| CB | S | S | Slot CB | CB |
| Ameer Speed (No. 6) | Angelo Grose (No. 15) | Kendell Brooks (No. 33) | Chester Kimbrough (No. 12) | Charles Brantley (No. 0) |
| Ronald Williams (No. 9) | Jaden Mangham (No. 1) | Xavier Henderson (No. 3) | Justin White (No. 30) | Marqui Lowery (No. 29) |
Michigan State allowed 396 yards passing combined against Western Michigan and Akron to start the 2022 season. Both opponents attempted at least 35 pass attempts against the Spartans but neither found the end zone through the air.
Through the first two games to start Michael Penix Jr’s. career at Washington the redshirt junior has attempted an average of 38 throws. In both MSU and UW’s case neither has faced the level of competition this season that each will Saturday when the two square off at Husky Stadium.
On the heels of allowing the most passing yards per game of any defense in 2021, which saw the Spartans surrender 324 yards through the air on average, MSU head coach has added some pieces through the transfer portal to short up the secondary.
Ameer Speed, a 6-foot-3 and 215-pound sixth-year senior cornerback, arrived in East Lansing back in January after spending the previous five seasons at the University of Georgia. In the first two games this season the Jacksonville, Florida product has played almost exclusively at right cornerback and held his own.
Last season Ronald Williams, now a sixth-year senior in his own right, played the majority of his snaps (411 of 783) at right cornerback while also seeing a heavy amount of playing time at left cornerback. Sophomore Charles Brantley has played opposite of Speed and been on the receiving end of MSU’s opponents targets through the first two games.
Brantley has been targeted 10 times and allowed six receptions, all of which came against Western Michigan in the season opener. While the Spartans secondary has bent at times they have yet to allow a touchdown pass this season.
One of the reasons for that is junior safety Angelo Grose. The 5-foot-10 and 180-pound Swiss Army Knife has played all over the field for the MSU defense in his career. Grose enters Saturday with 19 career starts, including starting all 13 games last season for the Spartans.
In the first two games this season Grose has played nearly 60 percent of his snaps as a free safety, while also playing 51 combined snaps at slot corner and box linebacker and has the highest tackle grade of any MSU defender (88.9) this season according to Pro Football Focus.
| Linebacker | Linebacker |
| Ben VanSumeren (No. 13) | Cal Haladay (No. 27) |
| Aaron Brule (No. 7) | Darius Snow (No. 23) |
Michigan State features a similar 4-2-5 defensive scheme that Washington does. The two inside linebackers, redshirt sophomore Cal Haladay and redshirt senior Ben VanSumeren, have been targeted 17 times combined and allowed 13 receptions for 129 yards. With Grose playing as a box safety there is some help for the duo up the middle.
In their first two games combined the pair averaged a PFF defense grade of 54.6 which could be cause for concern on the road against a high volume passing offense. VanSumeren has been more of a sure tackler in space this season compared to Haladay which could mean a change in defensive personnel Saturday if UW has success early.
| EDGE | DT | DT | EDGE |
| Jacoby Windmon (No. 4) | Maverick Hansen (No. 97) | Jacob Slade (No. 64) | Jeff Pietrowski (No. 47) |
| Khris Bogle (No. 2) | Simeon Barrow (No. 8) | Derrick Harmon (No. 41) | Brandon Wright (No. 26) |
If Grose or Speed aren’t the Spartans best defender then senior edge rusher Jacoby Windmon is. The 6-foot-2 and 250-pounder transferred to Michigan State this past January and has quickly become one of the better players in the Big Ten Conference. Windmon leads the country in sacks (5.5) and is tied for the most tackles for loss (6.5) with Houston senior Derek Parish and Ole Miss junior Khari Coleman.
Michigan State has forced six fumbles, tied for the most in college football with Liberty, while they haven’t recorded an interception to date this season. Windmond is expected to matchup against senior left tackle Jaxson Kirkland this Saturday as he makes his return from injury.
On the ground the Spartans have allowed just one touchdown and 163 yards this season. That is also expected to be tested this weekend with the Huskies adding redshirt freshman Sam Adams II back from injury, to go along with junior Richard Newton who returned last Saturday against Portland State.
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