Eli Coenen holds the LDT · Starter spot in Michigan State Spartans’s defensive tackle room. Where he sits among the room’s front-line roles:

Eli Coenen is a 6'6", 287-pound defensive lineman from Baldwin, Wisconsin who transferred to Michigan State in January 2026. He attended Baldwin-Woodville High School, where he played tight end and defensive end before playing two seasons at Bemidji State (2023–24) and one at Illinois (2025). At Bemidji State, Coenen appeared in 26 games and recorded 20 tackles, 5.5 tackles for loss, and 2.0 sacks. During his 2025 redshirt sophomore season at Illinois, he played in all 13 games with 222 snaps on defense, accumulating eight tackles and posting a 6-yard sack in the Music City Bowl victory over Tennessee. Coenen has two seasons of eligibility remaining.

Bemidji Statethrough 2024

Illinois2025

Michigan State2026 — present