MSU cornerback Darqueze Dennard (above) is one of four defensive standouts the Spartans
will lose in 2014, and U-M will look to dethrone its in-state rival as Big Ten champion.
photo by Lon Horwedel
line, at wide receiver, cornerback and
defensive tackle should especially be
fierce, while younger players are slotted to start at tailback (sophomores
Derrick Green or De'Veon Smith),
tight end (sophomore Jake Butt)
and safety (redshirt sophomore Jeremy Clark or sophomore Dymonte
Thomas).
Two Big Ten
Predictions For 2014
Michigan State Repeats: Those Michigan fans hoping rival MSU just fades
in 2014 are counting on the losses
of four cornerstones defensively
— cornerback Darqueze Dennard,
safety Isaiah Lewis, linebacker Max
Bullough and linebacker Denicos Allen — to bring the downfall of the
Spartans next season.
However, Michigan State proved in
its Rose Bowl win over Stanford that
it has established a defensive identity
that trains younger players to step
up and fill voids (walk-on and special teams performer Kyler Elsworth
filled in brilliantly for a suspended
Bullough).
The defense may not be the lightsout unit it was in 2013, but it will be
one of the Big Ten's best, while the of-
