Aug. 6, 2009

In 2008, Michigan State won nine regular-season games for the first time since 1999, made its first New Year's Day bowl appearance in nine years and finished No. 24 in the final Associated Press and USA TODAY Polls. The Spartans finished third in the Big Ten standings at 6-2 - their highest finish in the league standings since tying for second place in 1999 (6-2). MSU's only conference losses came against 2008 Big Ten co-champions Penn State and Ohio State.

This season, the Spartans welcome back 18 starters from last year's 9-4 team, including seven on offense, eight on defense and three specialists. With the pieces in place, the Spartans are poised for another run at a Big Ten championship in 2009.

As MSU gears up for training camp next week, head coach Mark Dantonio - who has won more games (16) than any Spartan coach in his first two years - takes a position-by-position look at the 2009 Spartans.

DEFENSIVE LINE
An area where depth does not appear to be a concern is the defensive line where seven lettermen return, including starting defensive end Trevor Anderson (6-2, 260, Sr.-5) and nose tackle Oren Wilson (6-3, 294, Jr.).

Although he sat out the entire 2007 season after transferring from Cincinnati, Anderson made an immediate impact in his first year wearing the Green and White, leading the team and ranking sixth in the Big Ten with a career-high eight sacks (64 yards). The honorable mention All-Big Ten selection also ranked second on the team in tackles for loss with 10.5 (69 yards) and finished the year with 30 tackles (18 solos, 12 assists).

"Trevor Anderson is very explosive - he runs fast, does the vertical very well and benches nearly 400 pounds," Dantonio said. "You have a guy that's relatively a compact frame, but he's quick and has that inner drive about him that makes him a great player."

After being granted a medical redshirt last season, Tyler Hoover (6-7, 260, R-Fr.) is healthy and should see playing time behind Anderson, while Johnathan Strayhorn (6-0, 259, So.) provides depth at the other end position.

"We played a lot of guys on the defensive line last season and the majority of them are back," said Dantonio. "Trevor is back for his fourth year as a starter, two in Cincinnati and two here at Michigan State. Colin started a few games for us last year; David has great hands and acceleration; and Tyler is all healed up."

On the inside, Wilson is the most experienced member of the line and returns to nose tackle. He recorded a career-high 15 tackles while starting all 13 games as a sophomore, and has seen action in 26 career games.

Trevor Anderson recorded a career-high eight sacks as a junior, which ranked sixth in the Big Ten.

"To stop the run on defense, you have to be able to hold the point and let players play around you, or you've got to be able to move and create situations, and Oren Wilson does that," said Dantonio. "He's explosive, athletic, and does a nice job with his technique. Having a guy in that center box area that can win at that position creates stalemates and ultimately helps our defense. I think Oren's to the point now where he's going to be a very good player there."

With the departure of three-year starter Justin Kershaw, there will be a new starter next to Wilson at defensive tackle; and Kevin Pickelman (6-3, 268, So.) and Jerel Worthy (6-3, 292, R-Fr.) are the top candidates to start at the position. Pickelman saw action primarily on third-and-long situations and special teams last season, accumulating five tackles. Worthy showed his potential all spring and capped the 15 practices with two tackles for loss, including a 5-yard sack, in the Green-White game.

"Pickelman has experience and is in his third year in the system, while Jerel has a tremendous upside who will be a very good player for us at Michigan State," Dantonio said.

Other candidates for playing time on the interior defensive line include Ishmyl Johnson (6-5, 280, So.), Michael Jordan (6-6, 295, Sr.), Cameron Jude (6-3, 265, R-Fr.) and Antonio Jeremiah (6-5, 338, Jr.).

"Michael Jordan has been a spot player for us, but he works extremely hard," said Dantonio. "This being his senior year, this is his time."

LINEBACKERS
Michigan State is well stocked at linebacker, thanks to the presence of five returning lettermen, including four with starting experience. Juniors Greg Jones (6-1, 228) and Eric Gordon (6-0, 228) ranked 1-2 in tackles in 2008, combining for 212 stops. Fifth-year senior Brandon Denson (5-11, 230) is the third projected starter in the WILL position. Fifth-year senior Adam Decker (6-3, 238), who started eight games last fall, and junior Jon Misch (6-3, 207), who started two games in 2007, provide valuable depth.

Jones proved to be one of the top players on defense in the league last season, garnering first-team All-Big Ten honors from the coaches and second-team accolades from the media. He led the team in tackles for the second straight season with 127 (80 solos, 47 assists) to rank third in the Big Ten and was even better in conference games, ranking first among all league players with 89 (11.1 avg.). Named to the preseason watch list for both the Lombardi Award and Lott Trophy, Jones recorded double-digit tackles in the last seven games of the season, including a career-high 15 stops at Penn State to go along with 13 each against Ohio State and Wisconsin and 12 against Georgia. He also led the team with 14 tackles for loss (38 yards) and has already collected 205 tackles in his short career. Jones, who started the first eight games at SAM linebacker but switched over to MIKE for the final five games, is projected as the middle linebacker entering the season.

"Greg Jones is developing into not just a great playmaker, but a leader for us," said Dantonio. "He does everything a hundred miles an hour and wins with effort, whether it's the winter conditioning program, studying film, or practice on a spring day, he's going to give everything he's got - it's important to him. We're moving him from the outside to middle just because we felt like he could be a factor on both sides of the ball, and he's been able to do that."

A steady presence at linebacker his first two seasons, Gordon ranked second on the team in tackles (85), third in sacks (3 for 15 yards) and fourth in tackles for loss (7.5 for 27 yards) last year. The two-year letterman has gained valuable experience, appearing in 25 career games with 23 starts, and looks to be one of the leaders on defense heading into his third year as a starter.

"Eric is another guy that's very explosive, consistent, and powerful," Dantonio remarked. "He has a compact frame, as most linebackers do, but he should have another great year for us."

Denson, a former walk-on, has primarily been a special teams player his first three seasons, but showed promise when playing in certain situations at linebacker last year. He recorded a career-high 31 tackles and led the team with 13 stops on special teams. In the last two games of the regular season, he registered 1.5 sacks for 11 yards against Purdue and a career-high seven tackles at Penn State. Denson settled into the WILL position throughout spring practice.

Greg Jones has been named the Big Ten Preseason Defensive Player of the Year.

"Brandon Denson played a lot last year, his first as a full-time linebacker, and did a nice job," said Dantonio. "He started here as a running back, we moved him over to the defensive back position, and then finally to the linebacker position. This year, I think he will solidify that situation as a senior. He's a guy who walked on here and has earned that scholarship, but he's one of the better athletes in that position."

After battling injuries for much of his career, Decker was finally healthy last season and went on to record a career-high 56 tackles, which ranked fifth on the team. He started the first eight games of the season at MIKE linebacker and made one of the biggest plays of the season, stopping Iowa's Shonn Greene on fourth-and-inches late in the fourth quarter in Spartan territory with MSU protecting a 16-13 lead.

"Adam Decker returns with a lot of experience," Dantonio said. "He gives us added depth at that position and is a guy that can move in and out of different situations. We also may experiment with him a little bit at defensive end."

Jon Misch saw action in 12 games, including two starting assignments as a red-shirt freshman in 2007, but a foot injury limited him to seven games and special teams duty as a sophomore.

"Jon Misch is as healthy as he's been," said Dantonio. "He's added some weight to his frame and comes back with an opportunity to play."

Three red-shirt freshmen - Drew Stevens (6-4, 228, R-Fr.), Steve Gardiner (6-1, 216, R-Fr.) and Jamiihr Williams (6-2, 238, R-Fr.) - will attempt to join the regular playing rotation.

Michigan State also boasts a trio of incoming freshmen that could see playing time in 2009: Chris Norman (6-1, 215), Jeremy Gainer (6-1, 215) and TyQuan Hammock (6-0, 230). Norman won a gold medal with Team USA in the International Federation of American Football (IFAF) Junior World Championship, held this summer in Canton, Ohio.

"We have some great freshmen linebackers coming in, and they will have an opportunity to make an impact," said Dantonio. "It would not surprise me to see a couple of those guys playing."

DEFENSIVE BACKS
One of the most competitive and talented units on the team is the secondary, in which eight players return with starting experience. Due to a rash of injuries throughout last season, several players were presented with opportunities and in turn followed through by taking advantage of the playing time.

"We have depth here," said Dantonio, who served as MSU's defensive backs coach as an assistant from 1995-2000. "We were fortunate last year to have quality guys come in and play when somebody was out, and that can only help us this season."

At field corner, fifth-year senior Ross Weaver (6-1, 203) is the most experienced cornerback with 28 career appearances, including 16 starts. Weaver started 11 games last season and tied for the team lead with seven pass break-ups while also recording a career-high 28 tackles.

On the opposite side at boundary corner, Chris L. Rucker (6-2, 195, Jr.) returns for his third year as a starter. Although he missed two games with an elbow injury, Rucker earned honorable mention All-Big Ten honors as he collected 45 tackles, four pass break-ups and two interceptions.

Jeremy Ware (5-11, 188, Sr.-5), who started four of the last seven games of the season, ranked second on the team with six pass break-ups and registered 31 tackles. In his first career start at Northwestern in the seventh game of the year, Ware tied an MSU single-game record with five pass break-ups and also recorded a career-high eight tackles. Ware missed spring practice with an arm injury but will be ready for preseason camp.

Ross Weaver is MSU's most experienced cornerback with 28 career appearances, including 16 starts.

Sophomore Johnny Adams (5-11, 172) filled in as a starter for Weaver against Iowa and for Rucker against Purdue, and responded by producing his top two games of the season. Adams recorded a career-high six tackles against the Hawkeyes and ran back an interception 40 yards for a touchdown against the Boilermakers.

Another proven commodity at corner is senior Ashton Henderson (5-11, 189), who has seen action in 33 career games including five starts. Freshman Patrick White (5-11, 180), who enrolled early and took snaps at cornerback during spring practice, adds depth at the position.

"Chris L. Rucker is one of the better players on this football team and has really become a great cornerback for us," Dantonio stated. "Ross is going into his third year as a starter and has displayed unbelievable leadership skills. Johnny Adams and Jeremy Ware are both guys who came in and made significant plays during last year, and Ashton is a consistent, hard worker."

Sophomore Trenton Robinson (5-10, 190, So.) is the projected starter at free safety. Robinson impressed the coaching staff all spring with his play-making ability, and didn't disappoint in the spring game, collecting eight tackles and a pass break-up.

"Trenton Robinson is a solid all-round football player," Dantonio said. "In the spring, he showed that not only can he can run; he can hit too."

Kendell Davis-Clark (6-0, 216, Sr.-5) entered 2008 as the starter at free safety before separating his shoulder in the season opener at California. Battling the injury the rest of the year, Davis-Clark managed to play in seven more games with four starts, including the Capital One Bowl against Georgia, where he intercepted a Matthew Stafford pass and returned it 24 yards. Unfortunately, after the interception Davis-Clark had to leave the game due to his shoulder and ended up sitting out the spring season as well.

Danny Fortener (6-2, 205, Sr.-5) and Marcus Hyde (6-0, 206, Jr.) expect to compete for the starting job at strong safety.

In Davis-Clark's absence last year, Fortener stepped in and started nine games. He finished fourth on the team in tackles with 69, tied for the team lead in pass break-ups with seven, and also recorded two interceptions.

Hyde also took advantage of his opportunities, collecting a career-high 31 tackles in 13 appearances. In his first career start at Michigan with first-team All-Big Ten selection Otis Wiley on the sideline with a knee injury, Hyde registered his first interception, and then followed that effort with a career-high six tackles against Wisconsin.

"With the injuries we had last year and the guys that came in and played, all of a sudden a weakness has become a strength," said Dantonio. "With his shoulder, Kendell Davis-Clark was in and out, but I thought Danny Fortener had a great year, and Marcus Hyde played really well when he came in."

Other candidates for playing time at strong safety include Roderick Jenrette (6-1, 205, Jr.) and Brynden Trawick (6-2, 225, R-Fr.).