MSU Freshman Stood Out in First Practice of Fall Camp

Originally posted on Michigan State Spartans on SI
By Aidan Champion | Last updated Jul 30, 2025 2:17 PM ET

It's quite interesting just how much you can gather from the first practice of fall camp.

For Michigan State, there was a lot of it, and that should be encouraging for fans as they hope to see their team progress and make a bowl game for the first time in four years. The Spartans have a number of returners and newcomers, both through the transfer portal and from the high school level.

Coach Jonathan Smith didn't have momentum to work with while recruiting the class of 2025, but he and his staff managed, and as a result, they gained some freshmen who could be instrumental to this program's future.

One in particular will be key, and he's already showing he belongs.

"I thought Derrick Simmons showed up today," Smith said after Tuesday's practice. "I know it was Day 1 -- defensive linemen, I hate pointing out just one, but where he has taken his body since he's been here, he looked the part, he fit right in."

The Spartans have valuable depth on the defensive side of the trenches, which is an area you want to have options in. Michigan State has some solid returners with Jalen Thompson on the exterior and Alex VanSumeren on the inside, along with talented portal pick-ups in Grady Kelly and edge rushers David Santiago and Isaac Smith, among others.

But Simmons is an asset that gets overlooked in conversation, but based on Smith's observations, he could see some impactful snaps in his first year.

Simmons, an in-state prospect from Frankenmuth High School, was the Spartans' lone four-star commit from the class of 2025.

"Standout two-way high school player and thrower in track and field," wrote 247Sports national recruiting analyst Allen Trieu in his evaluation of Simmons. "Explosive, strong and has a low center of gravity. Played mostly competition he was significantly more gifted than and was not always challenged.

"Will need to keep developing in terms of technique and hand usage in college when he cannot physically out-match his opponents. But has good traits, plays hard, works, and projects as a starting college three-tech who should have a good chance to play beyond college as well."

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