If someone wanders into the Michigan State esports lounge on any given afternoon, it doesn’t take long for someone to bring up Dyson Mingo.
Not because he’s North America’s top Falco player, though that fact usually slips in eventually, but because of the way he moves through the room.
He’ll slide into a chair next to a freshman he’s never met, ask how their classes are going or offer to run warm-up matches with anyone sitting alone. Teammates say you can spot him before you hear him: a 6-foot-5 frame ducking under doorways, controller dangling from one hand, a quiet grin on his face like he’s genuinely happy to be exactly where he is.
People talk about his gameplay with awe, but they talk about him with warmth. His roommate, Ryan Marcus, likes to joke that Mingo is built like a linebacker but talks to people like he’s known them for years.
“He’s a nerdy, normal, chill dude that just happens to be 6-foot-5 and jacked,” Marcus said. The affection in his voice makes it clear Mingo is more than a punchline.
He’s the guy who pauses his own practice to hype up a teammate after a bad set, the one who stays late to clean up the lounge, the one who remembers which tournaments people are nervous about and asks them how it went. Before you ever hear about his rankings, you notice the way the room relaxes when he walks in.
Mingo, who is from Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, is an environmental science major at MSU. He has played “Super Smash Bros.” since he was 6, and the passion never faded.
“I always kind of loved the game. It never really went away from me,” he said.
He didn’t start competing until high school, but once he did, everything changed. That shift accelerated when he picked up Falco in April 2022. Falco Lombardi is a character from the Star Fox series and one of the playable fighters in “Super Smash Bros. Melee” and later entries. He’s known for high jumps, fast combos and a strong punish game, making him one of the more technically demanding characters in competitive play.
“I think he’s really great,” Mingo said. “He jumps extremely high. He has insane combos. He’s kind of an all-rounder.”
Even though Mingo talks about his rise calmly, what he has accomplished is significant.
“I statistically perform the best over the course of this game’s lifespan, and I’ve been doing better than most other Falcos in North America as of recent,” he said.
Mingo competes far beyond the collegiate level. He regularly travels to Indiana, Illinois, Ohio and Florida to play in major tournaments. Michigan’s grassroots Smash scene is strong, giving him consistent practice and competition.
“Although I’m mostly focused on collegiate play, I also still try to improve myself at an individual level,” he said.
That drive earned him a spot on MSU’s varsity esports roster and a scholarship.
Marcus is also on the team and plays Ridley in “Smash Bros.” He remembers meeting Mingo his freshman year. Ridley is a giant space‑dragon villain from the Metroid series who appears as a powerful playable fighter in “Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.”
“My very first look at him, I thought he was actually a bit intimidating,” Marcus, a Denver native, said. “But once you get to know him, he’s really kind, and he’s very animated.”
The two now live together, and Marcus said the experience has been smooth. He often hears Mingo playing guitar through the walls, but instead of finding it annoying, he ends up enjoying the songs.
“A lot of the songs he plays end up getting stuck in my head,” Marcus said. “I’ll catch myself singing them while I’m making food.”
One of their favorite memories came from an esports trip to Hawaii this February. MSU had to face Syracuse, a team that wasn’t strong overall but had one standout player ranked No. 7 in the world.
“We had to really game-plan for this one guy,” Marcus said.
Mingo struggled at first.
“He was going even with their first guy, who he’s clearly way better than,” Marcus said.
But then Mingo reset, refocused and dominated.
“Within the next two games, he just sweeps the next two players,” Marcus said. “He looks like he’s on fire.”
Mingo’s performance set up MSU to take down Syracuse’s star player, and the team won the entire event.
“He was the MVP in that crew battle,” Marcus said.
Despite the success, Mingo remains grounded. He credits the people around him.
“I love the community,” he said. “I’ve met some of my greatest friends in this community.”
He also attributes much of his progress to his family, especially his mother, who drove him to tournaments when he was younger.
Mingo said esports gives him something essential.
“I feel like you need competition, or at least I need competition in my life, because it gives me a sense of purpose,” he said.
He compared esports to traditional sports, explaining that it helps him grow with his team and learn how to trust others.
When Marcus was asked what he wants people to know about Mingo, he didn’t hesitate.
“Just by his appearance, he’s a really, really kind guy,” he said. “You get to know the guy, and he’s really, really cool.”
NOTE - Watch Dyson Mingo and the MSU Esports team featured in season two of Beyond the Score here.