Preseason Camp Update: Catching Up with Defensive Coordinator Joe Rossi
8/5/2025 5:10:00 PM | Football
EAST LANSING, Mich. – Following the seventh practice of preseason camp for the Michigan State football team on Tuesday, defensive coordinator/linebackers coach Joe Rossi met with the media to provide an update on the Spartan defense.
On holding the first practice in pads (on Monday) at Spartan Stadium…
It was good, it was good work. We got an opportunity to do some tackling. So we had some different periods. We had some pass emphasis periods, we had some run emphasis periods, first and second down. I think really the decision from coach was just to get the guys experience in the stadium. We have some new people that were additions to the roster. We're going to be scrimmaging later in the week. So it was 'hey, get them over there in the practice, let them see what it's like.' And when we go over there for the scrimmage, create the most game-like situation as possible.
On juggling tackling throughout the rest of camp…
The reality is there's a limited amount of times you can practice (live tackling) now. Coach Smith kind of goes through and picks the days and then talks to the staff about, hey, what are the days going to be? There's different ways to practice tackling, whether it's individual, whether it's on bags, whether it's just tagging off, but then also you have your live days. So I think the thing we do as the defense is, what is the day? What is the emphasis? Is it emphasis on tagging? Is it an emphasis on thudding? Is it an emphasis on bringing guys down? So I thought yesterday was great to get some live hits. We get the ball out on the perimeter, like on some screens, which are the hardest tackles in football, and put our guys in those situations, so it was good work.
On the emphasis of putting pressure on the opposing quarterback…
Well, it's a huge emphasis. When you look back on last season, feel like, for the most part, first and second down, we had some success. We got into some obvious passing situations, and we need to do better, we need to rush better, and we need to cover better. The message kind of to the defense has been, it's a combination of the two. The rush helps the coverage, the coverage helps the rush. And I think there's really three ways you address it. The first is through development of the players you have. I think you also address it through recruiting, looking for guys with that skill set, and then the third way, as coaches, is from a schematic standpoint. So we feel like we've addressed all three, and it's been an emphasis in all three areas, and we've seen some growth this camp and it's going to continue to be an emphasis.
On what was prioritized with recruiting…
Length, twitch, athleticism, speed. Those are kind of the hallmarks of guys that can rush the passers, so those are kind of the attributes we are looking for. I think we kind of remade that room. When we kind of came in, it was a position that really wasn't here. We got some guys in the spot, and we've kind of had to bring some guys in from the outside that kind of had the skill set. So there's a good mix, in my opinion now, of older guys and younger guys. We have some guys with years left. So they've been doing a good job. I think we got a lot of guys that are capable of going and playing winning football for us. So we'll see how the rest of camp shakes out and how the depth chart fills out, but I'm confident.
On differences in season two…
I think philosophically, it's always a little bit the same, because you have what you believe in in terms of the things that are the ingredients for a good defense. What you look to change are maybe some things schematically, because there's trends in football, right? There's things that trend on the offense, and then there's a response on the defense, and then also your personnel changes from year to year. You may have some guys that have a strength in one area and weakness in another. So we're always looking to try to balance off of those two things, but still come under the umbrella of what we believe in.
On what was good year one…
I thought overall, we did a good job of not allowing explosive plays down the field in the pass game. That's the quickest way to get beat is to get balls thrown over your head. The slow death is get a bunch of third downs in a drive and not being able to get off the field, and we created a lot of those situations. We need to be better getting off the field. So I think the run game, the physicality, were all things that in year one, we felt like were steps in the right direction and then we're looking to address the others now.
On schematic differences…
There's what we were already doing and then things we are changing. So it's kind of a combination of the two. You can add additions because guys are more familiar, but then you can also tweak some things. So we've done both. That's kind of the charge of the defensive staff, and us and our work in the offseason.
On the energy around the team being high…
I think what's noticeable in the second year is the guys being more connected to each other, because they've played together. I think there's a familiarity with themselves, but also with the staff. And I think, obviously, there's a high number of guys that as a staff we've recruited. So when you recruit a guy, naturally, the relationship's going to be a little bit different than when you come in, and it's completely new. So I think what we're seeing is a more connected team, and when you have a more connected team, I think it's natural that there's more energy, more camaraderie. So I think that that's a little bit of the reason why.
On adding more players after spring ball…
We liked what we saw at all the positions that we added at, but what we wanted to do was add some depth and add some guys to the room. So we went out and we got some guys in the secondary, particularly safety, and added some depth there. And then we also did the same thing at rush end. It wasn't what we didn't necessarily see in terms of the individuals we had. We just wanted more depth and creating competitive situations in both rooms where guys are fighting for jobs. I think any time someone has to compete for a job, their game is going to raise as a result.
On players who have stood out…
Obviously it's early. We haven't had a scrimmage yet, but I would say at linebacker Jordan Hall has been a guy that has done a really nice job. Jalen Thompson, I've been impressed with up front. I think just as a whole, I like our defensive tackles as a group, have done a good job. I've noticed some improved pocket push, some improved pass rush there. So those are the ones that I kind of see right now.
On transfer rush ends Cam Williams and Isaac Smith…
I think Cam, the one thing that stood out is he's probably a little stouter and a little more heavy-handed than maybe we thought and seen on film. So that's kind of really stood out and been impressive. And Isaac, he probably moves a little bit better than we had seen coming from what it was on film. So that's always a positive when you get a little bit of these guys that kind of were a little bit ahead of where maybe we've even evaluated them on film.
On the linebacker room…
I think it's a really good room. I think it's competitive for playing time, and I think there's a lot of guys that have the ability to play. Obviously, as we kind of go through camp and make decisions on depth charts and things like that, obviously there's going to be ones and there's going to be guys that aren't ones. But I think the thing that it allows us to do is have guys that stay fresh, and then in different packages, we can kind of get different guys on the field and kind of get some guys in their areas of strength.
On junior linebacker Jordan Hall's wearing the green dot (for communication)…
He's been really good. We kind of talked about this last year at this point. It's like multiple people wearing it and trading it out, and even the thing with it in terms of college football and substitutions. And if a guy's out, another guy – and I thought our equipment staff did a great job with it last year. But he's got it on, and with multiple guys right now, and then we'll make a decision on who's the one for the game, but he's really good with communication. I think you get older, you've played more games, it kind of slows down a little bit for you, and then that allows you to help more. When you're young, you're just worried about yourself, right? As you get older, the game slows down, you can kind of help out, you can communicate, you can call things out, but I thought he's done a great job with it.
On if anyone stands out on offense…
I think the reality is, I think the receiver room as a whole is the thing that stands out to me. Like, it's faster, there's more playmaking ability. There's multiple people, it's not just hanging your hat on one guy. So I think when you take a room and you add multiple people that are productive and can run, I think what you have is a really good situation for the offense, because it's not a situation where you can just hone in on one guy. You know, there's multiple threats there. So I think that group is probably the thing that stood out the most.
On guys on the defense who have taken a step…
There's a bunch of them, from linebacker Brady Pretzlaff – I think Brady is going to be a great player for us. Obviously, we've got a deep room there, but he's really talented. I think Justin Denson's done some really good things to date in camp in the back end. Mikeshun Beeler, I think he had a big jump in where he was from the year before until now. Derrick Simmons is a young guy that has kind of caught eyes and been a guy that I think has a chance to be a really good player. Ayden West is a guy that came in the winter. So we've been pleased with the young guys, in multiple of those spots that I mentioned. We've got some older guys that are good players there too. So, it's good because you create some depth and you have some guys that are learning.
On junior defensive lineman Jalen Thompson's growth…
He is playing in multiple spots right now. You'll see him out on the edge. There will be times you'll even see him inside. He spends the majority of the time on the outside, though, but we want to be able to get matchups and be able to get him on guys that we feel like he can have success with, because he's really grown. I think it's an evolution of a player. And sometimes people don't appreciate it. There's that initial step of being when you're young of just doing your job, which is a good thing when you're young, right? But then, the next transition is now you start making plays. And I think that's where he's kind of trending towards in his career, where last year, he had a good season, he did his job, and what we've seen this year is he's starting to make plays — in the run game and in the pass game. So it's been pretty cool to see.
On seventh-year senior defensive lineman Quindarius Dunnigan's body change...
He looks good. I mean, he looks a little bit faster and twitchier than he was last year. He's an effort guy. He gives us everything he has, but it's been kind of noticeable that he's moving around a little bit bigger, kind of leaned himself out, and even though carrying the same weight, just added muscle. So his work has paid off.
On holding the first practice in pads (on Monday) at Spartan Stadium…
It was good, it was good work. We got an opportunity to do some tackling. So we had some different periods. We had some pass emphasis periods, we had some run emphasis periods, first and second down. I think really the decision from coach was just to get the guys experience in the stadium. We have some new people that were additions to the roster. We're going to be scrimmaging later in the week. So it was 'hey, get them over there in the practice, let them see what it's like.' And when we go over there for the scrimmage, create the most game-like situation as possible.
On juggling tackling throughout the rest of camp…
The reality is there's a limited amount of times you can practice (live tackling) now. Coach Smith kind of goes through and picks the days and then talks to the staff about, hey, what are the days going to be? There's different ways to practice tackling, whether it's individual, whether it's on bags, whether it's just tagging off, but then also you have your live days. So I think the thing we do as the defense is, what is the day? What is the emphasis? Is it emphasis on tagging? Is it an emphasis on thudding? Is it an emphasis on bringing guys down? So I thought yesterday was great to get some live hits. We get the ball out on the perimeter, like on some screens, which are the hardest tackles in football, and put our guys in those situations, so it was good work.
On the emphasis of putting pressure on the opposing quarterback…
Well, it's a huge emphasis. When you look back on last season, feel like, for the most part, first and second down, we had some success. We got into some obvious passing situations, and we need to do better, we need to rush better, and we need to cover better. The message kind of to the defense has been, it's a combination of the two. The rush helps the coverage, the coverage helps the rush. And I think there's really three ways you address it. The first is through development of the players you have. I think you also address it through recruiting, looking for guys with that skill set, and then the third way, as coaches, is from a schematic standpoint. So we feel like we've addressed all three, and it's been an emphasis in all three areas, and we've seen some growth this camp and it's going to continue to be an emphasis.
On what was prioritized with recruiting…
Length, twitch, athleticism, speed. Those are kind of the hallmarks of guys that can rush the passers, so those are kind of the attributes we are looking for. I think we kind of remade that room. When we kind of came in, it was a position that really wasn't here. We got some guys in the spot, and we've kind of had to bring some guys in from the outside that kind of had the skill set. So there's a good mix, in my opinion now, of older guys and younger guys. We have some guys with years left. So they've been doing a good job. I think we got a lot of guys that are capable of going and playing winning football for us. So we'll see how the rest of camp shakes out and how the depth chart fills out, but I'm confident.
On differences in season two…
I think philosophically, it's always a little bit the same, because you have what you believe in in terms of the things that are the ingredients for a good defense. What you look to change are maybe some things schematically, because there's trends in football, right? There's things that trend on the offense, and then there's a response on the defense, and then also your personnel changes from year to year. You may have some guys that have a strength in one area and weakness in another. So we're always looking to try to balance off of those two things, but still come under the umbrella of what we believe in.
On what was good year one…
I thought overall, we did a good job of not allowing explosive plays down the field in the pass game. That's the quickest way to get beat is to get balls thrown over your head. The slow death is get a bunch of third downs in a drive and not being able to get off the field, and we created a lot of those situations. We need to be better getting off the field. So I think the run game, the physicality, were all things that in year one, we felt like were steps in the right direction and then we're looking to address the others now.
On schematic differences…
There's what we were already doing and then things we are changing. So it's kind of a combination of the two. You can add additions because guys are more familiar, but then you can also tweak some things. So we've done both. That's kind of the charge of the defensive staff, and us and our work in the offseason.
On the energy around the team being high…
I think what's noticeable in the second year is the guys being more connected to each other, because they've played together. I think there's a familiarity with themselves, but also with the staff. And I think, obviously, there's a high number of guys that as a staff we've recruited. So when you recruit a guy, naturally, the relationship's going to be a little bit different than when you come in, and it's completely new. So I think what we're seeing is a more connected team, and when you have a more connected team, I think it's natural that there's more energy, more camaraderie. So I think that that's a little bit of the reason why.
On adding more players after spring ball…
We liked what we saw at all the positions that we added at, but what we wanted to do was add some depth and add some guys to the room. So we went out and we got some guys in the secondary, particularly safety, and added some depth there. And then we also did the same thing at rush end. It wasn't what we didn't necessarily see in terms of the individuals we had. We just wanted more depth and creating competitive situations in both rooms where guys are fighting for jobs. I think any time someone has to compete for a job, their game is going to raise as a result.
On players who have stood out…
Obviously it's early. We haven't had a scrimmage yet, but I would say at linebacker Jordan Hall has been a guy that has done a really nice job. Jalen Thompson, I've been impressed with up front. I think just as a whole, I like our defensive tackles as a group, have done a good job. I've noticed some improved pocket push, some improved pass rush there. So those are the ones that I kind of see right now.
On transfer rush ends Cam Williams and Isaac Smith…
I think Cam, the one thing that stood out is he's probably a little stouter and a little more heavy-handed than maybe we thought and seen on film. So that's kind of really stood out and been impressive. And Isaac, he probably moves a little bit better than we had seen coming from what it was on film. So that's always a positive when you get a little bit of these guys that kind of were a little bit ahead of where maybe we've even evaluated them on film.
On the linebacker room…
I think it's a really good room. I think it's competitive for playing time, and I think there's a lot of guys that have the ability to play. Obviously, as we kind of go through camp and make decisions on depth charts and things like that, obviously there's going to be ones and there's going to be guys that aren't ones. But I think the thing that it allows us to do is have guys that stay fresh, and then in different packages, we can kind of get different guys on the field and kind of get some guys in their areas of strength.
On junior linebacker Jordan Hall's wearing the green dot (for communication)…
He's been really good. We kind of talked about this last year at this point. It's like multiple people wearing it and trading it out, and even the thing with it in terms of college football and substitutions. And if a guy's out, another guy – and I thought our equipment staff did a great job with it last year. But he's got it on, and with multiple guys right now, and then we'll make a decision on who's the one for the game, but he's really good with communication. I think you get older, you've played more games, it kind of slows down a little bit for you, and then that allows you to help more. When you're young, you're just worried about yourself, right? As you get older, the game slows down, you can kind of help out, you can communicate, you can call things out, but I thought he's done a great job with it.
On if anyone stands out on offense…
I think the reality is, I think the receiver room as a whole is the thing that stands out to me. Like, it's faster, there's more playmaking ability. There's multiple people, it's not just hanging your hat on one guy. So I think when you take a room and you add multiple people that are productive and can run, I think what you have is a really good situation for the offense, because it's not a situation where you can just hone in on one guy. You know, there's multiple threats there. So I think that group is probably the thing that stood out the most.
On guys on the defense who have taken a step…
There's a bunch of them, from linebacker Brady Pretzlaff – I think Brady is going to be a great player for us. Obviously, we've got a deep room there, but he's really talented. I think Justin Denson's done some really good things to date in camp in the back end. Mikeshun Beeler, I think he had a big jump in where he was from the year before until now. Derrick Simmons is a young guy that has kind of caught eyes and been a guy that I think has a chance to be a really good player. Ayden West is a guy that came in the winter. So we've been pleased with the young guys, in multiple of those spots that I mentioned. We've got some older guys that are good players there too. So, it's good because you create some depth and you have some guys that are learning.
On junior defensive lineman Jalen Thompson's growth…
He is playing in multiple spots right now. You'll see him out on the edge. There will be times you'll even see him inside. He spends the majority of the time on the outside, though, but we want to be able to get matchups and be able to get him on guys that we feel like he can have success with, because he's really grown. I think it's an evolution of a player. And sometimes people don't appreciate it. There's that initial step of being when you're young of just doing your job, which is a good thing when you're young, right? But then, the next transition is now you start making plays. And I think that's where he's kind of trending towards in his career, where last year, he had a good season, he did his job, and what we've seen this year is he's starting to make plays — in the run game and in the pass game. So it's been pretty cool to see.
On seventh-year senior defensive lineman Quindarius Dunnigan's body change...
He looks good. I mean, he looks a little bit faster and twitchier than he was last year. He's an effort guy. He gives us everything he has, but it's been kind of noticeable that he's moving around a little bit bigger, kind of leaned himself out, and even though carrying the same weight, just added muscle. So his work has paid off.
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