Tag: Michigan State Football

MSU Football DT Raequan Williams signs with Philadelphia Eagles as UDFA

Michigan State defensive tackle Raequan Williams has signed with the Eagles as an undrafted free agent.

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There were a few surprises in this year’s 2020 NFL Draft for Michigan State fans. Only two Spartans were selected in this year’s draft, and players who had looked like locks to be drafted last summer were pushed to undrafted free agency. One such player was defensive tackle Raequan Williams, who has reportedly signed with the Philadelphia Eagles as a UDFA.

Williams was someone who, before the 2019 football season was seen on some draft boards as a mid-round pick, but that wasn’t the reality on draft day.

Here is the report on Williams signing with the Eagles, which I first saw from NFL Draft Diamonds:

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Michigan State LB Joe Bachie signs with New Orleans Saints as UDFA

MSU Football captain Joe Bachie has reportedly signed with the New Orleans Saints as an undrafted free agent.

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Only two Michigan State Spartans were selected in the 2020 NFL Draft, but a host of Spartans were quickly signed in free agency after the draft concluded. One such player was MSU co-captain and middle linebacker Joe Bachie, who has signed with the New Orleans Saints as an undrafted free agent.

Bachie was an interesting case heading into the draft. He is a smart player and a great tackler, but he was critiqued by analysts for a lack of on-field speed and for his perceived lack of ability to shed blocks and disrupt plays.

Here is the report, which I first saw from NFL Draft Diamonds:

Bachie had a very successful career with Michigan State before he was suspended for the final five games of his career due to testing positive for PEDs. Bachie will have a shot to prove his doubters wrong with the Saints this season:

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MSU Football NFL Draft results: Who got drafted, who is available for free agency

Michigan State Football had two out of fourteen draft-eligible players selected in the 2020 NFL Draft. You can see the full list here.

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The 2020 NFL Draft has now concluded and while only two Spartans were drafted this year, it was still a historic draft for Michigan State as the selection of Josiah Scott by the Jaguars extended Michigan State’s streak of having a player drafted each year to 80 years. Below, we rounded up every draft-eligible player, split up between the players who were drafted and those who will be vying for an opportunity as an undrafted free agent.

Drafted:

  • CB Josiah Scott: Drafted by the Jacksonville Jaguars in the 4th Round, No. 137 overall
  • DE Kenny Willekes: Drafted by the Minnesota Vikings in the 7th Round, No. 225 overall

Free Agents:

  • LB Joe Bachie
  • QB Brian Lewerke
  • DT Raequan Williams
  • WR Cody White
  • WR Darrell Stewart Jr.
  • S David Dowell
  • OL Tyler Higby
  • DT Mike Panasiuk
  • P Jake Hartbarger
  • TE Matt Seybert
  • CB Josh Butler
  • LB Tyriq Thompson

We will be covering all the free agency developments as they are made public here at SpartansWire.

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Twitter reactions to Minnesota Vikings drafting Kenny Willekes as a 7th round “steal”

The Minnesota Vikings drafted Michigan State star in the 7th round and Vikings and Spartans fans all thought it was a steal.

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Michigan State DE Kenny Willekes drafted in 7th Round by Minnesota Vikings

Michigan State’s star defensive end Kenny Willekes is heading to Minnesota.

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It took a little longer than many expected, but after extending their streak of having a player drafted each year in the NFL Draft to 80 years, Michigan State finally has a second player drafted in the 2020 NFL Draft in defensive end Kenny Willekes. Willekes was taken 225th overall in the 7th round by the Minnesota Vikings.

It was a bit of a surprise to many, including myself, that Willekes lasted until the final round of the draft before getting selected. As SpartansWire writer Wil Hunter pointed out, it is extremely rare to see a Big Ten Defensive Lineman of the Year drafted so low. In fact, it simply hasn’t happened in the last 10 years:

In my opinion, the Vikings got an absolute steal of a pick here with Willekes, who I think will be able to compete from day one in Minnesota.

Here is the draft announcement from the NFL Draft Twitter account:

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Twitter reactions to Jacksonville Jaguars selecting MSU CB Josiah Scott

Here were the best Twitter reactions to the Jacksonville Jaguars selecting Michigan State junior CB Josiah Scott.

When Michigan State junior CB Josiah Scott was drafted by the Jacksonville Jaguars in the Fourth Round of the 2020 NFL Draft, it cemented an 80-year streak for the Spartans of having a player drafted in the draft for 8 straight decades.

Here were some of the best reactions from Scott’s selection, including congratulations from former Spartans head coach Mark Dantonio and current Spartans head coach Mel Tucker.

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NFL Draft: MSU Football CB Josiah Scott drafted in Fourth Round by Jacksonville Jaguars

Michigan State standout corner Josiah Scott was taken in the 4th round of the NFL Draft by the Jacksonville Jaguars.

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With the selection of MSU junior CB Josiah Scott by the Jacksonville Jaguars, the Spartans have hit a new NFL Draft milestone. For 80 straight years, Michigan State Football has had a player selected in the NFL Draft, the third-longest active streak in the country. Scott was selected by the Jaguars with the No. 137 overall pick.

I will admit, I was a little surprised how long it took for the first Michigan State player to get drafted. I think Scott will be able to play for the Jaguars from day one and this is a great pick for that organization. Scott is a solid, talented cornerback who was good enough to make the jump to the pros as a junior.

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It will be interesting to see who the next Spartan selected will be. My money is on Kenny Willekes but would not be surprised if Joe Bachie or Brian Lewerke slides in front of him at this point.

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6-foot-6, 2021 3-star OT puts MSU Football in top-5 for recruitment

Michigan State is one step closer to landing the commitment of another tall, lengthy offensive tackle in Brownsburg’s Joshua Sales.

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New Michigan State Football head coach Mel Tucker has a known penchant for tall, lengthy offensive linemen, which was evidenced with the addition of 6’7″ offensive tackle Ethan Boyd to the Spartans’ 2021 recruiting class. Well, it looks like he is one step closer to adding another tackle who fits that mold in Brownsburg High School’s 3-star OT Joshua Sales, who announced that Michigan State was in his top-5 choices for his recruitment.

Sales, who is from South Bend, Indiana, is the No. 11 ranked player in the state of Indiana and the No. 68 ranked player overall according to the 247sports rankings.

Obviously local colleges Indiana and Purdue will be favorites to land the services of Sales, but the addition of a strong recruiting coach like Tucker to the Spartans, who is known to have a preference for players like Sales, could swing the scales in Michigan State’s favor here.

Sales noted that his recruitment is still 100% open so there is still a chance for other schools to jump into the mix.

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MSU Football makes top-10 for 2021 3-star DB Rod Moore

Michigan State is in Ohio Safety Rod Moore’s top-ten for recruiting.

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Michigan State Football already has two 3-star defensive backs committed for 2021 in Gabe “Spida” Nealy and Antoine Booth and it looks like they could have another on the way as Rod Moore of Northmont High School in Clayton, Ohio has placed MSU in his top-10 for recruiting as he narrows down his options.

Moore is the No. 10 player in the state of Ohio in the 2021 class according to 247sports and the No. 21 safety in his class.

Here is his announcement:

Moore’s top ten includes:

  • Michigan
  • Georgia Tech
  • Iowa State
  • Kentucky
  • Indiana
  • Northwestern
  • Notre Dame
  • Pittsburgh
  • Michigan State
  • Wisconsin

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How to watch, listen to, and stream Day Two of the NFL Draft

Here is everything you need to know to follow along with Day Two of the NFL Draft.

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Day Two of the NFL Draft, which will consist of rounds two and three, kicks off on Friday night. This will be the first night where we could see some former Michigan State Spartans come off the board, so MSU fans will want to be locked in this evening. Below you will find everything you need to know to follow along this evening:

WHEN: 7:00 pm ET

WHERE TO WATCH: ABC, ESPN and NFL Network

HOW TO STREAM: WATCHESPN, nfl.com

HOW TO LISTEN: SiriusXM, Westwood One (107.7 FM The Franchise in OKC, 107.9 FM The Franchise in Tulsa), ESPN Radio, TuneIn Radio.

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