Michigan State Football: Top 5 captain candidates for 2018 season

Heading into the 2018 season, Michigan State has plenty of leaders, but these are the top five captain candidates for the Spartans.

Every year, there’s debate about who should be named captain for Michigan State football. That debate hasn’t cooled this offseason as the Spartans have nearly a dozen captain candidates heading into the 2018 campaign.

After the horrid 2016 campaign, fans and coaches were hoping for leaders to step up, and they did just that as the Spartans rebounded to win 10 games and the locker room was as strong as it had ever been under Mark Dantonio.

With plenty of captain options heading into 2018 and one of the top teams in the nation returning, Dantonio and the players have big decisions looming regarding who leads the team — although leaders aren’t limited to captain roles.

Who are the five most likely captains for Michigan State in 2018?

Honorable Mention

There are plenty of players who are on the verge of becoming captains, but may just miss out thanks to the fact that there are usually just three, at most, each year.

Let’s start with Felton Davis III, a senior wide out who could be a top Big Ten Receiver of the Year candidate. He broke out as a junior in 2017 and has lofty goals for himself, saying he wants to emulate Julio Jones. Moreover, he’s been a role model for younger receivers, even if it is with his goofy attitude.

Raequan Williams had a nice redshirt sophomore season and could be a strong NFL draft prospect in 2019, but he’s the leader of the defensive line, to start. Williams would be a nice captain candidate, especially if he becomes more vocal.

Last, but certainly not least, is former walk-on defensive end Kenny Willekes. He was a breakout star in 2017 and looks like another leader along that defensive line with Williams.