Michigan State Football: 5 most irreplaceable defensive players for 2017
When Justin Layne committed to Michigan State’s 2016 class as a top-200 recruit and one of the nation’s best receiver prospects, who would have thought we’d be talking about him as an irreplaceable defensive player just a couple years later?
Heck, Layne began the 2016 season as a true freshman receiver who looked to crack the rotation and get some targets. He wanted to gain momentum heading into his sophomore year because he knew there would be plenty of targets to be had with R.J. Shelton and Monty Madaris departing.
Unfortunately, he’s playing his secondary position. Fortunately, he’s just as effective, if not more so, on the defensive side of the ball as he is on offense. He played a little defensive back in high school so it’s not completely foreign to him — as he proved in 2016.
The freshman took over as a starting cornerback midway through the year and impressed just about everyone. His first collegiate touchdown came as a pick-six — you can bet he saw himself snagging a touchdown catch as a receiver instead. He finished the season with 18 total tackles and a pass deflection as well.
Layne is arguably the most important defensive back for the Spartans in 2017.