Derrick Simmons

You know, you're gonna always gonna play about three or four, uh, defensive tackles every single game.

But they give Mike Schonbehler, uh, and Derrick Simmons some snaps as well, but probably not as much as you'd like to see, uh, from those third and fourth, uh, defensive tackles.

[smacks lips] Uh, but Behler's, Behler's been okay.

Uh, he had that pressure on the interception on Saturday against Illinois.

Uh, Jay Paul has done a great job giving good looks for our, our offense.

Um, you know, uh, Huddy's done a great job, him and Huddy, and then, uh, like I said, Los, Derrick Simmons.

So they all improve every day, um, whether it's the playbook technique, um, they do a good job of just knowing what they're doing and then kinda... 'Cause as a young guy, a lot of young guys come in, come in as their first, third, uh, first, first, second, third year and like not know the playbook.

But all those guys have done a great job of, of learning the playbook and picking everything up quick.

I think Eli, uh, is a guy that is just continuing to ascend, uh, and working really hard to just continue to get better and better and better each day and each game.

But, you know, Derrick Simmons is getting more and more reps. Mike Shawn Bealer is getting more and more reps. Carlos Hazelwood is, is getting some more, some more reps.

So those guys are gonna have to earn those things in practice, uh, and then when they get their opportunities in the game, just continue to improve.

[upbeat music] Jack Ebling here with my good friend Matt Sloan at Graff of Okemos.

A-and Ben Roberts, I think they were in the high 40s or the high 30s last, uh, in the last game.

And, you know, how's the wear and tear on those guys going to look? 'Cause, you know, it seems there's a bit of a drop-off when they put Mike Schonbuhler a- and Derrick Simmons in the game.

That's why they're giving more snaps to their starters, but you can only do that so much before you see a drop-off in those guys.

They looked a little bit tired on the defensive line in the fourth quarter, uh, against Nebraska.

I am excited to see what he looks like for the rest of the season.

But I do wanna see more Derrick Simmons, who didn't play a ton week one, but ever since then, the last three games, his snap count has been somewhere in the 20s.

And he's had some fine plays so far.

So for this former four star, second year with the program, yeah, we need more of him too because we can't have Eli Coonan and Ben Roberts out there for 50-plus snaps.

I mean, you saw how dogged down they got in the fourth quarter, and they have been playing g- as well as anyone else on this team so far.

But can you start rotating in a little more guys, Derrick Simmons, uh, Mike Shawn Bealer, he only played 10 snaps last week.

Can we start just giving our guys a little bit of a break here? Trey Lyle, perhaps.

Like, he's got eligibility left, so I wouldn't mind seeing more.

Montgomery.

I'd say Derrick Simmons.

There you go.

He's back to his old tricks.