Michigan State Football: 5 position battles to watch ahead of 2018 season

Michigan State football returns nearly all of its starters from last season’s 10-win team, but there are a few positions still up for grabs.

With so much talent returning, Michigan State appears to be in good shape heading into the 2018 season. That said, there were several departures this offseason that MSU needs to address.

While the loss of starting center and captain Brian Allen will be felt in the locker room, the starting spot appears likely to stay in the family, as younger brother Matt is primed to take over. There will be heated position battles, however, to fill the holes left by Sam linebacker Chris Frey, running back Madre London and defensive end Demetrius Cooper.

With spring practices officially underway, here’s a sneak peek at a few of those crucial competitions.

5. Backup Quarterback

While Damion Terry never made an impact for Michigan State on the field, the recent graduate has left behind an opening for the Spartans’ backup quarterback position. Former four-star recruit and rising redshirt sophomore Messiah deWeaver was expected to be a competitor for that role, but opted to transfer this off-season instead.

Considering returning starter Brian Lewerke still has two years of eligibility remaining, this wasn’t a major surprise. deWeaver wants to play meaningful football now and he’ll get his shot starting at East Mississippi Community College.

These departures, while not significant on paper, do leave the Spartans with less than desirable QB depth, however. Mickey Macius, a senior graduate transfer from Austin Peay, returns, but he never appeared on the depth chart last season. This leaves Michigan State with two quarterbacks who have never taken a collegiate snap, redshirt freshman Rocky Lombardi and true freshman Theo Day, as its best options. That’s not exactly encouraging, should Lewerke suffer an injury, but it will have to do.

Lombardi is the front-runner, as he spent the past year learning the playbook while redshirting and, by all accounts, had passed deWeaver on the depth chart. Coach Dantonio recently noted that, while Lewerke’s starting spot is safe, he’s excited to see the Iowa native compete this off-season. Ideally, he’ll show some progression and get garbage time snaps throughout the season for a little in-game experience.

The arrival of the early enrollee Day will not allow Lombardi to rest on his laurels following the departure of deWeaver, though. While just one true freshman, Nick Foles in 2007, has played under Dantonio, the lack of experience behind Lewerke will give the tantalizing 6-foot-6 prospect a legitimate shot to avoid a redshirt.

Fellow true freshman La’Darius Jefferson will start his Spartan career at running back, but the former Muskegon QB could provide additional depth, if necessary.