EAST LANSING - Not long after Michigan State wrapped up spring practice, coach Mark Dantonio pegged Mike Panasiuk as an individual whose performance stood out.
Just days into the start of fall camp, linebacker Joe Bachie named Raequan Williams as the player poised for the biggest improvement this year.
Those assessments bode well for the Michigan State defense as Panasiuk and Williams are the starting defensive tackles.
"Those guys make my plays, they make my job easy," Bachie said.
Williams and Panasiuk play side-by-side and their careers have mirrored each other. Both cracked the starting lineup late in the 2016 season, have now started 16 straight games and were named honorable mention All-Big Ten by the media last year.