The Pittsburgh Steelers have signed Michigan State linebacker Jacoby Windmon as an undrafted free agent, the team announced on Saturday.
Windmon is a Marrero, Louisiana native who played three years at UNLV before transferring to Michigan State. He was a second-team All-Mountain West selection in 2021, when he posted his best statistical season of 119 tackles, 11.5 tackles for loss, 6.5 sacks, two forced fumbles and one pass defended.
After transferring to Michigan State, he started eight games in 2022 before being suspended the final four games after taking part in a fight between Michigan and Michigan State players in the tunnel at Michigan Stadium.
In 2023, he returned to MSU, but played just three games before being lost to the season for a pectoral injury. He had another season of college eligibility remaining, and first announced that he was entering the transfer portal, before declaring for the 2024 NFL Draft in January.
In the pre-draft process, Windmon ran a 4.65-second 40-yard dash and showed decent agility but poor explosiveness and strength, posting a low 16 bench press reps and a 5.68 out of 10 overall Relative Athletic Score. He was not expected to be drafted and was the No. 501 overall player in the NFL Mock Draft Database consensus big board.
Windmon was the second linebacker the Steelers added this weekend, following their second third-round pick, linebacker Payton Wilson out of NC State.
Those two will join Patrick Queen, Cole Holcomb, Elandon Roberts and Mark Robinson in the linebackers room. Holcomb is returning from a knee injury and may not be ready to start the 2024 offseason, which could give Wilson and Windmon some extra playing time right away.