2015 Spartan Spring Football Game Taking Shape as Spartans Draft Their Teams & Players Define The True Depth Chart

2015 Spartan Spring Football Game Taking Shape as Spartans Draft Their Teams & Players Define The True Depth Chart Spartan Stadium East Lansing, MI The 2015

2015 Spartan Spring Football Game Taking Shape as Spartans Draft Their Teams & Players Define The True Depth Chart

Spartan Stadium

East Lansing, MI

The 2015 Michigan State Spartan seniors gathered to select their rosters for this year’s spring game. Since Dantonio arrived on the scene (this is his ninth spring game) he lets the seniors pick their teams similar to the NFL draft. The winning team is treated to a steak dinner while the losing team beans and franks. It’s Dantonio’s way of keeping the game fun and real, but it also gives him and his coach’s insight.

Former Spartan All American and NFL star and current Co Spartan DC Harlon “DA BANG STICK” Barnett, coach of the white team summed it up succinctly, “It is interesting to watch who guys pick and what order. They want to win now. Make no mistake about that. As coaches we aren’t with them as much as their teammates are and how they pick shows you a lot.”

Green team head coach Mark Snyder said, "We have our opinions, but every year there is a surprise somewhere where somebody drafts somebody a little bit higher than you thought that they'd be drafted."

Well this year was no exception. With the first overall pick the white team Brian Allen was selected. The true sophomore was the first true freshman of the Dantonio era to play on the Spartan offensive line and he’s also the first true sophomore picked number one overall in Dantonio’s tenure.

Allen came out to get the #1 Spartan jersey and played up the hilarity of the moment as his teammates from both sides of the green and white teams cheered. Allen said, “This is a big day for me and my family,” as his teammates brought the house down with applause. In a grinding spring, it brought brevity and humor to another event for the players.

As soon as the fun was over with Allen, Shilique Calhoun and his green squad wasted no time calling out the second overall pick, “The Green Monster, Jack Conklin.” Talking with players before the draft, every one of them told me Riley Bullough or Conklin would go number one, with a slight edge favoring Bullough. That is a true testament to Bullough’s work ethic as he takes over as the first year starter at middle linebacker.

Unlike the NFL draft where teams can pick a player from any position, Dantonio’s spring draft has modified rules. Once a player is picked that position becomes OPEN. Meaning once Allen was chosen, the run then began on offensive lineman until all Spartans available to be picked where depleted from those spots.

The only other real shock to me came as Jamal Lyles was picked over Josiah Price at TE. That isn’t a slam on Price at all. In fact it is a testament to the development of Lyles. He is one of my top ten break out players for 2015 and the way his drafting went, only solidifies that.

Montez Sweat the redshirt freshman was selected over sophomore Demetrious Cooper, but all spring we had seen harbingers of that with every interview session. Coaches and players from both sides of the ball have praised the Georgian linebacker.

Spring games tell us a lot. I have maintained since Dantonio arrived that the spring draft tells us more about the roster than the coaches do and it also tells us a lot about players.

Injured players who won’t take part of Saturday’s game include: QB Damion Terry, MLB Jon Reschke, DB Jalen Watts-Jackson, TE Dylan Chmura, WR Aaron Burbridge, OL Dennis Finley, OL Kodi Kieler and K Michael Geiger.

Craig Evans has been noticeably absent this spring and when I asked Dantonio about it, he refused to comment. Evans was not available to be picked for this draft. While the official MSU spring green and white team rosters lists even the injured players on teams, Evans was not placed on either team. CLICK HERE TO REVIEW BOTH ROSTERS.

Honorary captains for the two teams are Spartan basketball players. Outgoing senior Travis Trice for the White team and Matt Costello for the green team. Branden Dawson was originally going to fulfill that role, but is not able to be in East Lansing for the game.