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Michigan State Football: 5 players who could surprise in 2018

By Michael Briggs

ANN ARBOR, MI - OCTOBER 07: Michigan State Spartans head football coach Mark Dantonio talks with his team prior to the start of the game against the Michigan Wolverines at Michigan Stadium on October 7, 2017 in Ann Arbor, Michigan. (Photo by Leon Halip/Getty Images)
ANN ARBOR, MI - OCTOBER 07: Michigan State Spartans head football coach Mark Dantonio talks with his team prior to the start of the game against the Michigan Wolverines at Michigan Stadium on October 7, 2017 in Ann Arbor, Michigan. (Photo by Leon Halip/Getty Images) /
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With plenty of starters returning, Michigan State football has high expectations for the 2018 season. Which players could become surprises?

Michigan State football is slated to return 19 starters, along with a deep unit of experienced reserves, in 2018. Despite all of that returning talent, there are a few dark horses who will burst onto the scene next season.

Outsiders might not be familiar with their names now, but Spartans fans who have followed MSU recruiting closely will not be surprised. Mark Dantonio and his staff have assembled an underrated group that will, once again, seriously compete for the Big Ten title.

These five players have the capability of making a serious impact on Michigan State’s pursuit of that goal.

Michigan State received an unexpected surprise following its bowl win over Washington State when running back LJ Scott announced he will return for his senior year. While Scott will be the Spartans’ workhorse back, MSU needs to identify his back-ups following the departures of Gerald Holmes and Madre London. With zero proven experienced running backs behind Scott, a group of young pups will duke it out.

Rising sophomore Connor Heyward and incoming true freshmen La’Darius Jefferson and Elijah Collins have been mentioned as strong candidates to earn playing time, but it’s clear that redshirt freshman Weston Bridges is being overlooked. It’s not due to a significant gap in talent, either — Bridges was rated as a four-star recruit by 247Sports coming out of high school. It’s likely due to the fact that he missed his entire senior season due to an ACL injury and redshirted all of last season at MSU.

That said, Bridges should be ready to play ball this year. He started his rehab way back in November 2016, so he’s had plenty of time to heal up, get back into playing shape and study the MSU playbook. This, coupled with his determined mindset to return to his old form, makes Bridges a likely candidate to earn playing time as a reserve in 2018. All four will have their opportunities to win the job, but I wouldn’t put it past Bridges to get those carries.

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