After overcoming an elbow injury, the relentless linebacker racked up 12 tackles against Notre Dame, cementing his status as a Butkus Award contender and Michigan State’s defensive heart.
Fans of Ted Lasso will know this chant: “He’s here, he’s there, he’s every—where. Roy Kent” Well, in this case, we’re changing that name to Jordan Hall.
Hall was everywhere during his return to the Michigan State defense Saturday night in South Bend against the No. 3 Notre Dame Fighting Irish, putting together one of the best performances we’ve seen from a defender in the green and white in quite some time.
Hall finished the night with 12 total tackles, including the first three tackles of the game, and never let up from there.
The amount of ground Hall covered, paired with his aggressive tackling style and relentless pursuit of ball carriers, showed exactly why he is considered one of the best linebackers in the nation and a potential contender for the Butkus Award.
It was particularly nice to see Hall have such a phenomenal game after dealing with an injury that forced him to miss Week 2 against Eastern Michigan.
The injury initially occurred in Week 1 against Toledo, when Hall banged his right elbow not once, but twice. He ultimately returned to the game both times after leaving due to the injury and pushed through whatever pain he was experiencing.
However, the Spartans decided Hall's matchup against Eastern Michigan could be handled without him. And they were right, as Michigan State cruised to a 35-7 victory.
The Spartans knew they would need Hall in Week 3 against Notre Dame if they wanted a fighting chance against one of the best teams in the country. Giving him an extra week to rest ultimately allowed Hall to return to the field, and although the Spartans were unable to come away with a victory, his performance was a major reason they remained within striking distance into the fourth quarter.
Through two games this season, Hall has accumulated 17 total tackles, including 10 solo tackles and seven assists. He also has 1.5 tackles for loss, with a full tackle for loss against Toledo and a half-tackle for loss against Notre Dame.
Hall will continue to be a go-to player for the Spartans' defense, especially when Michigan State needs a big stop.
He came up big against Notre Dame, although there was another scare when he briefly left the game with what appeared to be another issue involving the same right elbow. Once again, Hall returned to the field and continued to help keep the Spartans within striking distance.
During Monday's press conference, Michigan State head coach Pat Fitzgerald spoke about how well Hall knows the defense, even joking that Hall might know it better than defensive coordinator Joe Rossi himself.
Hall will be a standout player for the Spartans moving forward as the Big Ten schedule gets ready to kick off this Saturday. His health will be something to monitor closely, with the first injury report coming Wednesday.
