Michigan State Football: 5 breakout candidates vs. Western Michigan

Michigan State football is set to face off against Western Michigan in a tough Week 2 matchup. Who could break out for the Spartans?

The first game of the season is out of the way and the opening week jitters are too — hopefully. Michigan State football opened with a convincing 35-10 victory over Bowling Green and will head to Week 2, facing off against Western Michigan.

While the Broncos finished the 2016 season with a 13-1 record and a Cotton Bowl loss to Wisconsin, they still return plenty of talent. Head coach P.J. Fleck has moved on and is now coaching Minnesota in the Big Ten, but Tim Lester is more than capable of leading this team back to national prominence.

This could potentially be an upset watch for the Spartans as they are still trying to gain confidence after a win over Bowling Green in the opener. A win here would work wonders for Michigan State, especially with Notre Dame and Iowa on deck.

Let’s take a look at five guys who could break out against Western.

Before the season began, Kenny Willekes was a name to watch for. The former walk-on defensive end had earned his scholarship and performed well during the spring game. In fact, he did so well this past spring that it carried over to fall and Willekes earned a starting spot.

Not many expected it, but Willekes started over senior end Demetrius Cooper. Well, it was him and Dillon Alexander who beat Cooper out, but Willekes entered Week 1’s game against Bowling Green as the team’s top defensive end. How did he fare? He played exceptionally well, getting in on a few stops and even batting down a ball.

Willekes finished his first career start with two total tackles and a pass deflection. Expect him to have a bigger impact against Western and even record his first sack.