Thoughts on Depth Chart

Of course, the depth chart came out last week.  Many things have already been written about it, so I'll keep my thoughts short.  Here are some things that stood out to me:

- Tyler Hoover got bigger!  He is now listed as weighing 310, which I think is at least 20 pounds heavier than he was for the Spring game.  I'm excited to see if Hoover and Kittredge will be an improvement over last year's defensive tackles: Pickelman and Strayhorn.

- Keith Mumphery is listed as a starter at receiver.  At the end of last year I thought Bennie Fowler and Tony Lippett would have the first crack at starting.  

- Andre Sims is "tied" with DeAnthony Arnett.  Sims could turn out to be one of those diamonds in the rough.  He was the only receiver at the Spring game that was consistently getting open, and he caught just about everything thrown his way.

- Skyler Burkland is a backup.  Burkland could still be recovering from his leg injury or France and Fonoti could just be very good.  We'll see if he can crack the starting lineup in camp.  In any case, the OT position looks good for the Spartans.

- Taiwan Jones received a lot of hype last year, but he is now listed as third for STAR linebacker, behind Chris Norman and Darrien Harris.  I'm hoping that's because Harris is so good, rather than because Jones regressed.  Could Harris be another one of Dantonio's great finds?

- Will the arrival of the true freshmen change the depth chart?  On defense, I suspect the answer is no.  The Spartans are way too deep on D.  Maybe the highly rated safety, Demetrious Cox, will have a shot as the season progresses.  On offense, as Dantonio has mentioned, the freshmen receivers and tight ends will have a good shot at earning some playing time.  I would put my money on Aaron Burbridge and Jamare Mills.  I also wouldn't be surprised if some of the speedsters (guys like MacGarrett Kings and Nick Tompkins) got to run some plays to the outside of the tackles.  I think offensive coordinator Dan Roushar has a preference for running to the outside.  That preference actually cost them the Nebraska game, in my opinion, because MSU didn't quite have the speed to run outside the tackles against Nebraska (particularly against their outside linebacker Levonte David).  Kings and Tompkins may actually have the speed to successfully run to the outside against speedier defenses and thus I wouldn't be surprised if the coaches decided not to redshirt them.  

Needing a Good Surprise

A while ago I wrote about how success in college football depends a lot on surprises.  I pointed out that MSU had a good season in 2011 in part because of the surprisingly good play of the linebackers.  Remember?  There was supposed to be a dropoff because of the loss of Greg Jones and Erick Gordon.  In fact, the 2011 linebackers may have been even better than 2010's.  On the other hand, MSU was supposed to have a strong running game, but the O-line struggled so much that MSU's running game came close to last in the B1G.

The obvious surprise MSU needs this year is in the passing game.  We all know that MSU lost Kirk Cousins and its top 3 receivers.  That topic has received plenty of attention in the local media, so I won't say much about it.  The talent in the passing game may actually be better than ever, but we'll have to see if it's enough to overcome the inexperience.  Hopefully, the passing game is not surprisingly awful.

Since this team is really talented, I think it's safe to focus on possible negative surprises.  Let's start with the D-line.  Everyone expects the D-line to be dominant, perhaps even better than last year's.  We expect Anthony Rashad White to pick up where Jerel Worthy left off, and we expect William Golston and Marcus Rush to be even better defensive ends than they were last year.  Tyler Hoover and James Kittredge should also be able to take over for Kevin Pickelmen.

But what if Worthy was actually more special than we know?  I'm telling you, Worthy was a game changer.  He made several plays in several games (vs Ohio State, Michigan, and Wisconsin) that completely shut down the opposing teams' offense.  What if none of our DTs this year can match his disruptiveness?  I think our guys are excellent, but there's always the possibility that Worthy's game-changing ability was more critical to last year's success than we imagine.

The other negative surprise I can imagine is the O-line.  Now, it would take a huge surprise for this year's O-line to play worse than last year's.  I don't think we have to worry much about that scenario.  But what if the O-line turns out to be just mediocre?  Unfortunately, MSU can't afford to have a mediocre line this year.  First of all, the B1G is loaded with talented defensive lines this year.  And second, MSU absolutely must have a strong running game this year.

Last year, the Spartans were able to overcome the weakness of their running game by relying on their strong passing game.  This year, the running game needs to make up for the weakness of the passing game.  Therefore, we can't have a mediocre line.  We need a line that will open holes for the running backs and that will keep pressure off Andrew Maxwell.  A mediocre line would pretty much mean a weak MSU offense.

If I was gambling man, I would bet that MSU will not suffer the negative surprises.  Their D and O lines will be excellent.  I would also bet that MSU will get its good surprise.  Maxwell and the receivers will turn out to be more explosive than expected.  That's why I think MSU will win the B1G and end up in a BCS bowl.

MSU Football Program is Now Elite

Friends, you and I know that the Spartans now have an elite football program.  We've seen the product on the field, we've seen how talented they are, we've seen them dominate some of the best programs in the country -- if I have one concern, it's that they lost to a team they dominated (Wisconsin in the B1G championship) and almost lost to another team they dominated (Georgia in the Outback Bowl).

Well, now it's not just us that recognizes the eliteness of Spartan football.  Several sports media outlets now have high expectations for next year's Spartans.   Kelly Whiteside at USA Today has the Spartans ranked number 6, Andy Staples at Sports Illustrated has the Spartans ranked number 6 in his "Way-Too-Early 2012 Top 25,"  Mark Schlabach has the Spartans ranked number 9, and Dave Miller at the National Football Post has the Spartans ranked number 9.  They're all kind of saying the same thing: that MSU is losing key players but returning 8 starters on defense and LeVeon Bell on offense.  My favorite take, though, is Staples' comment that:

"If a Big Ten program is going to challenge an SEC power before Urban Meyer gets things rolling at Ohio State, it's going to be Michigan State."

I've been thinking the same thing myself -- except for the part about Ohio State.  I don't think MSU's 2012 team would be able to beat this year's Alabama and LSU, but I think they could beat just about anyone else in the country.  Actually, the defense would probably hold its own against Alabama, but the offense is not quite there yet.  As I've mentioned before, though, I think MSU's offense will get there by 2013.

In any case, as I said after the Outback Bowl, the Spartans are now clearly a top 10 program, and now others are beginning to recognize that.  Why are we so blessed?

A Look at Next Year: Coaches

The final unit I want to look at in the “look at next year” series is the “coaching unit.”  Now that defensive coordinator Pat Narduzzi is coming back, the likelihood that there will be changes in next year’s coaching staff are minimal.  In fact, the staff we had this year is pretty much the staff we’ll have next year.  Here’s the list of coaches:

Mark Dantonio - Head Coach

Pat Narduzzi - Defensive Coordinator

Dan Roushar - Offensive Coordinator

Harlon Barnett - Secondary

Ted Gill - Defensive Line

Brad Salem - Running Backs/Recruiting Coordinator

Terrence Samuel - Wide Receivers

Mark Staten - Offensive Line

Mike Tressel - Linebackers/Special Teams

Dave Warner - Quarterbacks

Tim Allen - Director of Football Operations

Dino Folino - Director of Personnel/Player Development

Tommy Hoke - Assoc. Head Strength & Conditioning Coach

Brad Lunsford - Director of Executive Football Operations

Ken Mannie - Head Strength & Conditioning Coach

Archie Collins - Graduate Assistant / Defense

Randy Gillon - Speed Coach

Of course, the big guy is back; Mark Dantonio is returning for his 6th season as head coach.  As I’ve said many times before, and I’ll say it again, MSU is beyond fortunate to have found Dantonio.  He is an elite coach who is willing to stay in East Lansing to build an elite program, even while he could be making tons more money elsewhere.  I once thought of Dantonio as MSU’s Barry Alvarez: a guy that would come in and win 9 games a year and lay the foundations so that the next guy could take the program to really elite status.  Well, I was wrong, and I’ve never been so happy to be so wrong.  Dantonio is no transition figure; he IS the elite coach, the guy that could win a national championship at MSU. 

Honestly, I pinch myself twice a day and like SNL Bears fans I wonder: “why are we so blessed?”  Could it be the heart attack that he suffered last year altered his plans?  Perhaps he intended to leave, but the heart attack made him wonder if he might only be coaching for another 5 to 7 years.  Why go somewhere else, if you only have 7 years of coaching left?  Folks, I don’t know the answer to such questions.  All I can tell you is that I hope Dantonio stays and coaches for another 10 years (though I have a strong hunch that he will probably only coach for 5 more years), and I hope that if another school ever tries to pull him away with more money, that MSU will come through with a counter offer that keeps him here the remainder of his career. 

Apart from Dantonio, we also know that the coordinators will both be back.  Pat Narduzzi will be back to lead the defense and consequently I am expecting a big year for the defense.  Narduzzi has clearly has come a long way, going from a guy who just the year before didn’t garner much attention (if anything, he garnered a fair share of complaints) to a guy who is now reportedly being offered three quarters of a million dollars to leave MSU and who will probably become a head coach by the end of the next season.   Anyway, unless his success was somehow connected to the success of Jerel Worthy and Trenton Robinson (and I don’t think that’s the case), I expect Narduzzi to have a great year. 

As for the offense, Dan Roushar should be back and I think he should end up being pretty good.  He seemed to experience some growing pains this year, and it probably didn’t help that the o-line struggled so much in the first half of the season.  The one issue that concerned me about Roushar was his inability to adapt to fast defenses.  Long after it became clear to a football novice like me that the Spartans would not be able to run outside the tackles on teams like Nebraska and Georgia, Roushar stuck stubbornly with runs to the outside.  He did seem to finally adapt in the second half of the Georgia game, but I wonder if Dantonio had something to do with that.  Anyway, if he can get over issues like that, and if the passing game doesn’t implode (considering that the Spartans are losing 90% of their passing game), Roushar should be pretty good next year.  He showed a lot of development and creativity throughout the season, especially in the B1G championship game. 

I won’t pretend to know much about the rest of the coaches, but I do want to single out two guys who seem to be doing an excellent job: Mike Tressel and Ken Mannie.  Mike Tressel is the linebackers and special teams coach, and while the special teams did pretty well this year, I’m most impressed with the development and play of the linebackers.  The linebacking unit was supposed to be decimated, losing All-American Greg Jones and veteran Eric Gordon.  But if anything, this year’s unit played at least as well and perhaps better.  I think it shows that Tressel is a pretty competent guy, and that might put him next in line to take over at defensive coordinator when Narduzzi leaves.

Ken Mannie is the head strength and conditioning coach and I think he’s a big part of why the Spartans are able to take so many low-rated recruits and turn them into NFL-level players.  Apparently, many other coaches have recognized Mannie’s talents.  Guys like Nick Saban and Jim Tressel tried to get Mannie to join their programs, but he has thankfully remained faithful to the Spartans. 

So that’s a quick summary of the coaching situation for next year.  We have continuity, and best of all, it is good continuity.  We’re not sitting here saying to ourselves, “gosh, I wish we could find someone else to take over that position.”  On the contrary, we are excited and thankful that everyone is coming back.

On Narduzzi

Sheesh, there's too much to write about this week.  I didn't want to write anything about the possibility of Narduzzi leaving until he actually left or stayed.  Anyway, he's staying and that's a good thing.  I don't think it would have been the end of the world if he left, but as we found out when Roushar took over for Treadwell, there are growing pains associated with replacing experienced assistant coaches.  I wouldn't want to go through those growing pains at the same time that they are losing two of their best defensive players: Jerel Worthy and Trenton Robinson.  The Spartans would have likely found an adequate replacement for Narduzzi, but the Nard-dawg has a chance to take next year's defense to even more elite heights.  It would be more comfortable for MSU if he left in 2013, the year I expect MSU's talent to be peaking.  In the meantime, Dantonio may want to get a guy like Mike Tressel (is he next in line?) more involved on defense, so that the transition to a new coordinator becomes as smooth as possible.

NFL Calling Spartans

It looks like the NFL is not finished attracting Spartans.  Of course, several seniors are going, and we found out yesterday that Jerel Worthy is going.  And today we find out that Edwin Baker will be trying his luck in the draft.  Since the Spartans are loaded at running back, I don't think Baker's departure will hurt the Spartans much.  But I don't think it's such a good move for Baker, himself.

It's possible that Baker received good feedback from NFL talent folk, it's possible that he thinks he could perform well at the NFL combines, or it's possible that he's not happy about his diminished role (now that LeVeon Bell has emerged).  Whatever the reason, I think he's taking a risk in leaving early, particularly because I think he would've had a big year next year and thus improved his stock.

Oh well, I really hope he kicks butt at the combines and I hope he does go in the top 3 rounds.  It would be great for him and for MSU's image as an NFL factory.

Thanks for the memories, Edwin.

Now I just hope no more juniors leave, because it's really going to start affecting the talent level of the team.  Cornerback Johnny Adams is the next possible departure.  If he leaves, Tony Lippett would probably stay at cornerback, instead of moving permanently to receiver.  That would likely mean that the Spartans would be really interested in bringing in another receiver.  So I guess that's the bright side of this.  The Spartans likely will be able to take an additional 2 recruits, bringing the total 2012 recruiting class to about 19 or 20 players.  That would allow the Spartans to take a few more of those propects I listed in my last post.

Worthy to NFL

It's being widely reported that Jerel Worthy has decided to forgo his senior year and enter the NFL draft.  I won't add much other than that it makes perfect sense when you consider his family's health issues and the risk a player of his caliber takes when they elect to play an extra year in college.  Apart from his outstanding play on the field, Worthy showed the younger guys what hard work can lead to. Worthy was a 2-star recruit who worked to become an almost certain first-round pick in this upcoming NFL draft.

Now that the wide receiver concern is being resolved (with the commitment of DeAnthony Arnett), I think defensive tackle has become the main concern for next year's team. As we saw in the Outback Bowl, Anthony Rashad White looks set to become the next Worthy. But other than that, the Spartans will be looking to replace Kevin Pickelman and Johnathan Strayhorn with 3 redshirt freshmen (Ramondo, Scarpinato, and Clemons). They will probably also keep offensive lineman Micajah Reynolds at defensive tackle.  Hopefully, Reynolds and the freshmen will emerge as adequate replacements.

The last thing I want to say here is THANKS, JEREL.  And kick some butt at the NFL combines!

Arnett Commits to MSU! Spartans Set at Wide Receiver

Well folks, no need to panic anymore about wide receiver next year.  DeAnthony Arnett has committed to the Spartans.  As I mentioned a couple of posts ago, Arnett was a top-10 receiver recruit in 2011.  He caught 24 passes for 242 yards this season as a freshman at U of Tennessee.  He should compete for and likely win a starting spot next year for the Spartans.

Arnett's commitment means the Spartans will now have a lot of talent at receiver, next year.  They have Arnett, Bennie Fowler, Tony Lippett, Aaron Burbridge, Juwan Caeser, and Keith Mumphery.  These guys won't have a lot of experience, but I think it's safe to speculate that this could end up being the Spartans most talented group of receivers ever.

The Spartans are also in the running for two 4-star wide receiver recruits:  Monty Madaris and Kenny Lawler.  Now, while I would love the Spartans to still take either Madaris or Lawler, I wonder what the coaches will do now that Arnett has committed.  They may accept the commitment of one more receiver, but they may decide not to push hard to get that commitment.

Hard to say.  But regardless, the great concern I had a couple of months ago about the wide receiver position is suddenly melting away.

A Look at Next Year: Special Teams

Continuing with the “A Look at Next Year” series, today I take a short look at special teams.  This is one of those units where a coach has a lot of influence over how the unit will perform.  We don’t need to worry about that.  Mike Tressel is the Spartans’ special teams coach, and as the nephew of Jim Tressel perhaps few people know better the importance of good special teams.  Under Mike Tressel’s watch the Spartans have had pretty sound special teams, and since there are no rumors that he will be leaving anytime soon, I expect that soundness to continue.

4   Dan Conroy  K      5-10  190  JR    Wheaton, Ill. - Wheaton Warrenville South
17 Kevin Muma  K     6-0    189  SO    Troy, Mich. – Troy
20 Kyle Selden   P     6-5     199  SR   Waterford, Mich. - Our Lady of the Lakes
3   Mike Sadler   P     6-0     182  RS   FR Grand Rapids, Mich. - Forest Hills Northern
20 Nick Hill        RB  5-7     180  RS   FR Chelsea, Mich. – Chelsea

It doesn’t hurt that the Spartans have most of their key pieces returning next year.  As we can see in the list above, Dan Conroy will be back next year as a senior and his backup, Kevin Muma, will be back as a junior.  Conroy was excellent this year, hitting 17 of 23 attempts, while Muma was 1 for 1. 

At punter, the Spartans are set for the next 3 years.  Mike Sadler will be back as a sophomore and he had a terrific year, averaging 41.1 points per game.  He should be even better next year.

At kickoff returner, Nick Hill will likely be back.  I say likely, not because he’s heading off to the NFL but because the only reason he wouldn’t be back as a returner is that he would be focusing more on the running back position.  Since the Spartans will be loaded at running back, again, Hill looks likely to be returning kickoffs next year. 

The one concern is punt returns.  For the past few years the Spartans have been relying on Keyshawn Martin to return punts, and he’s been spectacular at it, for the most part.  The Spartans probably won’t find someone that will produce what Martin did, but they should be able to find an adequate replacement.  Some explosive possibilities include: Nick Hill, Tony Lippett, and the incoming Nick Tompkins. 

The upshot is that MSU’s special teams should be sound again next year.  This should not be an area of concern.

A Look at Next Year: Defensive Backs

Today, I will take a look at next year’s defensive backs.  Like most units, this unit should be pretty solid next year. 

5              Johnny Adams         CB            5-11         175          JR            Akron, Ohio - Buchtel

12            Dana Dixon              CB            6-2           170          SO           Detroit, Mich. - Renaissance

32            Mitchell White        CB            5-11         180          JR            Livonia, Mich. - Stevenson

33            Jeremy Langford     CB            5-11         205          RS FR      Wayne, Mich. - John Glenn

31            Darqueze Dennard  CB            5-11         185          SO           Dry Branch, Ga. - Twiggs County

36            Arjen Colquhoun     CB            6-0           187          FR            Windsor, Ontario - 

15            Trae Waynes           CB            6-0           165          FR            Kenosha, Wis. - Bradford

14            Tony Lippett            CB/WR    6-2           189          RS FR      Detroit, Mich. - Crockett

35            Chris Laneaux          DB           5-11         180          FR            Kalamazoo, Mich. - Portage Northern

39            Trenton Robinson   S              5-10         195          SR            Bay City, Mich. - Bay City Central

6              Mylan Hicks            S              5-11         191          RS FR      Detroit, Mich. - Renaissance

9              Isaiah Lewis            S              5-10         195          SO           Indianapolis, Ind. - Ben Davis

23            Jairus Jones             S              6-1           209          SO           Tampa, Fla. - Wharton

26            RJ Williamson         S              5-10         182          FR            Middletown, Ohio - Dunbar

27            Kurtis Drummond   S              6-1           196          RS FR      Masury, Ohio – Hubbard

As we can see from the list above, the only significant losses for next year are senior safety Trenton Robinson and Tony Lippett, who will be making the permanent move to wide receiver.  Make no mistake about it, Robinson will be a significant loss.  He was an excellent safety and the leader of the secondary, and he should have a decent shot at getting drafted in the NFL draft.  Nevertheless, the Spartans are bringing back all their starters at the remaining positions and they should have some pretty solid depth at defensive back. 

Isaiah Lewis will be back at strong safety.  Of course, Lewis took part in some heartbreaking plays this year, but overall, I thought he played pretty well.  As a junior, I think he will take another step towards solidness.  I expect him to become about as solid as Trenton Robinson was this year – can’t complain about that.  Apart from Lewis, the Spartans will also return all three of their backup safeties:  Dana Dixon, Jairus Jones, and Kurtis Drummond.  Dixon and Jones will be juniors, and Drummond will be a sophomore.  The Spartans also have guys who were once decent recruits.  Guys like Mylan Hicks and RJ Williamson.  Hopefully, at least one of these guys or one of the other backups will emerge as a star next year.  The Spartans are also in the running for some elite safety recruits in the class of 2012: Demetrious Cox and Jordan Diggs.  Both of these guys seem outstanding enough to earn some playing time as freshmen.  Hopefully the Spartans will get at least one of them to commit. 

As for cornerbacks, starters Johnny Adams and Darqueze Dennard will both be back next year.  Both played very well this year and both should be even better next year.  In fact, these two have the potential to be two of the Spartan’s best corners in recent memory.  The Spartans will also be returning backups Mitchell White and Jeremy Langford.  I cannot say that I recall seeing much of Langford, but White played well the few moments I can remember him playing.  The Spartans also have some interesting 2011 recruits who I suspect will step up and challenge for playing time next year.  Arjen Colquhoun and Trae Waynes are both big and both have under 4.4 speed.  The Spartans will also be bringing in two sound-looking prospects: Jermaine Edmondson and Ezra Robinson.  Both of these guys are rated as 3-star recruits, and they are both big and fast corners.  I don’t expect them to play much next year, but if there are injuries, these guys should provide decent depth.  You hate to see freshmen cornerbacks playing because they often get burned by more experienced wide receivers.  Still, if freshmen are going to play anywhere, it’s more frequently at the cornerback position.

A Look at Next Year: Linebackers

Been busy traveling around the Midwest, so posts will be more limited over the next 10 days.

Here I take a look at the linebacker situation for next year.  The bottom line is that Spartans are all set at linebacker for next year.  In fact, the Spartans should have one of the strongest linebacking units in the Big Ten and perhaps the country. 

49            TyQuan Hammock   LB            6-0           230          SO           Fort Wayne, Ind. - Bishop Luers

8              Lawrence Thomas   LB            6-3           275          FR            Detroit, Mich. - Renaissance

10            Chris Norman          LB            6-1           227          JR            Detroit, Mich. - Renaissance

42            Ty Hamilton            LB            6-0           230          RS FR      Fenton, Mich. - Fenton

41            Kyler Elsworth         LB            6-1           215          SO           Goodrich, Mich. - Goodrich

19            Danny Folino           LB            5-9           195          SO           Okemos, Mich. - East Lansing

43            Ed Davis                  LB          6-3           215          FR            Detroit, Mich. - Southeastern

40            Max Bullough          LB            6-3           245          SO           Traverse City, Mich. - St. Francis

48            Pat Rhomberg         LB            6-0           218          FR            Columbus, Ohio - Bishop Watterson

28            Denicos Allen          LB            5-10         220          SO           Hamilton, Ohio - Hamilton

47            Jeremy Gainer        LB            6-1           228          SO           Detroit, Mich. - Clarenceville

50            Steve Gardiner        LB            6-1           222          JR            Dublin, Ohio - Coffman

34            Taiwan Jones          LB            6-3           234          FR            New Baltimore, Mich. - Anchor Bay

45            Darien Harris          LB            6-0           206          FR            Silver Spring, Md. - DeMatha Catholic

As we can see in the list above, the Spartans have all their starters coming back.  And this is no mediocre group of starters.  Max Bullough and Denicos Allen will be back as juniors and I expect them to be two of the top linebackers in the Big Ten.  These guys are already stars, but they should be even better next year.  Chris Norman will be back as a senior.  He played well at times this year, but he really has yet to live up to his full potential.  He came in as a 4-star recruit and this year he was slowed down by injuries.  I’m hoping he becomes a breakout player in 2012.  If he does take that next step towards stardom, the Spartans could have one of the best linebacking units in the whole country.

The depth at linebacker is also outstanding.  The Spartans have several young players who look certain to become stars.  For starters, they have 5-star freshman Lawrence Thomas, who is as big as a defensive end but has the speed to play linebacker.  He could eventually move to defensive end, but the early signs are that the Spartans want to keep him at linebacker.  Another high-rated recruit is freshman Ed Davis.  He was a 4-star recruit who has shown good speed and explosiveness.  Sophomore Kyler Elsworth was once a walk-on, but he has played well enough to earn a scholarship and some playing time (when Norman was injured).  The Spartan coaches like Elsworth, so I expect big things out of him in the next few years.  Other guys with playing experience include TyQuan Hammock, Taiwan Jones, and Steve Gardiner. 

Finally, the Spartans are also bringing in some well-regarded recruits next year.  They are bringing in Bullough’s brother, Riley Bullough, and 4-star recruit Jamal Lyles, who is considered an athletic freak that could also play defensive end.  The Spartans are also in the running for David Perkins, who they consider to be a bigger version of Denicos Allen.  Lyles and Allen are so athletically outstanding that it would be no surprise to see them earn some playing time next year.  Riley Bullough comes from a football family and so he may have enough understanding of the game to also earn some playing time next year – remember that his brother, Max Bullough, played as a freshman.

So the takeaway is that the Spartans are loaded at linebacker -- so loaded, in fact, that they could be one of the best linebacking units in the country.  The only problem I could foresee with this unit is with injuries, but even then, the Spartans would need to lose like 3 guys in order to suffer a significant decline. 

A Look at Next Year: Defensive Line

Continuing with a look at next year series, today I focus on the defensive line.  This unit has me a little worried, but before I talk about the concerns, let me focus on the strengths.

As we can see from the list below, the strength of the defensive line, for years to come, will be the defensive ends.  The Spartans are not graduating any defensive ends.  In fact, they are rather young at the position. 

44 Marcus Rush              DE       6-2          250         RS FR     

52 Denzel Drone             DE       6-2          262         SO          

93 Damon Knox             DE       6-4          274         FR           

55 Corey Freeman         DE       6-2          250         JR           

94 Taylor Calero            DE       6-3          245         RS FR     

91 Tyler Hoover             DE       6-7          290         JR           

92 Joel Heath                 DE       6-5          270         FR           

89 Shilique Calhoun       DE        6-4          220         FR           

2   William Gholston       DE         6-7          280         SO          

The Spartans will be bringing back their two emerging stars, Marcus Rush and William Gholston.  Barring injury, both of these guys should be even better next year.   The Spartans will also be bringing back some solid backups, including: Denzel Drone, Damon Knox, Corey Freeman, Taylor Calero, Tyler Hoover, Joel Heath, and Shilique Calhoun.  Joel Heath was the highest rated recruit (Scout gave him 4 stars), but all of these guys were well-regarded as recruits.  The Spartans also have a couple of other guys who could play defensive end: guys like 5-star recruit, Lawrence Thomas, and 2012 recruit Jamal Lyles.  It’s probably better to keep these guys at linebacker, but they could excel at defensive end if needed.

Now to defensive tackle.  This position actually has the potential to be the strongest position on the team next year . . . if Jerel Worthy comes back.  To me, Anthony Rashad White is a clone of Worthy, and I would love to see those two playing next to each other as seniors next year.  But if Worthy leaves, the Spartans will see a considerable decline at the interior of the defensive line and they will face some serious depth issues.    

81  James Kittredge               DL       6-4          270         SO          

69  Blake Pacheco                DL        6-1          264         SR           

87  Brandon Clemons            DL        6-3          262         FR           

99  Jerel Worthy                   DT        6-3          310         JR           

57  Johnathan Strayhorn        DT        6-0          272         SR           

56  Matt Ramondo                DT        6-5          328         FR           

65  Doug Curtis                     DT       6-2          250         JR           

97  Mark Scarpinato             DT       6-3          270         FR           

96  Kevin Pickelman             NT       6-4          288         SR           

58  Jordan Sanders               NT        6-1          288         RS FR     

98  Anthony Rashad White   NT        6-2          316         JR           

As we can see in the list above, the Spartans are already losing starter Kevin Pickelman and major contributor, Johnathan Strayhorn.  So if Worthy leaves, they will be losing their top 3 players at the interior of the defensive line.  As I mentioned, I think that White will step up and play well next year.  But apart from White, there isn’t anyone with much experience.  There is a lot of youth, which may help explain why so many of these guys are significantly underweight. 

The Spartans did recruit 3 defensive tackles in 2011 (Ramondo, Scarpinato, and Clemons) – perhaps that’s why they don’t appear to be going after any DTs in the 2012 recruiting class.  I get the sense that if the Spartans are going to have depth at DT, these are the guys they are going to have to rely on.  All of these guys were 3-star recruits and it’s not unheard of for redshirt freshmen to make big contributions (see Marcus Rush); but I hate to have to rely on chance here.  We don’t know if these guys will be able to add the proper weight and strength, and whether they’ll be able to handle the pressure. 

So the upshot is that the defensive line is all set at defensive end but uncertain at defensive tackle.  If Worthy comes back, the D-line will be strongest it’s been in a long, long time (since perhaps the days of Bubba Smith).  If not, then the Spartans will have to hope that several young guys emerge quickly.  I’d rather not have to rely on hope, so please, Jerel, come back for your senior year.  

A National Championship in 2013?

Leonidas (Leo) has been looking at how strong the various units will be next year, so I thought I'd look ahead to 2013.  Trust me, there's good reason to do this.  You see, if certain players live up to our expectations and if certain things break our way, then 2013 could be the best shot MSU has of winning a national championship under Mark Dantonio.

First off, lets look at the passing game. As Leo recently pointed out, Andrew Maxwell has the potential to be better than Cousins, by his senior year. That's saying something, considering the standards set by Cousins. The few times I've seen him play, Maxwell reminds me a lot of Andrew Luck. He is athletic, accurate, and shows a strong arm. In my mind, the only thing that could keep him from becoming a star is his decision making.  We did not see enough of him to know how he will handle good defenses.  We'll have to wait and see on that, but in the last decade, most of our quarterbacks (Stanton, Hoyer, Cousins) eventually turn out to be pretty good by their senior year.  If Maxwell develops the same way, MSU's passing game should be at it's peak in 2013.

Now what could really make the passing game more explosive than ever is the emergence of guys like Tony Lippett and Aaron Burbidge (and maybe guys like Monty Madaris and Kenny Lawler, if they commit). Those receivers should be pretty good by 2013.  Throw in the fact that Dion Sims will be a senior at tight end, and MSU's passing game looks like it should be unstoppable.

The 2013 passing game should be helped by the fact that the running game will also be peaking.  As Leo has pointed out, the offensive line is extremely deep next year and it seems that it could be even deeper for 2013. Three of this year's starters will be back for 2013 (Travis Jackson, Skyler Burkland, and Dan France).  The Spartans will also give a year of experience to the guard who replaces Joel Foreman.  They will only have to break in one new guard, the guy who replaces Chris McDonald.  By then, they should have lots of guys with at least some playing experience.  As for running backs, if Le'Veon Bell stays for his senoir year, he should become one of the Big Ten's most dominant running backs -- maybe as good as Wisconsin's Montee Ball? I thought Bell looked sensational against Wisconsin in the big ten championship game. Especially if the offensive line countinues to improve I have strong reason to believe that the run game could be one of the best we've seen at MSU.  Don't forget that MSU has great depth at running back, just in case Bell were to get injured.

With respect to defense, the Spartans have good depth along the defensive line. It's likely that William Gholston will be playing on Sundays by 2013.  But who knows, maybe he'll think twice, if he also recognizes that the Spartans will be in a position to make a run at the national championship.  Even if Gholston does not come back, the Spartans should still be pretty strong up front. The 2011 recruiting class brought two excellent defensive end prospects: 5-star recruit Lawerence Thomas and 4-star recruit Joel Heath. Marcus Rush will be in his senior year and should be playing very well. 4 star recruit Jamal Lyles is coming in as a OLB but with his size he could switch to defensive end.  The Spartans also recruited three defensive tackles in 2011, and they have a good history of developing defensive tackles.  So I expect this position to be as good as ever in 2013.

The linebacker position in my eyes has been a key component in the spartan defense. Ever since the Greg Jones era, Max Bullough and Denicos Allen have done a great job with keeping the tradition of strong linebackers going. Allen and Bullough will be senoirs in 2013 and can be expected to have explosive years. If Jamal Lyles stays at linebacker I am sure his great althleticism will definetly have a great impact. The linebacking core should be one of the strongest and deepest we've ever had.

Finally, the secondary should be pretty strong. Two of this year's starters will be seniors in 2013: cornerback Darqueze Dennard and safety Isaiah Lewis.  The Spartans have also recruited five 3-star cornerbacks in the 2012 and 2011 recruiting classes, and they have a good history of developing good cornerbacks.  So I anticipate that we'll have a solid secondary in 2013.

There you go folks. As long as MSU isn't rocked with a huge scandal or something, I think the 2013 squad could become one of the the greatest in Spartan history. If Mark Dantonio is going to win a national championship at MSU, his best chance will come in 2013.

A Look at Next Year: Running Backs

So far, I have looked at what our receivers, quarterbacks, and offensive line should look like in 2012 (you can find those reviews in the "Topics" box to the left, under "A Look at Next Year"). So here, I'm going to finish off the offense by looking at the running backs -- quick note: I'm going to have to look at the receivers again when recruiting is over. 

Folks, I don't have to tell most of you that the Spartans are “suffering” an embarrassment of riches at running back. The Spartans are returning all their running backs, including Le'Veon Bell, Edwin Baker, Larry Caper, and Nick Hill. Any one of these guys could start for any other Big Ten team, but at MSU, they have to share the carries. 

Bell may turn out to be the best of the lot. He is big and strong, but he also possesses great vision and surprising shiftiness. This year he ran for 900 yards and averaged 5.5 yards per carry. I'm fully expecting him to surpass those number next year, by a wide margin. 

Baker needs to redeem himself after this year, and I think he will. After running for 1200 yards as a sophomore, he set a goal to rush for 2000 yards this year, as a junior. He didn't even come close. He ran for 655 yards, averaging 4.0 yards per carry. And he fumbled so often that he was replaced by Bell for long stretches. I hope he comes back angry, because Baker is a first-rate talent that could light the Big Ten on fire, if he just gets his cards in order. 

Caper is a solid backup who won’t get a chance to do much unless there are injuries. He only ran for 116 yards, averaging 3.9 yards per carry. There’s always talk about him being the third-down back who can catch passes coming out of the back field, but I just didn’t see much of him this year. He’s simply a victim of how deep MSU is at running back. He was good his freshman year, so we know he can play if he is needed. So at least he offers good depth. 

Nick Hill is another victim of MSU’s depth at running back. He was only able to carry the ball 29 times this year (for 118 yards), and I’m afraid he won’t get much of an opportunity next year, unless there are injuries. He has become an excellent kick returner, and when he carries the ball he does look explosive. Like Caper, he’s there to provide good depth, if the Spartans need it. 

The Spartans also have an exciting recruit named Nick Tompkins coming in at running back next year. He has some of the most exciting highlight videos I’ve ever seen, due in large part to his speed. He may get to play his freshman year, just because he is so incredibly fast. He is undersized, so he won’t play a lot, until he adds more weight; but I could see him getting used to run some reverses or other trick plays. Anyway, here is some of his video.

Were it not for the fact that they are losing senior fullback Todd Anderson, I would unhesitatingly declare the running backs to be the Spartans' strongest unit for MSU. But Anderson was a behemoth of a fullback (6'2" 265 lbs), who did an outstanding job this year. Nonetheless, Anderson is the only significant loss and fullbacks are traditionally easier to replace than most other positions. In fact, Anderson himself was new to the position this year, having converted from defensive end. The Spartans have several fullbacks returning next year, including Anderson's backup, redshirt freshman Niko Palazeti. And who knows, maybe they will convert another lineman into a full time fullback.

So add up the strength of the running backs with that of the offensive line and you have the makings of an elite running game, next year. The only thing that could slow down the running game next year is the weakness of the passing game. If Andrew Maxwell falters, defenses will simply line up to stop the run. Even if they do that, I think the running game will be strong enough to rack up some yards; but it would be nice if Maxwell could make their jobs a little easier by just doing an adequate job, himself. He doesn’t have to be senior-year Kirk Cousins. If he plays as well as junior-year Kirk Cousins, this offense could be explosive.

A Look at Next Year: Offensive Line

So my original post on next year’s offensive line was accidentally deleted when I tried to fix some things.  Blogger has some seriously upsetting bugs.  Anyway, here’s a much less ambitious look at the Spartans’ offensive line next year.

Here’s a list of all current offensive linemen.

66           Jack Allen               C            6-1          291         FR            Hinsdale, Ill. - Hinsdale Central

63           Travis Jackson        C            6-3          275         RS FR      New Albany, Ohio - St. Francis DeSales

68           Ethan Ruhland        C            6-5          290         JR            Lake Orion, Mich. - Lake Orion

64           Blake Treadwell      C/OG    6-3          295         JR            East Lansing, Mich. - East Lansing

71           John Deyo               OG        6-6          300         JR            Battle Creek, Mich. - Gull Lake

67           Joel Foreman          OG        6-4          315         SR            Highland, Mich. - Milford

53           Kyle Lints                 OG        6-3          275         FR            Traverse City, Mich. - St. Francis

62           Chris McDonald      OG        6-5          300         JR            Sterling Heights, Mich. - Henry Ford II

73           Arthur Ray Jr.          OG        6-3          299         SR            Chicago, Ill. - Mount Carmel

76           Donavon Clark        OL         6-3          294         FR            Cincinnati, Ohio - Finneytown

69           Shawn Kamm          OL         6-7          310         RS FR      Saginaw, Mich. - Nouvel Catholic Central

72           Nate Klatt                 OL         6-4          290         SO           Clinton, Ohio - Northwest

54           Connor Kruse         OL         6-5          300         RS FR      Lowell, Mich. - Lowell

75           Jared McGaha         OL         6-6          298         SR            Powell, Tenn. - Powell

70           Skyler Burkland      OT         6-7          305         RS FR      Sunbury, Ohio - Big Walnut

73           Henry Conway        OT         6-6          318         SO           Shaker Heights, Ohio - Shaker Heights

65           Michael Dennis      OT         6-7          307         RS FR      Carey, Ohio - Carey

51           Fou Fonoti               OT         6-4          300         JR            Lakewood, Calif. - Cerritos College

59           Dan France              OT         6-6          315         SO           North Royalton, Ohio - North Royalton

60           Micajah Reynolds  OT          6-5          320         SO           Lansing, Mich. – Sexton

As we can see, the Spartans have 19 o-linemen and they are only graduating 3 of them.  That means the Spartans should have excellent talent and depth for next year.  The coaches must think so, too, because they have so far only recruited 3 offensive linemen in the class of 2012, and I don’t expect them to recruit any others -- except perhaps if a 5-star like Jordan Diamond expressed interest in becoming a Spartan (more on that in a later post).

Every position along the offensive line looks to be in good shape.  One of the strongest should be center.  Next year, Travis Jackson will be back.  He has the chance to be a really good center, especially if he gets a little bigger and stronger.  He will be backed up by Blake Treadwell and Jack Allen.  Don’t be surprised to see Allen emerge as the next Travis Jackson.  Anyway, the center position is talented, deep, and young.  The Spartans are set there for next year and beyond.

The Spartans are also set at right tackle.  Fou Fonoti and Skyler Burkland will be back and they will wage an epic battle for the starting spot.  On the one hand, you hate to see two great players battle for a starting spot because it means one of them won’t get to start.  On the other hand, it means MSU is talented and deep at right tackle.

At left tackle the Spartans are not as strong as at right tackle, but they should still be solid.  Current starter, Dan France, will be back.  This year, France made a frustrating but ultimately successful transition from defensive lineman to left tackle.  His backup, Micajah Reynolds will also be back and will also be a junior.  If both France and Reynolds go down or falter, don’t be surprised to see Fonoti move over, or hopefully, we will see one of the other young tackles emerge – perhaps someone like Michael Dennis.  So the position should be talented and experienced. 

At right guard, the Spartans should be all set, again.  Chris McDonald will be a senior and looks set to start for his third year at the position.  He should provide great skill and leadership.  His backup, Ethan Ruhland will also be back as a senior.

Left guard will be the position of greatest concern.  The Spartans are losing All Big Ten guard, Joel Foreman.  His skill and leadership will without doubt be missed.  But the Spartans will have as many as 9 guys vying for the position, including Ruhland, Treadwell, and Donovan Clark.  Clark is probably the highest-rated of all the guard recruits, but he will only be a redshirt freshman.  Clark was a 4-star recruit and recruiting sites raved about his run-blocking.  Thus, left guard is the position of least certainty.  MSU will have talented players ready to take over, but they will be relatively inexperienced.

The upshot, then, is that MSU will have one of the best o-lines in the Big Ten.  That fact should turn MSU’s running game from one of the worst (statistically) in the Big Ten, this year, to one of the best, next year.   All of that should also ease Andrew Maxwell’s takeover of the QB position.  One last exciting point that I want to make is that the o-line will probably be peaking in 2013.  Le’Veon Bell, Maxwell and the receivers should also be peaking at that time.  So if the Spartans are ever going to make a run at the national championship under Dantonio, it will be in 2013.

A Look at Next Year: Quarterbacks

This season isn't over yet, but I can't help but start thinking about next year.  I'm excited about what MSU football has become and where it's going.  Each year he's been here, Mark Dantonio has made MSU stronger and stronger, to the point where they now look like a legitimate top 10 team in the nation.  Sure they lost in the Big Ten Championship final, but in that game you could see the flashes of brilliance that make you believe in this program.  Now, having said that, next year the Spartans will likely take a step back.  Actually, the defense may not drop off at all (more on that in a later article) and parts of the offense will be better (more on that later), but some critical pieces will simply have to go through growing pains: namely, the receivers and quarterbacks.  I have already talked about the receivers (and I will revisit them when the recruiting season is over), so here I want to focus on the quarterbacks.

People, the bottom line is that the quarterback position is solid, but it will, nevertheless, take a step back.  Kirk Cousins, for all the frustrating moments he had, was spectacular.  You cannot ask for much more of a college quarterback.  As is often the case with college quarterbacks, you don't appreciate how good a guy was until the next guy takes over.  There will be a noticeable drop-off, not so much because Andrew Maxwell (the likely starter for next year) is bad, but because Cousins was so good in his final season.

Maxwell is going to be a good quarterback, perhaps even better than Cousins, by the time he becomes a senior.  But as a junior, as a first time full time quarterback, I think he will struggle -- especially against the good defenses.  Fortunately, Maxwell won't have to carry the offens, the way Cousins had to this year when the O-line was struggling.  Maxwell will actually get to have a junior season more like Brian Hoyer's, who had the luxury of handing the ball off to Javon Ringer.  The Spartans' running game will be strong next year (more on that later), so all Maxwell has to do is play well enough to keep the defenses from stacking the box.

I wanted to post some video of Maxwell, because the little we've seen of him is encouraging.  Unfortunately, there isn't much of relevance out there except perhaps this clip reminding us that he was a highly regarded recruit (perhaps MSU's highest rated quarterback recruit in recent memory).  The few times I saw him this year, I was impressed with his accuracy and mobility.  His decision making wasn't really tested, and that's really what will determine how successful he will be next year.  We will just have to wait and see how that goes.  Maybe we'll get a good sense of it during the Spring game.

As for other quarterbacks, I hate to say it but if Maxwell goes down, the season could be lost.  We have some excellent young prospects but they're all so young  -- freshmen or redshirt freshmen.  I just can't see MSU doing well if one them has to take over.  Having said that, we have reason to be excited about the future as these guys develop.

First, let's take a look at Freshman Connor Cook.  Coming out of high school, Cook was not that highly rated.  Scout gave him 2 stars and Rivals gave him 3 stars.  But to me, his highlight clips look impressive.

He has excellent height and athleticism, and a pretty strong arm.  He also shows good accuracy -- though, of course, this is a highlight video.  Cook will only be a reshirt freshman next year, so I don't expect him to contribute much next year -- man I hope he doesn't have to.  But you can see that by the time Maxwell moves on, MSU should be in a position to just re-load at the quarterback position.

The Spartans also have another solid quarterback recruit scheduled to come in next year: Tyler O'Connor.  He is rated as a 3-star recruit by most recruiting sites, though 247 gives him 4 stars.   He has good size, mobility, and a strong arm.  In his highlight videos he also looks a little more polished than Cook.

I like how he does a little extra to sell various fakes.  At times he also reminds me of Keith Nichol, kind of a mobile gunslinger.  I wouldn't expect O'Connor to contribute much next year, unless MSU is absolutely devastated by injuries.  But, nonetheless, he looks like an excellent prospect.

MSU also has a couple of walk-ons who may be able to contribute.  There is freshman Tommy Vento, who actually has some pretty good video.

Vento had a pretty nice career in high school, but you can see that he doesn't quite have the tools the other top prospects have, and consequently, he didn't get much attention from the recruiting sites.  Of course, there are many examples in college football of walk-ons who have gone on to win the starting job.  So it's possible that he could one day become an important player at MSU.  Shoot, judging from his video, I'd say that if he works hard he has a chance to give the other guys a run for their money.

Finally, there is Peter Badovinac who transferred from Drake.  He will be a senior next year and he is about the same size as Kirk Cousins (in fact, it seems the coaches like QBs with Cousins' dimensions).  There's really not much info on Badovinac: no videos, he wasn't rated by recruiting sites, not much in the way of stats.  I can't see him contributing much, just because, if Maxwell goes down, I would imagine the coaches would want to give the younger guys a chance to develop -- unless, he somehow emerges in the Spring as a solid second option that can win games for the Spartans.

So the upshot for quarterback next year is that MSU is breaking in a new, junior quarterback.  That will certainly present some difficulties, especially since MSU will also be breaking in new starting receivers.  On the other hand, Maxwell should be the most naturally talented junior quarterback that MSU has ever had to break in, and he will likely benefit from a very strong running game.  We'll have to wait and see what unfolds, but I wouldn't be surprised if the passing game gets off to slow start next year and then becomes quite strong by the end of the season.  So that's what it comes down to: the talent at quarterback and receiver may actually be the best MSU has ever had, but the inexperience will keep it from reaching its full potential until about the last month of the season.

Unit of Greatest Concern for 2012: Wide Receivers

The Spartans are of course having a great 2011 season, but it's never too early to start thinking about next year.  One thing that has caught my eye is that the Spartans should be better everywhere, except at quarterback and wide receiver.  I'm less worried about quarterback because Andrew Maxwell should become at least an adequate replacement for Kirk Cousins, but the receiving unit could actually become an even bigger liability than the O-line was this year.

The Spartans will be graduating their two best receivers, BJ Cunningham and Keshawn Martin, and solid backup, Keith Nicol.  They are also graduating two of their best tight ends, Brian Linthicum and Garrett Celek.  At this point, tight end is a little less of a worry because Dion Sims will be back next year as a junior and I actually expect him to become first-round draft material. 

At wide receiver, however, there is nobody we can point to at this time that appears to be a lock to become a stud receiver, next year.  Bennie Fowler will be a junior next year and he has shown flashes of brilliance.  Of course, he hasn't played yet this year because of injury, so we haven't had a good opportunity to gauge his abilities. Tony Lippett will be a redshirt sophomore next year, and he too has shown flashes of brilliance.  This year the coaches have been playing him at receiver and corner, but considering the scarcity at receiver next year, I would expect him to switch to full time receiver. 

After Fowler and Lippett, the pickings are slim, or I should say: unproven.  Redshirt freshman Keith Mumphery is listed as the third receiver for the Z position.  I can't remember seeing him play in any games this season, but apparently he has played since he is credited with 2 receptions for 39 yards.  According to Scout, he was a 3-star recruit with good size and speed.  Still, if he emerges next year, we would have to call that a pleasant surprise. 

After Mumphery, no other receivers are listed on the depth chart, so we need to look for the emergence of receivers from the more recent recruiting classes.  In 2011, the Spartans only took one receiver, Juwan Caeser.  Scout has him rated as a 3-star recruit with good height (6'4") and decent speed (4.65 in the 40).  He could contribute next year, but considering how little information there is on him, that would only be speculation.

The 2012 class may offer some hope.  Of course, Aaron Burbridge is the highest-rated of the receivers committed to the Spartans and in my mind he looks like a potential superstar who will play his freshman year.  His contributions as a freshman will likely be limited, but I would expect him to be good enough to contribute around 40 receptions. 

The Spartans also have 2 other 3-star recruits in the 2012 class: MacGarrett Kings and Kyle Kerrick.  Kerrick has great size and moves well, while Kings is likely to become a slot receiver that runs good routes and has good hands.  It's hard to predict what they will be able to contribute next year, but I would expect them to redshirt at this point. 

The final place to look for a contribution to next year's receiving core is from receivers that have yet to commit.  The Spartans are hoping to get Monty Madaris to commit and I could see him earning playing time as a freshman.  Scout rates him as a 4-star recruit, with great size and speed.  Another potential recruit is Corey Smith, who is rated as a 3-star recruit.  He may actually be able to contribute right away because he is already playing at the college level, at Grand Rapids Community College. 

So, the bottom line is that the Spartans will be quite young at wide receiver.  Clearly, this position has the potential to become the biggest liability on next year's team.  On the other hand, I think Fowler, Lippett, and Burbridge all have star potential, and they even have the potential to eventually become the strongest group of receivers in Spartan history.  For the Spartans' sake, however, I hope they play like stars early on in their careers.

Some Video of Burbridge

Here's a short video of a one-handed catch by one of the Spartans' top recruits for 2012, wide receiver Aaron Burbridge.  Folks, this guy is the real deal.  We are going to miss BJ Cunningham when he leaves after this year, but Burbridge is going to considerably ease the pain even as a freshman.  Many high rated recruits end up becoming busts, but Burbridge has that "something" that makes me believe he could become MSU's best receiver of all time, by the time he's done.  I think we can see that "something" in his one-handed catch.  The kid's tough, he's a playmaker, and of course, he has great athleticism.

Some Exciting Video on Se'Von Pittman

Scout provides some video of defensive end Se'Von Pittman (the Spartans' highest rated recruit for 2012) playing in a recent high school football game.  As they note, he looked dominant.  He appeared to be making play after play.  This guy could be as good as William Gholston.  It seems Dantonio is getting the program to the point where it is now "reloading" year after year.  

Recruiting Notes

There has not been much in the way of recruiting news the last couple of months, but there has been a small flurry of articles on MSU's chances with some elite prospects.  The Spartans have 14 commits already, so they only have about 4 spots left to fill.  Nonetheless, they have their eyes on some highly touted prospects.  Here is a brief look at some of them:

- Adolphus Washington, Ohio, defensive end.  Washington is rated as one of the best prospects in the state of Ohio.  Apparently, he has considered the idea of joining current MSU commit, Se'Von Pittman, who is also a  highly touted defensive end from the state of Ohio.  Can you imagine those two terrorizing B1G quarterbacks the next four years?  My obsessive mind can hardly stand it.

- Danny O'Brien, Michigan, defensive tackle.  O'Brien is a great-looking defensive tackle from the state of Michigan.  Rumor has it that he might be close to committing to U of Tennessee.  He does have MSU as one of his top choices, so maybe a miracle will happen.  Can you imagine O'Brien teaming up with Pittman and Washington?  The Spartans would have their own version of the Detroit Lions' defensive line.  My mind is going to explode!

- Monty Madaris, Ohio, wide receiver.  Madaris is a four-star wide receiver who has offers from several top programs.  The Spartans have a good shot at getting him, but it looks like it might be a while before he makes a decision.  Can you imagine Madaris pairing up with current MSU commit, Aaron Burbridge, who is as close to a sure superstar wide receiver as I've ever seen?  That's it, my mind is officially blown....

- Bam Bradley, Ohio, safety.  Bradley is not as touted as the three players mentioned above, but he does have offers from several top schools, including Ohio State.  The Spartans also do need to recruit a safety and Bradley does appear to have MSU in his final six.

- Ryan Watson, Maryland, guard. Watson is a four-star recruit who has a final four of Purdue, Michigan State, Penn State and Pitt.  The Spartans already have two guards committed, but it never hurts to stock up on talented linemen. 

I have not seen much discussion of offensive tackles, though the Spartans clearly need some.  I will dig deeper on this particular position to find out what the Spartans are thinking and who they may have a shot at.  But at any rate, the Spartans are looking like they will end up with another excellent recruiting class.