Don't forget the leftovers
May as well go overkill on the food analogy in this look back at MSU's latest version of spring football.
There is more to be said on each point so here we go, one through nine.
1. Leadership. Last year, MSU's captains were Jones, Cousins, Blair White and Ross Weaver. White was the ultimate worker/lead-by-example guy, but not a talker. Weaver wasn't a regular on the field. As stated, Jones and Cousins weren't totally comfortable in their roles. Now they are. And as stated many times before, Cousins is one of those born-to-lead guys. Dantonio also cited Trenton Robinson, Jerel Worthy, Andrew Maxwell and Larry Caper as young guys who are stepping into leadership roles.
2. The 3-4. Not much to be said that wasn't already. It'll be interesting to see how much MSU uses 3-4 on early downs early next season, and whether the Spartans can be interchangeable while keeping things simple enough. Certainly, the chance to use four LBs at times is a worthy incentive considering this roster.
3. Offensive skill. Who in the Big Ten has a better group? You always have to look at Ohio State, because Ohio State is always loaded. Wisconsin's group is strong. Iowa solid, Michigan has a lot of speed, Purdue is underrated ... but no. I see no one who has as much at QB, RB, WR and TE.
4. The kicking situation. I guessed Conroy as the starter in my projected lineups, but that's a 50-50 guess. Muma is the scholarship guy and would seem to have priority, but Conroy got more attempts in the scrimmages. Does that mean anything? It's definitely a real competition, not a coach-manufactured-for-motivation competition. And let's face it, until one emerges and gains experience and confidence, there's going to be a lot of missing Brett Swenson in East Lansing.
5. Greg Jones. He's been an excellent player for three years, but not a flawless player. Dantonio sounded excited about Jones' improved coverage skills. I was impressed that he moved as well as he did Saturday with the extra weight. His return might be worth a couple more victories in 2010.
6. Linebacker. Denicos Allen was big Saturday, making that "Star" position look more competitive than it looked entering the spring. But don't get too carried away with one day and what it means when comparing Allen and Chris Norman. Norman was active last season for a reason, first on the spring depth chart for a reason. Should be an interesting August at that spot. As for Gardiner and Bullough, I think both could help next season -- but you won't see Jones and Gordon off the field much. Here's where the 3-4 could come in handy.
7. Defensive end. In watching the replay of the spring game, I saw more from Corey Freeman than I saw from the press box. Still, I don't see Freeman or Denzel Drone as guys who will get a lot of time right away. It's Neely, Hoover, Strayhorn (and Todd Anderson is a solid guy there as well). A good run-stopping group, but MSU continues to search for one of football's rare commodities, a dominating player off the edge. And if you're counting on a true freshman to do that for you, I think you'll be blitzing a lot.
8. The secondary. I really think Rucker and Adams will be a good cornerback combination. Perhaps one of the better duos in the Big Ten -- which may sound ridiculous considering last year's numbers, but they're talented enough. Safety was a bigger problem last year and remains the bigger question. Robinson and Hyde had good springs. But you just don't know until the lights go on. Meanwhile, MSU needs to find reliable helpers among the youngsters. Patrick White and Jairus Jones both look like possible answers.
9. The offensive line. Expect the left side to be strong. Expect the overall depth to be better this season. MSU has two centers it likes in Stipek and Klatt, with Stipek ahead after the spring. The right side is anyone's guess. At this point, I have to assume Jeremiah will be a backup. His mobility and stamina would be exposed at that size during a full game. But what if he could drop 40 pounds? He's not your average athlete, the fact that he can do what he does now at that size is kind of remarkable. And if he fully embraces the conditioning program in the offseason, that would be a statement about his mindset. If it doesn't happen, there are plenty of other promising players including No. 1 right guard McDonald. As stated dozens of times before, the offensive line is often the last piece of a program rebuild. MSU could be dynamite there in 2011. If the line takes a big step in 2010 and the running game looks more like the running game from 2007, this offense will be scary, and the defense certainly will benefit.
In case you missed some of the other recent spring football stuff, here's a look at the early enrollees, a recap of the spring game and some notes off the game.
