MSU DE Jalen Thompson Could Have Breakout Year Next Season
The Michigan State Spartans are not going bowling in 2024, but there were plenty of positives to take away from this season.
The Spartans have a solid group of young talent, many of which could be ready for bigger roles. Jonathan Smith and his staff have developed talent before and could be in line to do it again in East Lansing.
One of the players who could be in for a breakout year is defensive end Jalen Thompson. Statistically, it was not much of a step up for the sophomore, but he put out plenty of quality tape.
Thompson finished the season with 17 total tackles, two for loss, and a pass defended. Despite having two in his freshman season, he did not finish with a sack. However, Thompson was still in the backfield often last season.
Thompson’s lack of sacks was not due to a lack of effort or talent but rather a scheme setup. Thompson was solid at setting the edge in the run game, not letting many ball carriers get past him.
With Khris Bogle declaring for the 2025 NFL Draft and Ken Talley and Avery Dunn hitting the portal, Thompson should not have much competition for his starting spot. Thompson earned a 71.2 Pro Football Focus grade, the highest mark for any edge defender on the team.
According to PFF, Thompson generated 12 total pressures in 2024, of which seven came in the team’s final three games. As the games became more important, Thompson improved his play.
Thompson should work on his pass-rush moves this offseason. He and Michigan State rush ends coach Chad Wilt could spend extra time in the lab working on his repertoire. He could take his game to the next level if he gets after the quarterback at a higher level.
Thompson will be the team’s top defensive end next season, so improving statistically and as a leader would help this defensive unit tremendously. The Spartans struggled to sack quarterbacks for most of the season, so Thompson must lead the charge in the defensive line room to improve that.
Thompson has all the tools to be a plus-pass rusher in the Big Ten. Watch for him to have a big season in 2025.
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