of the season.  

“I came out encouraged that we have a bunch of guys there that can help us this season,” Suiaunoa said on Thursday. “We’re in week one, week two [of fall camp]. Usually, at this time of camp, usually there’s a little bit of separation thats going on with the group. I can’t tell you who those guys are that’s going to be on the field that first play of the [season] right now. 

“We’ve got another scrimmage. We are working up to that second scrimmage this Saturday. Every single day, these guys have been good in terms of, these guys know that everybody in the room, they’re looking at each other, encouraging each other but at the same time, competing against each other to be able to earn their roles.”

As Michigan State begins its first season under Coach Smith, the team will undoubtedly lean on the defense as the offense continues to put the pieces together. For the defense to do so, it will be up to Suiaunoa and the Spartans’ defensive line to have a productive season.

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