News and Notes From Spartan Football 03/24/10 Edition

News and Notes From Spartan Football 03/24/10 Edition Mark Dantonio enters his fourth spring football session with his most talented and deepest group of

News and Notes From Spartan Football 03/24/10 Edition

Dantonio leads his team into his fourth spring session with the most talented roster he has had since his arrival. Photo courtesy of Bill Marklevits

Mark Dantonio enters his fourth spring football session with his most talented and deepest group of players yet. When he arrived at MSU he told Spartan Nation, “We have a lot to learn, but we aren’t real deep and we will just have to work at it. We will get the numbers and levels up where spring is one big competition.” I reminded him yesterday and asked about being able to compete now. It is these times that championship football teams are born. The fact that every position has a capable backup pushing the starter for his job makes this team better.

This team is NOT a championship team in 2010. The groundwork is laid and the level and depth and young talent is impressive.

Dantonio’s mantra is that his teams and staff have to work to get 2% better every practice. When asked about how he felt his team was prepared for this spring he replied with a smile, “Very well.” What makes him special is that he demands the 2% factor from himself.

Of course on defense the strength of this team is Greg Jones and Eric Gordon. Those two linebackers bring so much talent and skill. The Spartans have a LB group that Dantonio told me yesterday, “Is three deep across,” and those two know it inside and out. Because of their experience and skill set they almost become more coaches out there with the young players.

On offense Kirk Cousins comes off a great sophomore campaign. Those that gave Cousins criticism for last season's performance are either unrealistic or demand a level of excellence from college athletes that is simply unreasonable. He did make mistakes all first year starting QBs make. When you look at all of the factors, you can only conclude he was very good. Cousins is an NFL QB and with two years ahead of him could be destined for football greatness.

As Spartan Nation already told you, Cousins went out to QB gurus Brett and Bob Johnson (they own the Elite 11 and work with all of the games best QBs at EVERY level) and he was phenomenal this spring break. Cousins is highly intelligent and as his comfort level grows so will his output.

Along with Cousins the Spartans are fortunate to have two great freshman RBs with a wealth of experience. Edwin “ROCK” Baker is finally healthy and the performance you saw in San Antonio is what you will see this spring and fall. Combined with Larry Caper you have two of the best RBs in the Big Ten, both are sophomores and both are among the highest character young men on campus let alone the football team.

The Spartans return 15 players on defense with, “Substantial,” playing time. That can only make them better. How many will get time this season depends on their level of improvement. There are a lot of young players pushing for PT and not very much to go around. COMPETITION.

It was not a shock that Keith Nichol opens up the spring as the starting X. I fully expect him to keep that job heading into the fall. Nichol is a freak of nature athletically and like Caper/Baker/Cousins is a high character young man. I described him recently as a faster, bigger and stronger Blair White. Like White he as the heart of a warrior and as spring progresses and he learns more of the offense and the intricacies that come with it he will be a great weapon. According to Dantonio, “He is a slash type player and will spend about 70-80% of his time at wide receiver and the rest as a pure QB.”

Remember the flea flicker? Remember the Alamo Bowl? With Nichol in the game the conservative Dantonio will be pushed on his shoulder by Don Treadwell to open things up more and with Nichol in the equation it will be fun. There are a lot of unique and trick plays that can be executed with a QB of Nichol’s talent as a wide out.

Keshawn Martin is a major talent. He can do incredible things with the ball. The question for him is can he do those things running routes and playing as an every down wide out. He will have to hold on to the ball and run disciplined routes. He does great when given the ball, but to be effective and do all the things they want from him he has to run disciplined routes and catch the ball as well as block when the play isn’t for him.

The offensive line has to be rebuilt. Nate Klatt is a RS freshman that most expect to be the starting center over John Stipek come fall. Not so fast my friends. Stipek had an INCREDIBLE off-season and if that translates to the field he should keep it. He being #1 on the depth chart didn’t shock me, Coach D isn’t going to put a RS freshman with no game experience ahead of a senior to start the spring. Those two will be one of the most interesting battles of spring football. Klatt is very young, but a future star. Stipek is the hungry hard working veteran.

In 30 years of coaching, Coach Dantonio has only seen three true freshmen play on the OL and all three were because of injuries. Two of them at OSU and one here at MSU. That said, “It is time for some of our younger players to step up.” He knows that his guys have to start coming up the pipeline.  I know everyone loves watching skill position guys, but the OL is going to be can’t miss viewing this spring.

There is one position that NEVER gets the credit it deserves. That is unfortunate.  Alex Shackleton is a fifth year senior and is back as the long snapper. That is the most under appreciated position in football and he is one of the best in the conference. He is Mr. Reliability and is steady and consistent.

Dantonio publicly confirmed yesterday what Spartan Nation has told you since last July. “A lot of guys would have played based on pure ability,” and they didn’t because he wanted to red shirt them. When you take time and really look at the depth chart you can see the youth, but still impressive depth they have built.

I have harped, preached, screamed and yelled about our defensive line. I have beaten to death 'the hands in the air' and other technique issues that have hurt this team. Dantonio didn’t mention any of those specifically yesterday, but he did mention that unit has to, “Better transition from run to pass.” Those technique issues are all a part of that. Needless to say that made me smile.

On the DL the battle is for capable players. Oren Wilson is gone.   He participated in the bowl game while conceiling his involvement in the Rather Hall fiasco.  Jerel Worthy and Collin Neely were not listed on the depth chart, because they had some off-season work on their shoulders. Both will be in the mix. Neely was very close to Wilson and it will be interesting to see how he reacts to that loss. I haven’t spoken to him about it, but how he handles it will be something to watch.

Kevin Pickelman is a DT that we have been talking about since he signed at MSU. He is #1 on the depth chart with Worthy out, but don’t sell him short. He is a powerful young man with a high IQ. His weakness is that he thinks too much rather than reacts. That goes back to good genes and being a smart kid. The best DTs have his talent and can play without having to think. That split second can be huge. Just remember Pickelman’s name. He could be a star when the season is over.  A season that I believe will be Mark Dantonio’s best defensive line yet.

Spartan Nation told you at season's end that Wilson would likely lose his starting job.  RS freshman Dan France is in the mix along with the star of the group Blake Treadwell who we projected would beat him out anyway. France, Treadwell, Pickelman and Worthy are four solid DTs come fall.

Micajah Reynolds (Caj) is with the DTs this spring. He is a big powerful guard. He is there getting a look because Worthy is out.  If he excels, this experiment could continue.  He is a big and powerful young man. He has at times taken plays off because of conditioning.  With the way the Spartans rotate DTs this could be a good thing. I look forward to seeing if he takes off here or goes back to the OL.

The loss for Brett Swenson is big. He was a very consistent kicker. Swenson struggled on kickoffs and that hurt MSU. Kevin Muma and Dan Conroy will have another big battle this spring. Conroy for lack of a better term is the Rudy of Spartan football. We have profiled and talked about him often at Spartan Nation, but he had chances to be a scholarship player at other D1 schools. He was raised in a Spartan home in Illinois so he followed his heart to East Lansing and walked on. This kid is all heart.  If he can hit his field goals and kick it consistently into the endzone, he may find himself in the mix.  Muma is special, but so is Conroy and Dantonio likes both and favors neither. It will truly be a who can beat the other out battle.

The Spartans have to continue to excel from where they did in 2009, but have three major areas that Dantonio identified as major objectives this spring that have to be better in 2010.

1)     Run the ball more consistently. Last year with an OL held together by duct tape they had to become too predictable to move the ball and go to Cousins arm when the D knew running wasn’t an option. This season they don’t want to minimize the passing of Cousins, they want to make him more effective, by making teams fear that they have established a better run game.

2)     Better red zone defense. It is called the red zone for a reason. It is critical. Last year the Spartans defense in that part of the field was horrible. They can’t have a better year if that doesn’t get fixed.

3)     More turnovers! This team has to create them. When people look at interceptions they blame or credit DBs. Many of those interceptions are caused by pressure on the QB and forcing him to make poor reads or take risks. MSU has to get the ball away from their opponents more in 2010. The Spartans must be able to get pressure on the QB in 2010 without selling their soul to the blitz.

Andrew Maxwell will not unseat Cousins, but Andrew Maxwell is a stud. His play last year running the scout teams made a lot of people take second takes. He is so accurate and so strong.  The future looks great at QB and write it down now. Maxwell will end his time at MSU when he leaves as a tremendous QB.

Lastly Greg Jones has received a lot of attention. He doesn’t like it and it makes him very uncomfortable. He better get used to it. He played at 222 last year and this man child who would make Adonis jealous told us yesterday he has gained 15 pounds over the winter. IF that is true, then I weigh 112. He is at least 240 and is about as solid as the granite state house. He is a mountain. One of my colleagues in the media said it best yesterday, “I sure wouldn’t even step on the field knowing he was on it coming at me.” Enjoy him Spartan Nation. What a humble kid who is one of the best players I have seen, with one of the most caring and meek personalities off of it.

Remember to take a look at several of the football video interviews that we conducted yesterday when YOU CLICK RIGH HERE.