MSU continues to put a strong emphasis on making their front seven and, specifically their D-Line, stronger. Today, Mel Tucker added one of his former players from Colorado, Jalen Sami. The 6-6, 330-pound nose tackle played in 36 games over his time with Colorado and started in 32 of them.

Jalen Sami Outlook

Jalen Sami played for Mel Tucker in 2019 as a redshirt freshman and was given Colorado’s Tyronee “Tiger” Bussey Award for inspiration in the face of physical adversity. In 2019, he played 411 snaps and had 25 tackles, including two for loss. With Deion Sanders taking over at Colorado, Sami decided to transfer after spring ball and was a part of the massive group of players who left. The expectation is that Sami can bring a veteran presence to the D-line.

Since COVID added another year of eligibility, this will be Sami’s sixth season playing college football. Despite the experience, this will be his first year not living in Colorado the entire time, with him growing up in Colorado Springs, Colorado. In the five years of playing with the Buffalo Sami, he recorded 78 career tackles, 47 solo, and 12 tackles for loss.

Expectations for 2023

I believe that Sami adds nice depth to the D-line, but don’t expect him to make a massive impact. With his big frame, he has the ability to clog up the gaps and provides a nice depth at nose tackle for Michigan State. Simeon Barrow, Derrick Harmon, Maverick Hansen, and Alex Van Sumeren will all be competing with Sami for time throughout the year. It’s an interesting battle on the line, though, and it could be interesting to see how much playing time he ends up getting. If injuries start to pile up, MSU fans will 100% see Sami playing in the green and white for a lot of snaps. Not a major addition for Tucker, but a necessary one.

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