What PFF Grades Say About Michigan State Football Defense Vs Toledo

Pencils down, Spartans. The first test of the year has taken place for Michigan State football, with the Spartans emerging victorious 30-20 over the Rockets to start the Pat Fitzgerald era.

The defense, in spite of the 20 points given up, had an extremely strong outing. The Spartans allowed 131 yards on two broken plays, which accounted for 48% of Toledo’s total offense for the night. While it was not the ideal version of defense, a shutout, 20 points allowed in a week one contest with over 50 new players is a mark within region.

The corner room’s entire depth chart was revamped, with none of the Spartans taking reps in the opener playing with the Spartans in 2025.

Who passed the first test of the season with flying colors?

Top Five Michigan State Football Players on Defense, By PFF Grade

• EDGE Anelu Lafaele: 79.4
• LB Jordan Hall: 76.6
• EDGE Kenny Soares Jr.: 76.2
• DE Keanhist Thompson: 73.9
• S Devin Vaught: 70.3

This list, particularly the top 3, where players that were expected to be among the top defenders for Michigan State football in 2026. Lafaele had a quiet game in the stat category, but is credited with 4 pressures on Friday night, which tremendously boosts his grade. Another advantage for Lafaele is that he was not on field when the Rockets had their 71-yard touchdown run.

Jordan Hall having a strong game is unsurprising, and the team felt his impact in each of the 25 snaps he was on field. Unfortunately for Hall, he suffered a right arm injury in the first quarter and was limited and the staff held him out for multiple series to reduce risk of making any potential injury worse.

Soares Jr. had a strong day, with a pair of quarterback hits along with an interception when he dropped into coverage. His coverage grade, at 88.4 in eight snaps, easily is top among the team. That said, PFF credits him with one missed tackle and a sub-30 grade in tackling.

Thompson does not stand out a ton when it came to making plays, although he was credited with 3 pressures on the night. The Weber State transfer was stout in being a player that maintained his lane and did his job, much like what Jalen Thompson did with the Spartans last season. All of Keanhist Thompson’s grades are at or above the baseline 60.0 grade.

Vaught had a strong game as well, ranking his run defense and tackling among the best on the team. He was targeted twice in coverage and did not allow a reception, along with being credited with 5 tackles and 1 assisted tackle by PFF.

In his post-game press conference, Fitzgerald noted that a safety and edge each attacked the same gap on the 71-yard run, and a glance at film suggests that Vaught and Soares Jr. were whom the coach mentioned. Regardless, a strong outing for those two players.

Now, onto the less fun part, the five players who PFF was the most critical about.

Bottom Five Spartan Defenders Vs. Toledo, by PFF Grade

• S Nikai Martinez: 60.6
• CB Tre Bell: 55.8
• EDGE Isaac Smith: 51.8
• DB Michael Richard: 47.8
• CB Charles Brantley: 29.5

(Note: LB Cam Stodghill’s 60.0 grade, the base mark, is exempt in this situation as he played one snap of defense and recorded a neutral grade.)

It was a rough night in the secondary, per PFF. Nikai Martinez’s return to the field boosted the presence of the defense, and he recorded multiple big plays during his time against the Rockets. However, PFF cites the captain as going 0-for-2 on his tackle attempts, the worst mark on the team with a 22.6 tackling grade.

Tre Bell had an up-and-down night, recording strong grades everywhere besides coverage. In his post-game media availability, Bell mentioned giving up a play and refocusing, keeping his “next play mentality.” That was crucial for Bell, as he rebounded with a nice pass breakup in the game and helped the defense stand tall against the last gasp Rocket drives.

Isaac Smith got the start, but apparently the staff did not see much run for the former Texas Tech transfer. He played five snaps on the day, being shoved out of the way on a Rocket rush that popped for decent yardage, and that wrapped up Smith’s day. It tanked his grade and Smith was never given a chance to recover.

Richard had a solid first half, but his second half, particularly the third quarter, was one that he will wish he could have back. Richard was targeted multiple times in the third quarter and was part of a coverage miscommunication between him, Charles Brantley, and Brady Pretzlaff that left a receiver open for a big gain.

Speaking of Brantley, his return to the green and white was not as ceremonious as he would have liked. The corner has rust to knock off in game action, as he bit on a double move to allow the first Toledo touchdown, a 60-yard strike to Adjatay Dabbs. Brantley got a worse mark on that grade by not shoving Dabbs out, as Brantley’s tackle attempt kept the receiver in bounds.

He, alongside Pretzlaff and Richard, combined on a miscommunication on a screen for a 31-yard play. Additionally, Brantley was whistled for a hold to sustain a Toledo drive. Overall, it was the worst game from Brantley for a long time in the green and white, as his 2024 season was near-lockdown. His bad day culminated in Tyran Chappell getting the nod for the final few drives, which included a fourth down pass break up by Chappell to send Rocket fans to their cars with less than two minutes left.