August 11, 2015
Dantonio watching freshman DBs closely
Jim Comparoni
SpartanMag.com Publisher
EAST LANSING - With Michigan State getting into the full-pads portion of August camp, Mark Dantonio is beginning to form opinions on his incoming freshman class.
He's not yet ready to proclaim which of them have a good shot to be in the playing group, but he'll spend the next few days looking closely.
"It's sort of early, but I'm spending a lot of time with the defensive backs," Dantonio said.
There are potential openings for playing time at cornerback, with Michigan State looking to replace the three men who started games at that position last year - Trae Waynes, Tony Lippett and Darian Hicks.Hicks is out for about a month with mononucleosis.
Junior Demetrious Cox has an inside track to start at boundary cornerback. Senior Arjen Colquhoun and junior Jermaine Edmondson are the top candidates competing at the other corner position, with redshirt freshman Vayante Copeland also getting a look with the twos.
Meanwhile, incoming freshmen Josh Butler (5-11, 170, Mesquite, Texas) and Tyson Smith (5-10, 170, Southfield, Mich/Orchard Lake St. Mary's) are getting a chance this week to demonstrate their talents.
"You see that Josh Butler looks good, Tyson Smith looks good, David Dowell looks good," Dantonio said. "I've been impressed with those safeties. I could go through all those guys. They all look good.
"Our linebackers have played pretty well.
Linebacker Andrew Dowell.
"(Wide receivers) Darrell Stewart and Felton Davis both are two guys that look the part, run the part and act the part out there.
"I think it takes a little bit of time for our offensive linemen and our defensive linemen, but they look talented."
Highly-touted running back Larry Scott has been impressive as well.
"So it'll be interesting to see how they retain things and how they move forward once real pads come on and we get farther into this than two-a-days or in summer workouts," Dantonio said.
The Spartans will take time working and fine-tuning the two-deep in the third week of August and get into preparation for Western Michigan during the fourth week. For now, freshmen are getting a close look to see which of them are capable of helping this season.
"We've got to look at every freshman as they come in," Dantonio said. "We're going to make sure we go ones, twos and frosh so that the frosh are getting reps."
That means, during "team" periods, the first-string will run a play, then the second string will run the same play, then true freshmen will run the same play as a third repetition is staged.
In a normal practice, only the first two strings would get a chance to run the rep. Freshmen will get the third rep for the next few days.
"It takes a little bit longer, but we're going to go ones, twos and frosh and see how they make their way," Dantonio said. "And then we're going to put them against our ones at times, too, throughout practice, so we're going to see them measure up not just against frosh but against the ones as well as the twos. We're just going to try and build their resumé and see how they handle it as we go."
Wide receiver Felton Davis.
Some freshmen get immediate playing due to being physically outstanding, such as Montae Nicholson last year and Taiwan Jones in 2011. Sometimes it's based on need at a position.
"I think it's just a matter of where our need is, can people stay healthy, and how ready are the players," Dantonio said. "Montae Nicholson played last year. He's a great athlete, great tackler, great ball skills so we put him in there.
"Some other guys played, as well, but it was because of need or because of their abilities, and I think that's usually what happens."
Offensive guard Brian Allen, linebacker Chris Frey and defensive tackle Malik McDowell also saw enough playing time last year to exhaust their freshman eligibility.
"We played more freshmen last year than we have in the past, but you go back and look at the 2011 class and those guys are all fifth-year seniors right now, and we only played one, Taiwan Jones, yet it's a great class," Dantonio said.
Thus, sometimes MSU has an influx of excellent talent but doesn't have the need to play many, or any, of them.
It remains to be seen how this year's freshman class will end up. Fans and media will learn more on Wednesday when selected true freshmen are made available to media for interviews.
Dantonio watching freshman DBs closely
Jim Comparoni
SpartanMag.com Publisher
EAST LANSING - With Michigan State getting into the full-pads portion of August camp, Mark Dantonio is beginning to form opinions on his incoming freshman class.
He's not yet ready to proclaim which of them have a good shot to be in the playing group, but he'll spend the next few days looking closely.
"It's sort of early, but I'm spending a lot of time with the defensive backs," Dantonio said.
There are potential openings for playing time at cornerback, with Michigan State looking to replace the three men who started games at that position last year - Trae Waynes, Tony Lippett and Darian Hicks.Hicks is out for about a month with mononucleosis.
Junior Demetrious Cox has an inside track to start at boundary cornerback. Senior Arjen Colquhoun and junior Jermaine Edmondson are the top candidates competing at the other corner position, with redshirt freshman Vayante Copeland also getting a look with the twos.
Meanwhile, incoming freshmen Josh Butler (5-11, 170, Mesquite, Texas) and Tyson Smith (5-10, 170, Southfield, Mich/Orchard Lake St. Mary's) are getting a chance this week to demonstrate their talents.
"You see that Josh Butler looks good, Tyson Smith looks good, David Dowell looks good," Dantonio said. "I've been impressed with those safeties. I could go through all those guys. They all look good.
"Our linebackers have played pretty well.
Linebacker Andrew Dowell.
"(Wide receivers) Darrell Stewart and Felton Davis both are two guys that look the part, run the part and act the part out there.
"I think it takes a little bit of time for our offensive linemen and our defensive linemen, but they look talented."
Highly-touted running back Larry Scott has been impressive as well.
"So it'll be interesting to see how they retain things and how they move forward once real pads come on and we get farther into this than two-a-days or in summer workouts," Dantonio said.
The Spartans will take time working and fine-tuning the two-deep in the third week of August and get into preparation for Western Michigan during the fourth week. For now, freshmen are getting a close look to see which of them are capable of helping this season.
"We've got to look at every freshman as they come in," Dantonio said. "We're going to make sure we go ones, twos and frosh so that the frosh are getting reps."
That means, during "team" periods, the first-string will run a play, then the second string will run the same play, then true freshmen will run the same play as a third repetition is staged.
In a normal practice, only the first two strings would get a chance to run the rep. Freshmen will get the third rep for the next few days.
"It takes a little bit longer, but we're going to go ones, twos and frosh and see how they make their way," Dantonio said. "And then we're going to put them against our ones at times, too, throughout practice, so we're going to see them measure up not just against frosh but against the ones as well as the twos. We're just going to try and build their resumé and see how they handle it as we go."
Wide receiver Felton Davis.
Some freshmen get immediate playing due to being physically outstanding, such as Montae Nicholson last year and Taiwan Jones in 2011. Sometimes it's based on need at a position.
"I think it's just a matter of where our need is, can people stay healthy, and how ready are the players," Dantonio said. "Montae Nicholson played last year. He's a great athlete, great tackler, great ball skills so we put him in there.
"Some other guys played, as well, but it was because of need or because of their abilities, and I think that's usually what happens."
Offensive guard Brian Allen, linebacker Chris Frey and defensive tackle Malik McDowell also saw enough playing time last year to exhaust their freshman eligibility.
"We played more freshmen last year than we have in the past, but you go back and look at the 2011 class and those guys are all fifth-year seniors right now, and we only played one, Taiwan Jones, yet it's a great class," Dantonio said.
Thus, sometimes MSU has an influx of excellent talent but doesn't have the need to play many, or any, of them.
It remains to be seen how this year's freshman class will end up. Fans and media will learn more on Wednesday when selected true freshmen are made available to media for interviews.
