First Day In Pads Produces More Excitement For Newcomers

With the hype surrounding the 2009 recruiting class, it’s only natural that there would be some letdown following their arrival on campus. Not the case here. Infact, the rave reviews continue to pour in from coaches and media alike.

It's Unfortunate We Don't Have A Strength Coach Who Knows What He's Doing.

• Why yes, those pictures are of the same human being, Dion Sims. He reported his weight at 280lbs today, which would make him one of the biggest tight ends in pro football. If you recall, Sims was listed as the #1 athlete and the #1 fastest Tight End by Rivals.com. 50lbs later, the question becomes how much of that athleticsm remains. Dantonio was wow’d as Sims rolled out at WR. It’s hard to imagine the coaches aren’t blowing smoke, isn’t it? I mean, this can’t really be true, can it? I’ll be watching no player closer in the season opener.
• The talk of four tight end sets continues to make more and more sense. With Sims, Gantt, Linthicum, and Celek all at that spot,  the Spartans could be hard to stop near the goalline.
• Mike Tressel says the first team linebacking group is solidified with Greg Jones, Brandon Denson, and Eric Gordon. Jon Misch and Adam Decker help make up the second group with Chris Norman, Steve Gardiner, and Drew Stevens battling for that last spot.
• One consistent from coaches seems to be this: Noone is mentioning Jamiihr Williams. Could he be buried as a career backup behind vastly expanding linebacker depth?
• Come Senior year, you want to make one last splash. Adam Decker is making that splash with an impressive offseason translating over to preseason camp. A powerful quote from him here, “Greg Jones is on this team and that’s great, but I’m gonna find my place.” An upgraded Decker calls for an even more versatile defense. Versatility has been a big word when discussing this defense, and that’s never a bad thing.
• Dantonio on Brynden Trawick, “He’s running with the threes right now, but he’s a very good three.” With his size, Trawick has been getting some looks at linebacker this week.
• On Larry Caper, “very firm in pass protection, catches the ball well.” If you’ve been checking your RSS feeds for all the latest newspaper updates and articles, you’ll see Caper’s quick start is widely publicized. AJ Jimmerson and Andre Anderson seem to be receiving the least attention of the seven runningbacks. It’s early, but a final grouping of Caper, Baker, Ray, and Leggett seems likely if the opener was today. Caper weighs in at 218, Baker at 205.
• Andrew Maxwell will have to wait his turn, but reports state he was more than impressive. I love the way Michigan State is recruiting for 2010 and beyond, but this reaffirms my belief that the ’09 group was underestimated by analysts and we likely won’t see another class with quite as many high impact players for a few years.

First scrimmage is set for Monday, August 17. This will focus on underlcassmen, with another scrimmage on the 22nd focusing on upperclassmen. Another reminder: The Big Ten Network will be at a Spartan practice tomorrow, tune in at 10pm for the 90 minute show.

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Two Minute Warning: MSU Puts Finishing Touches On 2010

Not everyone wants to check in 15 times per day for the latest updates on each and every recruit Mark Dantonio has offer a scholarship. But even the guy who says “we shouldn’t be stalking these kids” is more than curious.

This isn’t meant to be hard-hitting journalism, people.

In two minutes or less, here is what you need to know:

Simple math: 85 scholarships available…85 players on scholarship – 19 seniors + 12 2010 commitments = 7 spots remaining…Could potentially change to 8 or 9 with attrition, usually an inevitable happening.

We Need Another Or We’re Screwed
Cornerback – With Ross Weaver, Jeremy Ware, and Ashton Henderson graduating, Michigan State needs to reload at this spot. Cass Tech student-athlete Dior Mathis has the closing speed to be a great compliment to Mylan Hicks’ ball skills. Reminds me of a Johnny Adams to Hicks’ Chris L. Rucker. From his own mouth, Mathis has stated his top two schools are Oregon and Michigan State. He’s in Eugene as I type. With a decision potentially looming within the next few weeks, his post-visit comments will likely be telling of his destination.

The Spartans are playing second fiddle to Ohio State for Christian Bryant. I’ll stop here. Don’t get your hopes up. Same with LaTwan Anderson. If the staff bats anything less than .333 here, Terrence Talbott could receive an offer, who is looking to play with his brother, DT Terry Talbott (does have a MSU offer).

Offensive Line – Any less than three offensive linemen per class, and you’re not putting yourself in a position to suceed. Skyler Schofner favors the Spartans barring an Ohio State offer. He’ll be taking some official visits before commiting, let’s hope Jim Tressel doesn’t wise up in the meantime! A fourth linemen wouldn’t hurt either. Eric Franklin is still a possibility at right tackle if things don’t work out with Schofner.

Defensive Tackle – One of the few positions Mark Dantonio hasn’t recruited wonderfully is nose tackle. Bruce Gaston favors Illinois, Notre Dame, and Michigan State. Carl Davis is believed to be a backup plan, but lists MSU along with Iowa, Wisconsin, and Kansas. Ricky Heimuli lists the Spartans in his final 10, but don’t get your hopes up. Gaston has to be a big priority for the staff. You already read about Talbott.

Another One Wouldn’t Hurt
Defensive End – CJ Olaniyan or bust here. Word on the street is Michigan State is the favorite, some even saying CJO tried to commit previously before being told to wait it out and be sure. Likely the top player still left on the board.

Wide Receiver – The Tony Jones news was dissapointing, but if you’re looking for star power, Michigan State may be better off. Adding Dyjuan Lewis looks very possible, and the staff is high on Torian Richardson.

Safety – In terms of bodies alone, this is one of the deepest spots on the team. Little of that depth is proven, however, which is why its crucial to bring in more talent with Dan Fortener and Kendell Davis-Clark graduating. Kurtis Drummond is as much of a lock as you will find, and I’d expect him to be #13.

Outside Linebacker – Even with the numbers they brought in last year, I’m surprised the staff isn’t looking to take even one at this spot as of today.

Why not?
Runningback – Eric Howard could be a Javon Ringer-esque steal out of Ohio. Like Javon (supposedly), he has some grade problems. If he qualifies and Ohio State does not offer, he’ll likely end up in EL.

Athlete – Mark Staten would love to add just one more tight end to the roster, but he’ll have to fight for it. Sherard Cadogan lists a top five of Michigan State, South Carolina, Wisconsin, Pittsburgh, and Penn State. James Potts is still in play and MSU is in the final five for his services. Not sure where he could fit in, but Jewone Snow, Percy’s nephew, might be too good to pass up.

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Hello, My Name Is: Mike Sadler

Grand Rapids punter Mike Sadler makes it 3 in 5 days for the green and white.

ANALYST RANKINGS

For whatever reason, Rivals.com does not give anything higher than a 3 star ranking to kickers. They also put punters, kickers, “combo-kickers”, and placekickers in the same grouping. Well, he’s a three star, and the #2 ranked pure punter in the country. Throw in the other guys, and they have him at #6.

Scout.com will give up to a 4 star at this spot, albeit rarely, but Sadler comes in as a 3 star prospect and the #2 ranked punter overall.

COMPETITION
A punter from Michigan isn’t supposed to have offers from the likes of Arizona State, Alabama, and LSU; a testament to the type of player that he is. But perhaps the toughest competition came from the Northwestern Wildcats.

PHYSICAL ATTRIBUTES
Uh, what can I tell you? They say height is an advantage as a punter. But most of the games best punters (see: Shane Lechler (6-2), Jeff Feagles (6-1), Ray Guy (6-3) aren’t much above average. Sadler comes is 6-1 with time to grow.

He can reportedly run the 40 in 4.7 seconds, though. If true, that gives Michigan State an added threat for fakes and things like that.

MEDIA & LINKAGE
ESPN has some words on top kickers, Sadler included…

Punter Sadler excels at Michigan…

Hondo got ahold of Mike before and after his commitment…

The Sadler family has their own channel, with three different videos of Mike…

WWHMASI:
(When will he make a significant impact?) Year two. Sadler looks like the heir apparent to Aaron Bates following his graduation after the 2010 season.

WACRFWTK
(What a common recruiting follower wants to know) Let’s be honest: It’s not always easy getting excited about punters. But Sadler gives Michigan State a helluva-n addition at this spot. Widely regarded as one of the top 2 or 3 punters in the nation. What more can you ask for?

Well, distance. Sadler has great hangtime and remarkable consistency (explaining his lofty rankings) but doesn’t have the biggest leg in the world, averaging a 38.6 per punt as a Junior. But trength is easier to come by than either of the forementioned qualities.

I think when a kicker or punter is going into his senior season is about the perfect time to add a freshman. A year earlier and his eligiblity is half gone by the time he starts his first game. A year later, he’s forced into the picture day 1.

Another great student, Sadler reports a 4.0 GPA, and a 32 ACT score.

Can the momentum continue? Dior Mathis may be looking to make a decision in the next couple of weeks following a visit to Oregon.

Hopefully I’ll have something in the next couple days about how I expect the class to round out, with as few as 7 or 8 spots remaining. This should teach you patience – despite the slow start, Michigan State is just two commitments behind where they were at this time last year.

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Hello, My Name Is: Marcus Rush

Cincinnati Moeller product Marcus Rush became the 11th commitment for the Spartans 2010 class today, the 3rd Ohioan, and the 3rd defensive end.

ANALYST RANKINGS
Pretty solid all-around the board. Both Rivals and Scout call him a “3 star” player, with Rivals calling him the #46 player in the state of Ohio.

ScoutingOhio ranks Rush as the #34 player in Ohio. You can checkout his profile for video highlights. ESPN has some video as well, some solid evaluation, and admiration for a defensive end with the name “Rush”.

Rush has a pretty good last name for a defensive end prospect and when it is all said and done he is not a bad prospect either. He has solid size and displays on film the frame to pack on more good weight. He has a solid get-off, but you would like to see him be more consistent in his quickness off the ball and in his alignment. He is a tough player versus the run.

COMPETITION
He just might have the best offer list of any of the 11 commitments not named William Gholston. In my last post, I brought up the fact that Mark Dantonio has not signed an out-of-stater holding a Michigan offer. Well, assuming nothing strange happens, here is your first. Also received offers from Nebraska, Boston College, Virginia, NC State, Kansas, Minnesota, Wisconsin, and others.

PHYSICAL ATTRIBUTES
Speed and size aren’t everything. But on paper, Rush is a Taylor Calero clone, who is a Brandon Long clone. Both are in the 6-3/230 zone with 4.6 speed and bench presses around 320. Those kind of numbers give Ted Gill some good ingredients to cook with.

Marcus has a few pounds on Calero and Long at the same age though, so unlike them, he may have an outside shot at becoming a defensive tackle a few years down the road. Listed with a 3.5 GPA.

MEDIA & LINKAGE
Hondo got ahold of Marcus and provides some good quotes

Rivals: Rush punishing QBs in Queen City

WWHMASI:
(When will he make a significant impact?) Could very well be decided by whether or not CJ Olaniyan decides to play in East Lansing.

Michigan State needs immediate help at defensive end, but it’s hard to picture Olaniyan, William Gholston, and Rush all seeing the field as freshmen.

WACRFWTK
(What a common recruiting follower wants to know) Like clockwork. The day after I write a post highlighting the fact that Mark Dantonio hasn’t beaten Michigan for a recruit outside of the state of Michigan, he does just that.

The maize and blue spin machine will do their best, but the bottomline is Rush had to choose between green and blue, and he picked green. If you’re told Rich Rodriguez was slowplaying Rush, or that Michigan wasn’t interested in his services, point out his visit to Ann Arbor less than two weeks ago.

He is from the same high school as everyone’s favorite linebacker, Greg Jones.

Two interceptions and two fumble recoveries. That shows athleticism.

The staff has made their concerns evident: We need help on the ends more than any other spot. Anytime you are looking to bring in four at one position, that’s a testament to the type of depth and overall talent you have at that position – not much.

On the other side of the token, it looks like Jayrone Elliott will be forced to look elsewhere, unfortunate considering he appeared to be a virtual lock to MSU.

10 of the 11 commitments (William Gholston being the exclusion) have reported their GPA’s. Of those ten, the average comes out to be just shy of a 3.4. Impressive stuff.

We could be seeing some very good news from a very good in-state punter within the next 24 hours. Stay tuned.

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Hello, My Name Is: Isaiah Lewis

Indianapolis Ben Davis safety product Isaiah Lewis becomes the tenth player to commit to Michigan State for the class of 2010 today, the fourth “4 star” player.

ANALYST RANKINGS
As just mentioned, Lewis is one of the most highly ranked student-athletes to jump on the bandwagon thus far. Both Rivals and Scout consider him to be a “4 star” player, calling him the #14 and the #22 safety in the nation respectively.

From Scout…

Has great instincts and a feel for the game that allows him to always be around the ball. His forte is run support. He reads and diagnoses plays well and closes quickly. Despite not being particularly big, he is a strong hitter and a sure tackler. In coverage, he can play man to man or roam. He has excellent timing as a blitzer. Needs to get bigger and stronger. Is also not a pure burner with great makeup speed.

The cliche joke being his stock will immediately fall on Scout. And from ESPN…

Lewis is an active defensive player that is an excellent reactor and has good toughness. He is a little undersized in term of height but is an aggressive football player that is best suited for the strong safety position. Quicker than fast and coverage ability is limited to the underneath and intermediate zones. Very good run support safety that attacks the ball carrier from good angles and will not be denied getting to the football. Times the edge blitz to perfection and loves to put the heat on and run down quarterbacks.

COMPETITON
You hate to say beating Kentucky for a football recruit is a surprise. But after taking a trip down to Lexington less than a week before his decision, things didn’t look too good. As it turns out, the decision had already been made, and Lewis was simply looking to make a smart choice.

That’s what it came down to: Spartans and Wildcats. He also held scholarship offers from the likes of Illinois, Iowa, Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Oregon.

PHYSICAL ATTRIBUTES
Looking at his tapes I think he has completly adequate speed (read the bit from scout), but maybe that’s just his instincts showing off. Rivals lists his 40 time at a 4.4. How accurate is that? Probably not very. A good sign none the less.

When you look at his weight (roughly 185lbs) you’d assume him to be a unique player to the likes of Denicos Allen (210lbs), Jairus Jones (210lbs), or Brynden Trawick (220lbs). Far from correct.

Lewis may be able to drop back into coverage a bit better than either Allen or Trawick, but his forte appears to be blitzing and run support. And it appears Mark Dantonio much prefers that type at safety.

MEDIA & LINKAGE
IndyStar breaks the news…Lewis selects Michigan St.

“He’s put some good muscle weight on and has gotten faster,” Kirschner said. “He’s already pretty good and now we need him to be even more of a leader. He’s not only a good football player, but is very good academically.”

If he looks like a badass, he probably plays like a badass…

Rivals.com interviews Isaiah, with some highlights playing simultaneously (Free)

WWHMASI:
(When will he make a significant impact?) Dare I say…year one? I’ll take a lesson from Trenton Robinson: If you’re fast, you hit hard, and you’re full of energy, you’ll probably be playing special teams.

In addition, Michigan State will be very young at safety in 2010 with a couple of key departures. While you would obviously like to redshirt everyone in an ideal situation, some emergency backup experience for him would be excellent. I’ll says he’s on the field as a freshman.

WACRFWTK:
(What a common recruiting follower wants to know) Stars, stars, stars. We all secretly love stars. This is the first four-star defensive back Mark Dantonio has signed at Michigan State, and adding a fourth Rivals250 will surely add to the momentum and give the Spartans a bigger name on the recruiting trail.

While they obviously don’t all play the same position, adding a second defensive back to the class puts a little added pressure on both Kurtis Drummond and Dior Mathis to put their names on the dotted line. If MSU can close on both Drummond and Mathis, call it the best secondary class in a while.

Behind defensive end, safety was probably the most pressing need for this recruiting season. So it’s mportant from that angle.

In one word, to describe Lewis, I say “playmaker”. Watching his highlights, he is just all over. Natural football player, loves to play the game. When you grow up idolizing Bob Sanders like Isaiah did, you like to hit people. He hits, he catches the ball, he rips the ball. He just makes plays. Very aggressive.

Same high school as Morten Anderson. 3.2 GPA, a continuing trend.

Indiana isn’t a state loaded with high school talent. However, similar to the state of Michigan a few years ago, there are usually several top prospects at the top of the list. Adding Isaiah Lewis today and TyQuan Hammock a year ago gives Michigan State an added advantage when plundering the Hoosier state.

Solid players on offense so far, solid. Stars on defense.

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More From Media Day…

The first official roster for 2009 has been released by Michigan State. Of note…

5 Johnny Adams 5-11 172 (+7) CB SO
28 (New) Denicos Allen 5-10 210 (+5) S FR
4 (New) Edwin Baker 5-9 200 (-5) RB FR
79 (New) David Barrent 6-8 305 (+15) OL FR
22 (New) Larry Caper 5-11 215 RB FR
73 (New) Henry Conway 6-6 306 (+11) OL FR
38 Kendell Davis-Clark 5-11 216 (+10) CB (New) SR
77 J’Michael Deane 6-5 312 (+15) RT JR
12 (New) Dana Dixon 6-2 170 CB FR
52 (New) Denzel Drone 6-2 241 (+11) DE FR
13 (New) Bennie Fowler WR NA NA FR
97 (New) Dan France 6-6 282 (+7) DT FR
47 (New) Jeremy Gainer 6-1 215 LB
43 Eric Gordon 6-0 228 (+5) LB JR
49 (New) TyQuan Hammock LB NA NA FR
45 Andrew Hawken 6-2 248 (+10) FB SR
83 (New) Derek Hoebing TE NA NA FR
91 Tyler Hoover 6-7 260 (-8) DE RS FR
74 Zach Hueter 6-6 (-1) 335 (+7) OL RS FR
93 Antonio Jeremiah 6-5 338 (+10) NT (New) JR
53 Greg Jones 6-1 228 (+6) LB JR
23 (New) Jairus Jones 6-1 212 S
94 Cameron Jude 6-3 265 (+21) DT (New) RS FR
72 (New) Nate Klatt 6-4 292 (+6) OL FR
32 Ashton Leggett 5-11 230 (-5) RB SO
88 (New) Brian Linthicum 6-5 245 (+10) TE SO
10 (New) Andrew Maxwell 6-3 190 (-5) QB FR
62 Chris McDonald 6-5 305 (+20) OL RS FR
75 Jared McGaha 6-6 298 (+8) OL SO
17 (New) Kevin Muma 6-0 172 K FR
7 (New) Keith Nichol 6-2 215 QB SO
10 (New) Chris Norman 6-1 215 (-5) LB FR
69 (New) Blake Pacheco 6-1 262 DL SO
96 Kevin Pickelman 6-4 (+1) 268 (+13) DT SO
60 (New) Micajah Reynolds 6-5 305 (-10) OL FR
68 Ethan Ruhland 6-5 293 (+6) OL RS FR
80 (New) Dion Sims 6-6 (+1) 268 (+38) TE FR
6 Fred Smith 6-2 228 (+10) WR SO
15 (New) Donald Spencer 6-2 (-2) 205 WR FR
58 (New) Hugh Stangeland 6-6 285 OG FR
30 (New) Brynden Trawick 6-2 225 S RS FR
93 (New) Blake Treadwell 6-3 272 DT FR
70 Oren Wilson 6-3 294 (+8) NT JR
99 Jerel Worthy 6-3 292 (-8) DT RS FR

Caulton Ray and Ashton Leggett are listed as co-starters at RB, KC/KN at QB. Roderick Jenrette is officially listed back on the roster.

I’ll have the roster, etc updated here soon enough…don’t forget to catch Mark Dantonio at 1:30.

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Offensive Recruiting Breakdown: 7/8

Quarterbacks

Projected Need: 1

Commitments: Joe Boisture

No more guessing games. After the Robert Bolden drama, Michigan State picks up Joe Boisture. He has been told he will be the only quarterback signing with Michigan State, so bearing strange circumstances, close up shop here.

Runningbacks

Projected Need: 1

Commitments: Nick Hill

When Michigan State takes the field versus Montana State, they will have 6 runningbacks in the program with freshman or sophmore eligibility. It’s getting tough to sell playing time at this position, and when you think about it: Would you rather the Spartans sign 4 offensive linemen or 2 runningbacks?

I’ll take the former.

The staff may find it hard to shun Erick Howard if he becomes available, and Austin White could spurn the Wolverines to sign in East Lansing. But neither appear to be likely possibilities at this point, and just one would be the number.

At fullback, it doesn’t appear the coaching staff is chasing any top prospects. Look for a player on the defensive side of the ball to be moved to fullback by Sept 2010, if not earlier. Steve Gardiner, Jamiihr Williams, and Denzel Drone are all names being thrown around on the all-knowing message board circles.

Wide Receivers

Projected Need: 2

Commitments: Tony Lippett

Too much talent, not enough space. That’s what the staff has to be thinking at this point. Most would be content with just one wideout in this class, but with names like Tony Jones, Shakim Phillips, and Dyjuan Lewis all still available, expect another name or two to be added at this spot.

Jones knows Joe Boisture personally, having played together in wee-pee football. Stanford and Northwestern appear to be the top competition for this Grand Blanc native. Phillips reportedly has a close relationship with Boisture as well, and the Spartans have made his first cut (5 or 6 schools remain).

Fred Smith and Donald Spencer were big names, but going national for a top-50 player like Phillips would be a major statement. Of course, Mark Dantonio has to start recruiting him first. Still, his genuine interest inspite of any sort of full court press from Michigan State is promising.

Tight Ends

Projected Need: 1

Commitments: None

When signing day 2009 (well, 2010) rolled around, Mark Staten was ecstatic. “6 is the number we aim for [at this position]”, he said. Fastforward to present time and Michigan State is stuck behind its grand number yet again with the transfer of David Duran.

This is a position where you don’t really know what you’re getting until camps come around. A pair of Jersey ends in have Spartan offers in Kevin Haplea and Jarrett Darmstatter, but I’d expect the next addition at this position to be a camper we are yet to hear from.

Offensive Linemen

Projected Need: 4

Commitments: None

From worrysome to promising in the course of a few days, the Spartans look strong for a few top prospects. This position seems to find itself with more attrition than any other, whether that is due to injuries or burnouts, making it vital to sign -at a minimum- three offensive linemen in each class.

The clear difference between Michigan State and the Ohio State’s and Penn State’s of the Big Ten is talent on the lines. The difference between the Florida’s and LSU’s versus the Ohio State’s and Michigan’s -cliche or not- is the speed on the lines. Perhaps Mark Dantonio is looking to kill two birds with one stone this recruiting season, as he recruits some leaner, quicker road graders in this class.

That’s not to say Ken Mannie and company won’t look to bulk these men into 300lb monsters. However, making a 270lber into a 300lber is usually much easier than going from 330 to 300.

Many believe Ohio Guard Travis Jackson will be in the fold by the end of the weekend (myself included), and Tackles Skyler Schofner and Michael Dennis are reportedly MSU-leans. NJ C Brandon Vitabile is taking in the sights this week.

The idea when you sign a runningback the size of Nick Hill is to give him some big tackles to hide behind. Dennis and/or Schofner would fit the bill. Lowell Guard Connor Kruse has made waves at camps and is a darkhorse for an offer.

July Status Report

Call me a couple weeks ago, and I was terrified. As I mentioned in the Defensive Recruiting Breakdown, this will be a defensive oriented class. This side isn’t quite as exciting to discuss.

I also mentioned in that piece that Mark Dantonio has yet to sign a “highly regarded 300-lb ready-made nose tackle”. Offensively, Mark Dantonio has yet to nab a receiver quite the caliber (in the recruiting world) of Shakim Phillips.

Michigan State has addressed its priorities, depth is continuing to be built, and more is likely coming after the weekend. Stay tuned.

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Are You Dying For Spartan Football Tidbits?

I’m working on getting the roster updated from last years measurables to this years. Dion Sims arrived to camp at a monsterous 6-6/268. Some freshmen numbers have begun to get linked out…more as they come.

Edwin Baker – #4
David Barrent – #79
Larry Caper – #22
Dana Dixon – #12
Dan France – #97
Jeremy Gainer – #47
Jairus Jones – #22
Nate Klatt – #72
Chris Norman – #10

I plan to have an Offensive Recruiting Breakdown coming sometime tomorrow. 59 days til kickoff, hang in there.

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The Best Of Dantonio’s First Two Seasons

3 Most Important Plays
1. Adam Decker stuffs Shonn Greene (Iowa, 2008): The only play that literally determined the outcome of a game. With 2:16 left, down 16-13, Kirk Ferentz decides to run the ball on 4th and 1 deep in MSU territory. Stuffed!
2. Ryan Allison to Kellen Davis (Penn State, 2007): Even as the Spartans refused to give up, their efforts for a comeback looked fruitless, down 24-7 in the 3rd. Hoyer hands off the ball to Devin Thomas from the PSU 25 yardline, who reverses to Ryan Allison. After narrowly avoiding pressure, Allison finds Kellen Davis at the one yard line between two Nittany Lions. The Spartans would score two plays later, beginning their 17 point comeback. Sneaky! (1:50)
3. Brian Hoyer to Mark Dell (Michigan, 2008): Despite grossly outplaying them on the field, Michigan State found itself down 21-14 to the Wolverines. With time winding down in the 3rd quarter, the Spartans look at a 3rd and 12 from midfield. Brian Hoyer avoids early pressure, rolls left, and finds Mark Dell near the Michigan 5 yard line for a 44 yard catch. A score came two plays later and they never looked back. Terrible Music Warning! (2:57)

3 Most Exciting Games
1. Northwestern, 2007: This one wasn’t supposed to be a barn-burner. MSU came into the game 4-1, NU 2-3, with the line in Vegas set at 14.5.

At no point through more than 60 minutes of play were these two teams more than 7 points from eachother. The final score was 48-41, by the way. If you look at the scoring summary, the Cats struck first, Spartans second, Cats third, and this back and forth trend continued for all 13 scores.

When it was all over, CJ Bacher had thrown for a record 520 yards on 49 passes, Michigan State had run for 287 yards on 32 carries (that’s 9 yards per), 4 punts were recorded, and two extra points missed.

Everyone had been saying the game after the first loss would prove crucial for Michigan State. Coming off a loss to Wisconsin the past week, this was a chance to burn the “SOS” tag. And for that, this game could also come in as the #4 Most Devastating Loss.
2. Wisconsin, 2007: People seem to forget all about this one. Notre Dame would be Dantonio’s first test at Michigan State, but the Wisconsin game would tell if his bunch could play at championship levels in year one.

Well, they failed the test, but put on quite a show in the progress.

This game was just littered with big plays, think Devin Thomas’ 80 yard touchdown catch, Javon Ringer weaving between traffic for 70 before being caught by Jonathan Casillas, a 64 yard touchdown pass from Tyler Donovan to Kyle Jefferson, a 56 yard run back by David Gilreath, 2 interceptions, 1 slap fight, and a whole lotta fun. That about sums it up. Spartans fall 37-34.
3. California, 2008: Jeez, way to round this up with 3 losses. But as dissapointing as it was, it’s tough to leave this one out. If a 38-31 final score doesn’t get your attention, maybe Mark Dell’s 202 receiving yards will. Or 6 (six) plays that went for atleast 42 yards.

3 Most Program-iest Wins
1. Penn State, 2007: An easy choice. The Nittany Lions were the first Top 25 team Mark Dantonio defeated at Michigan State, making the win monumental in itself. More importantly, a loss would leave bowl hopes firmly in doubt. A 17 point comeback on senior day will be remembered for years to come.
2. Wisconsin, 2008: After handling Michigan, our boys looked content and unmotivated on a gloomy day. The Iowa game was bad, but this one was the first game in quite some time where Michigan State was just flat out dominated and managed to find a way to win. Final rushing yards: Wisconsin – 281 Michigan State – 25. The final three scores came at the hands of Michigan State, however, with a 25-24 final.
3. Michigan, 2008: The Wolverines were in disarray, sitting at 2-5. The Spartans had big words from Mark Dantonio to back up from the previous game, and a “culture war” to win. That makes it big. Michigan State was coming off its first loss of more than 7 points under Dantonio, and fighting for its title hopes. That makes it a must win. As pressure built late in the game, Brian Hoyer and co. remained composed and sealed the win with big plays late.

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Preseason Outlook: Cornerbacks

We begin our 2009 football season preview with a position by position outlook on the season. First we’ll take a quick look at the two deeps for each position (as seen below), before analyzing how these positions fit together, analyzing the entire team, the schedule, and finally predicting the season game by game.

First stop: Cornerbacks

Remember when you found yourself holding your breath everytime an opposing quarterback put the ball in the air? You knew when the camera panned across the screen, someone like Ted Ginn would find himself 10 yards deep on the Spartan secondary. If lucky, we’d end up in a one-on-one situation, with Braylon Edwards or Mario Manningham inevitably winning the jump ball.

Sorry for those memories. But they’re needed for anyone to realize just how far the Michigan State cornerbacks have come since since the dreadful John L. Smith era. Just about anybody would conclude the secondary has been the most improved unit under Mark Dantonio.

The 2006 club gave up 231 ypg passing (2.7 touchdowns per game), with improvements to 219/1.7 in 2007 and down to 213/1.4 in 2008.

Just one cornerback has departed in that timeframe (TJ Williams, if you want to call him that) and atleast one cornerback was signed in each of Dantonio’s first three classes, the first of which was Warren Harding product Chris L. Rucker.

Projected Two Deeps
BC: 29 Chris L. Rucker (6-2/197/JR)
The clear leader of this group, Rucker is the designated “cover corner”, meaning Pat Narduzzi will look to avoid putting him into coverage against deep routes. This also means anything 10 yards and in from the line of scrimmage should be no mans land when facing up with Rucker.

After two seasons in green and white, CLR boasts 3 career interceptions (all of which within that 10-yard area, mind you) at crucial times against Pittsburgh in 2007, as well as Iowa and Michigan in 2008. He also doubled his tackling total by year from 23 as a freshman to 46 as a sophmore. Throw in a sack and forced fumble, and well, we can call him a playmaker.

Phil Steele featured Rucker on one of his preseason all-big ten teams, but the lack of national attention for him is still puzzling. Rating: 87 overall

—— 5 Johnny Adams (5-11/165/SO)
Adams is one of the most physically impressive players Mark Dantonio has brought in since his hiring. The downside to this is younger players tend to rely on their natural gifts rather than developing their technique.

Adams cost the Spartans some big points due to mental mistakes in the Ohio State game, with things getting even worse in Happy Valley. Recall him biting on a fake, leaving Derrick Williams more than wide open for a touchdown. Or being caught out of place as Brian Hartline hauled in a 56-yard reception.

It was a very solid first year for Adams, however, as he posted 21 tackles and 2 interceptions. At this stage in his career, the learning curve is still very steep.

I look for Johnny Adams to be the most improved player in the Spartan secondary, and perhaps on the entire team. Bulking up could give Adams a chance to be an all-big ten type of player down the road and I am watching his physical development very closely. Rating: 85 overall

FC: 37 Ross Weaver (6-1/204/SR)
It’s been so nice over the last two seasons to see our corners going up and playing the ball, with Weaver leading the way. That’s a far cry from “Touchdown Manningham” just a year earlier. You could definitely call Ross the Spartans most well rounded player in the defensive backfield, though he doesn’t possess elite speed. Another solid and steady year here. Rating: 83 overall

—— 9 Jeremy Ware (5-10/191/SR)
He may not have the ideal body at 5-10, but Ware makes himself known with a little Florida swagger. He is the one of this group who can consistently lay the wood, and is clearly the best in run support as well. Many seem to forget the progress that Ware made as the year went on with 11 tackles in the first six games, and 19 in the last six. Rating: 82 overall

Other Possible Contributors
31 Ashton Henderson (5-11/183)
Role has slowly depleted with the additions of Rucker and Adams. May be switching to safety, or I would go more in-depth. But at worst, gives Mark Dantonio another body if depth problems happen to arise.

00 Dana Dixon (6-3/180/FR)…Read here

Surprised I have him above Dixon above White? Don’t be. Dixon brings a combination of size and speed that no corner on MSU’s roster – maybe in the entire conference – can bring to the table and Pat Narduzzi may find it hard to keep him off the field versus big bodied receivers like Arrelious Benn. Likelyhood of redshirting: 80%

21 Patrick White (5-11/180/FR)…Read here

White was less than a phenom in spring ball, and that’s OK. Rarely will a player come in and make the kind of plays Johnny Adams did early on. And that’s OK. Michigan State has played freshmen cornerbacks each of the past two years and the depth chart is becoming increasingly tough to break through. Likelyhood of redshirting: 85%

Final Conclusions
As you can tell by my ratings, I’m very high on this group of cornerbacks and it should be one of the top few groups in the Big Ten.

Astonishingly, 5 different players return with starting experience at this spot. And that’s a very good thing for Michigan State. Anytime you bring back every cornerback on the roster, it’s a very good thing.

With another year of experience behind them, it’s hard to imagine the passing statistics don’t continue to improve. I mean really, not to oversimplify things, but if you return every player at any position, and you’re not making progress at that position, something is wrong.

Where does this unit rank on the team?

As of today, I would slot it into the third spot. It’s hard to put this group over the middle linebacker position with an all-american returning in Greg Jones, or Tight End with the influx of talent in Dion Sims and Brian Linthicum, but with 5 starters and 40 games of returning starts behind them (best in the Big Ten), you know exactly what you are getting. Rucker and Adams could both compete for all-big ten honors. Rating: B+

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