Kenny Willekes named 5th best defensive lineman in NCAA

USA Today’s Paul Meyerberg recently came out with a list ranking the best defensive linemen in the NCAA this year. The list had a very strong presence from the Big Ten, with Ohio State’s Chase Young listed as the top dawg on the D-Line in the country. A.J. Epenesa out of Iowa was also highly ranked, placing second in the group. What will be of most interest to Michigan State Football fans, however, was the ranking of Kenny Willekes, Dantonio’s defensive star. Kenny got a lot of respect out of the Meyerberg, ranking 5th on the list.

Nov 10, 2018; East Lansing, MI, USA; Mike Carter-USA TODAY Sports

Here is what Meyerberg had to say about the Spartan senior:

“The former walk-on has become one of the great success stories in college football. After wearing a redshirt in 2015 and playing in just one game in 2016, Willekes surged into all-conference contention as a sophomore and took his game to another level a season later, leading the Big Ten in tackles for loss in being named the league’s defensive lineman of the year.”