Michigan State's Super Sophomore RB LeVeon Bell not going to surprise anyone this year

  The cat is out of the bag, and that is the Michigan State running attack.  With players like Edwin Baker, Larry Caper and Nick Hill in the fold,

 

 

The cat is out of the bag, and that is the Michigan State running attack.

 

With players like Edwin Baker, Larry Caper and Nick Hill in the fold, there are plenty of tailbacks ready and willing to carry the rock in 2011.

 

Baker is MSU’s most experienced back in terms of playing time, making big plays and making the most of his opportunities. He has set lofty goals for himself this season (2,000 yards and 21 touchdowns), but one reason he may not reach those lofty numbers is because one of his own teammates might hinder that production: LeVeon Bell.

 

Not many people knew about Bell going into last season, but they know now. The freshman ran for 605 yards and racked up eight touchdowns in 2010, averaging 5.7 yards per carry in the process. He had a big game at Ann Arbor, while also making one of the biggest blocks in MSU history when the Spartans threw the winning touchdown pass in overtime against Notre Dame.

 

Bell is now a huge part of what the Spartans’ offense wants to do, which is pound the rock and use the run to get big plays down the field in the passing game. His presence won’t be a surprise to anybody this time around, but he doesn’t seem to care. He continues to make himself better and wants to be an even bigger threat on what may end up being the Big Ten’s best rushing team.

 

“I think I’m faster, I think I’m stronger, I think I’m a smarter player,” Bell said. “Coming out of high school and coming into spring last year, I was just running off of straight instincts. I was getting the ball and just running. Now, I’m taking my reads and seeing what the defense is in, so it’s helping me out slowing the game down.”

 

Bell’s new bulk is something to watch for. He said he benched 225 pounds around 14 times as a freshman, but he benched the same amount of weight 26 times the last time he tried a couple weeks ago. He said he didn’t even lift weights in high school, running track when he wasn’t on the football field.

 

If you think his speed has diminished, think again. Bell said he has become more explosive and his 40-yard dash time has actually gotten faster. He is also healthy as opposed to when his shoulders got beat up last season – his right shoulder was hurt against Northern Colorado and his left shoulder was hurt against Illinois. He said he is 100 percent now.

 

“I feel a lot more comfortable now,” he said. “I think the game speed is just really slowing down. As I was out there today (during the spring game), I realized I can read what the defense is blitzing or which way the defensive line is slanting. I feel like a smarter player.”

 

A smarter, bigger, faster LeVeon Bell is great news for Michigan State fans, as it’s just another weapon for other defenses to focus on. And to think, he wasn’t even 100 percent for nearly every game he played last season.