EAST LANSING -- Michigan State sent three of its defensive linemen from its 2015 Big Ten title team to NFL rosters, in Shilique Calhoun, Lawrence Thomas and Joel Heath.
But for all the success those three eventually had at Michigan State, none of them played as true freshmen. None played very much as redshirt freshmen in their second year in the program, either.
Calhoun redshirted, then played sparingly as a redshirt freshman in 2012, recording six tackles all season as a backup. The next season, he earned Big Ten defensive lineman of the year honors. Heath didn't see extensive action until his fourth season.