Central Valley Christian senior Jaeden Moore, center, verbally committed on Aug. 17, 2022 to play college football at the University of Oregon. Vongni Yang / USA TODAY NETWORK

MSU Football Offers EDGE Target From Conference Foe

Originally posted on Michigan State Spartans on SI
By Michael France | Last updated Dec 19, 2024 11:00 AM ET

Most have a pretty good idea about what Michigan State and Coach Jonathan Smith will target this offseason in the transfer portal. A good place to start is building around the Spartans' future of the program, quarterback Aidan Chiles. That means getting him solid protection on the offensive line and weapons to throw to.

That being said, defense is key, too. The green and white's defense had a valiant effort in 2024, thanks in large part to defensive coordinator Joe Rossi. That being said -- injuries ravaged the unit and the secondary was abysmal, as was the pass rush, for most of the season.

A pass rush is crucial in the modern game. Quarterbacks are more athletic than ever. And dangerous. Making the opposing quarterback uncomfortable is vital for not just a defense's success, but a team's chances of winning. Considering the Spartans' preaching physicality, it only adds to the importance of a pass rush.

Michigan State lost Ken Talley and Khris Bogle this offseason, and they will need to find someone to rush from the edge as a standup edge rusher in 2025. They still have Anthony Jones and Jordan Hall to fill the position, among others.

That being said, the Spartans have offered Oregon edge rusherJaeden Moore, a former three-star, just entered the portal. He had spent two seasons with the Ducks.

Moore announced the offer on social media on Wednesday.

Blessed to be offered by MSU! pic.twitter.com/ZMryNDPOHw
— Jaeden Moore (@JaedenJMoore) December 19, 2024

Per 247Sports' Jared Mack, "Moore was commonly a stand-up edge rusher in the Ducks' 4-2-5 defense during third-down passing situations against the opposing offense."

That experience is huge for a potential role with the Spartans. Rossi's defense utilizes a stand-up edge rusher and it has a similar look to the Ducks. Moore is 6-foot-4, 250 pounds, the perfect size for a position rush end coach Chad Wilt described as a counter-attack to the modern offense.

"Play in the C-gap, be strong and sturdy and sometimes it might be ‘Hey, you're gonna be over this tight end man-to-man," Wilt said this past spring. "It goes back to ... the jobs that they're going to be asked are very different. And some of those jobs you can't do from a three-point stance -- or, I shouldn't say can't -- extremely difficult to do from a three-point stance. So now we can do that from a two-point, and you don't know offensively that, 'Okay, hey, we're gonna be in our pressure package or we're gonna be in our base package here -- base calls.'

"So I think just allow those guys the freedom and flexibility, but then it also gives us, I think, another set of eyes that can see, right? Instead of having four guys down -- and those guys, once they put their hand in the stance, you can see a whole lot."

Michael France is Sports Illustrated's Michigan State recruiting beat writer, covering all things Big Ten recruiting for Spartan Nation. Be sure to follow him on Twitter/X@michaelfrancesi for exclusive Spartans recruiting coverage.

This article first appeared on Michigan State Spartans on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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