Michigan State Football: 5 important fixes that need to be made in 2017

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Nov 19, 2016; East Lansing, MI, USA; Michigan State Spartans players huddle on the field prior to their game against the Ohio State Buckeyes at Spartan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mike Carter-USA TODAY Sports /

2. Restore the locker room culture

The culture was just different in 2016. There were no true leaders and the team was aimlessly limping toward the finish line come late-November. No one was there to lead with a purpose and the coaching staff felt defeated because few upperclassmen stepped up to take a leadership role.

At the end of the season, Riley Bullough was taking a backseat to younger players, Tyler O’Connor had been benched and injured and Demetrious Cox was suspended. How is a team supposed to trust the process if the three captains aren’t even on the field to lead?

This offseason acted as a reset button. The Spartans suffered through some attrition of younger players, but the toxicity in the locker room may be on its way out. Some players left the program via transfers and others were booted from the team for legal issues, but many believe that it has cleaned up the culture a bit.

Sure, the program has a recovering black eye, but if the locker room can be somewhat restored this offseason and the culture fixed, the team will head back in the right direction.

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