Michigan State's top five defenders vs. Illinois, according to PFF
See who the top five defenders were for Michigan State against Illinois.
Michigan State football suffered its fourth consecutive loss of the 2026 season, falling to Illinois 38-37 in overtime. The difference between victory and defeat came down to a two-point conversion that the Spartans failed to complete. Defensively, Michigan State fell short in stopping the Fighting Illini. Injuries plagued the Spartans, preventing them from fielding enough quality defenders to secure the win.
Pro Football Focus (subscription required) provided their evaluations of Michigan State's top five defenders from the game against Illinois. Here are their rankings for the players who logged a minimum of five snaps in the matchup:
1. Linebacker Jordan Hall - 89.8
2. Defensive Tackle Ben Roberts - 72.2
3. Safety Devin Vaught - 66.8
4. Defensive End Anelu Lafaele - 66.7
5. Linebacker Dion Crawford - 66.5
Jordan Hall's impressive performance underscores the significant impact his absence due to injury had on the Spartans' defense. Anelu Lafaele's standout play throughout the season also deserves recognition. For up-to-date Michigan State news, updates, and opinions, stay connected with Spartans Wire on X (formerly Twitter), like our Facebook page, and follow Cory Linsner on X (@Rex_Linzy).
Written by urgent.news from Yahoo Sports's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
This story
This is one outlet's version. Read the fullest account.
- Michigan State's bottom five players against Illinois, per PFF sports.yahoo.com
