Freshman update: Cal Thrush standing out for Michigan State football

Michigan State football freshman defensive lineman Cal Thrush is beginning to really stand out for the Spartans.

On Tuesday, Joe Rossi, Brian Lindgren, and the team captains participated in the final media availability of the week before Friday night’s Michigan State football kickoff against Western Michigan. For one freshman, Cal Thrush, his name was thrown into the mix for players who could make their Spartan debut this week.

Rossi met with the media, discussing a variety of topics. When the topic of freshman who could see the field came up, the veteran defensive coordinator was guarded in his answers.

After Jonathan Smith mentioned five players likely to see the field this weekend during media availability on Monday, there was an expectation for Derrick Simmons and Aydan West. However, he also threw another name into the mix, which was Thrush, an early enrollee.

Cal Thrush has a chance to make his Michigan State football debut soon

Thrush, a defensive lineman from Columbus, Ohio, enrolled as the No. 1,419 prospect nationally, and 247Sports ranked him No. 126 among interior defensive lineman in the class. As it has been proven time and time again, stars and rankings do not matter in East Lansing. The talent level of Thrush showed, and he has made a late push to see the field.

Newly-elected captain Quindarius Dunnigan was asked about the freshman, and he praised Thrush’s development. The senior claims that Thrush has started to see the plays develop and an ability to know his assignments based on the formation.

“Cal has developed mostly mentally, I think it really shows, a lot, really see the ability of comprehending and seeing formations, responding to those,” Dunnigan revealed. “Whether it is play action, being able to read how the tight end is blocking him, he’s able to respond to that and react to that a whole lot faster. Really, the mental aspect (has grown).”

Other defensive freshmen likely to make their debut

While Rossi would not commit to playing any freshman under the lights, he did admit that Simmons and West have been standing out. This is no surprise, as Jonathan Smith and every player or coach that takes the podium has something positive to say about arguably the top two defenders from the 2025 recruiting class.

West, in particular, got a shoutout from Rossi, with the defensive coordinator noting his mentality being highly developed.

“The top thing that stands out about Aydan West is his maturity,” Rossi said. “He doesn’t get too high, doesn’t get too low, he’s mature.”

Rossi also did concede that “two linebackers” could see some playing time among the freshman. With the trio of DiMari Malone, Leonard Ah You, and DeJae White to choose from, it is hard to commit to a pairing. If I am guessing, Malone and White would be my selections. The former was an early enrollee on a MHSAA Division 1 powerhouse, and the latter was the highest rated Spartan commit besides Derrick Simmons on some sites.

Other defensive notes

Dunnigan did offer some extra praise for redshirt freshman Kekai Burnett’s development, and also voiced similar thoughts to junior defensive end Jalen Thompson’s earlier claim this offseason that there is not a lot of drop off between the first-and-second-string players.

Offensive freshmen update

The main freshman receiving praise on Tuesday was tight end Jayden Savoury. When asked about the tight end room, Brian Lindgren was quick to praise the Orchard Lake St. Mary’s dual-sport state champion.

Savoury’s talent was apparent in high school, and the fear would be his blocking ability. Evidently, the staff thinks his receiving upside is too high, as revealed by Brian Lindgren. His comments were pointed towards involving Savoury in the receiving game.

“Jayden Savoury is a tight end that has been put on the offense in passing situations,” Lindgren said. “We’ve lined him up out wide, he’s had good plays during both scrimmages.”

Other freshman to watch out for include Braylon Collier, Charles Taplin, and Jace Clarizio. While none of the trio were shouted out on Tuesday, Collier and Clarizio were mentioned by name on Monday during Smith’s availability. Taplin got some praise on the second media session of training camp for multiple explosive plays.

With Friday drawing closer, each of these players is one step closer to living out their Division 1 dreams.