HERO Sports is counting down the days until the kickoff of the 2018 college football season on Saturday, Aug. 25, by featuring the best player in the FBS at each jersey number, from 99-1. Each day, from May 18 through Aug. 24, we'll publish one article showcasing the best player whose jersey number matches the number of days remaining.
[divider]RANKINGS: Top 100 Teams for 2018
TRIVIA: Daily FBS Trivia Question
MORE: Best FCS Player for Each Jersey Number[divider]
No. 48 Kenny Willekes
Michigan State – DE
Michigan State had 11 sacks in 2016 — tied for third-fewest in the country and the fewest of the Mark Dantonio era. The Spartans needed someone to deliver consistent pressure. They got it from an unlikely source: Kenny Willekes.
Willekes had zero scholarship offers out from NorthPointe Christian in Grand Rapids, Mich., walked on at Michigan State and appeared in one game his first two seasons. He was awarded a scholarship last spring and provided an immediate return on investment, leading the team in tackles for loss (14) and sacks (seven).
"Obviously, [2017] helped my confidence," he said in March. "But this is the attitude: complacency kills. I’m never happy with what I do. I’m still looking back and finding where I can get better and how I can be a leader and help get the younger guys in my room better.”
Kenny Willekes is now one of the best linebackers in the Big Ten and the best No. 48 in college football.
