Governor's Watch 2008

Let me start by saying that this information that I share is in now way insider information. The players that I am discussing in my preseason “Governor’s

Let me start by saying that this information that I share is in now way insider information. The players that I am discussing in my preseason “Governor’s Watch” are players that I find intriguing and could be keys to our season’s success. I list them in order of what I deem as critical components to the Spartan machine.

1) Kirk Cousins, QB, 2nd string: Few backups will be as important to their positions as Cousins. Kirk’s development as a QB has been a priority for MD and his staff. It is no secret that MSU’s season largely hinges upon its ability to run the ball and keep Hoyer healthy. Look for MSU to play Cousins early and often in games where MSU has a substantial lead. It is likely that the staff will put Cousins in situations where he can be successful throwing short routes and handing the ball to Ringer when the game is in hand. A confident Cousins will become a necessity if Hoyer gets “dinged” up. The question is whether MSU can play winning football with Cousins under center? Let’s hope we don’t have to answer this question.

2) Charlie Gantt, TE, projected starter: I just wrote about Charlie’s need to be an iron horse that MSU can depend on this season. He has had a huge off-season and looks like he is ready to step in and contribute this year. He will be counted on to make some big catches when the game is on the line and he will need to be a plus player when he is counted on as the lead blocker when MSU runs a single back set. He is virtually unknown by the Spartan fan base and he plays a very critical position for Coach Treadwell. Can he be good enough to make Spartan fans forget about Kellen Davis? We shall see.

3) Brandon Long, DE, projected starter: Much has been written about Long’s desire to pick up where Jonal Saint-Dic left off a year ago. Long has more of a Big Ten build to play the DE position: combining both height and athleticism. At 6’4” and 255 pounds, Long has the size needed to be an impact player on the edge. Hopefully Coach Gill’s tutelage is paying off. I believe that the key to Long’s season will be early game success. If he is able to establish himself early in games than teams will have change their game plans to account for him. Will Brandon Long have the confidence needed to be the truly relentless DE that MSU needs this season or will MSU’s pass rush take a step back?

4) Rocco Cirroni, LT, projected starter: Rocco saw action as a freshman when JLS had virtually no depth on the offensive line. The staff has been working with Cirroni to become more technically sound and become a physically imposing left tackle. He is filling the shoes of Pete Clifford who proved to be a plus player for MSU last season. If Hoyer is the MSU offensive engine and Ringer is the transmission, than Rocco is the firewall. He is responsible for protecting Brian’s blindside and his job is critical. If Hoyer gets hurt this season, MSU goes from an 8-9 win team to being .500 team with a punter playing emergency QB behind Cousins. Can Rocco be the “rock-solid” LT that MSU needs? Can he be as good as the player he replaces?

5) Anderson, Jimmerson, Leggett and Winston, RB, back-up: Ok, you caught me… I was too lazy to break each of these guys down separately. Here is what I know. One guy cannot carry the ball every down in the Big Ten conference. A two TB system is a ‘must-have’… a three TB system is a ‘nice-to have’ and anymore than that is a double bonus. Dantonio has said that he will play the best players regardless of their class. None of these guys have jumped out at the staff as Ringer’s partner in crime and that can be looked at one of two ways. The first is that MSU’s backs behind Ringer are a considerable drop-off in talent. The second is that there are tons of weapons in the arsenal and that settling on one guy may be very difficult. Anderson is quick, shifty and hard to find. Jimmerson is shifty, fairly fast and catches the ball well. Leggett is big, runs downhill, is inexperienced and trying to put everything together. Winston is big (6’2” 220 lbs), fast (4.4 forty) and very inexperienced. He may have the most upside of all of these guys vying for playing time. Will MSU find a bruiser to compliment Ringer’s… ‘I’m gonna juke ya outta yer jock strap and then take it to the house’ razzle dazzle style or will we get much of the same we get from Javon with a guy like Andre Anderson? This one is going to be interesting.

6) Trevor Anderson, DE, projected starter: Trevor comes back to the home state having made a statement while spending two years at Cincy. Anderson was an All Big East Conference DE and will look to pick up where he left off. I don’t think he is a big question mark, but will be filling big shoes for a team that was sack happy last season. Gill says his motor always runs; let’s see how he fairs against Big Ten tackles. The question is simple; can he get the job done?

7) Denson, Allison, LB, 2nd string: Both of these guys are fast and athletic. Their development allows Coach Tressel an assortment of LB options. It also allows MSU to put their best defensive weapon in the middle. Greg Jones will be a factor in every game that he plays. The MLB position in MSU’s defensive scheme has the potential to rack up tons of tackles. Denson and Allison give MSU’s defense more speed than it has had in a very long time. Speed kills and MSU’s LB’s will be counted on to be in the backfield regularly. Denson and Allison give MSU more blitz package options and the ability to cover WR’s and backs against spread offenses. Can either of these guys establish themselves as a starting OLB? Can they learn on the job fast enough to play winning Big Ten football?

8) BJ Cunningham, WR, 2nd String/??: Devin Thomas left a massive hole in the MSU offense. BJ has the best all around skill set to pick up some of the slack. He is a big physical receiver that catches the ball well in traffic and is able to make additional yards after the catch. No one expects BJ to replace Thomas, but he is certainly the most capable of become MSU’s most consistent threat. Can Cunningham make MSU fans forget about DT? Can he be one of the WR’s that spurn the critics that have MSU’s receivers rated near the bottom of the conference? I am going out on a limb and putting my money on this guy.

9) Fred Smith, WR, ????: It is not known whether Fred will crack the starting line up. Smith has gotten plenty of attention since he arrived at MSU. He is arguably the top recruit in the 2008 class and brings a plethora of skills to his position. You cannot teach size and speed. Fred has both. Depending upon the publication, he is listed between 6’2” and 6’3” and somewhere between 212 and 225 pounds. You get the idea; he is plenty big. The film that has slipped out of fall camp shows Smith routinely elevating above our DB’s. It also shows him taking the ball out of the sky and abusing his opponents. I think it will be hard to keep Fred off the field this season. The question is whether Fred can help his teammates absorb the Devin Thomas loss. Will Fred be a big time blocker when MSU runs the ball? Will he play above his freshman status?