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Michigan State Football: Top 10 All-Big Ten candidates for 2018

By Connor Muldowney

EAST LANSING, MI - NOVEMBER 04: Juwan Johnson #84 of the Penn State Nittany Lions can't make a second half catch next to Justin Layne #2 of the Michigan State Spartans at Spartan Stadium on November 4, 2017 in East Lansing, Michigan. Michigan State won the game 27-24.(Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)
EAST LANSING, MI - NOVEMBER 04: Juwan Johnson #84 of the Penn State Nittany Lions can't make a second half catch next to Justin Layne #2 of the Michigan State Spartans at Spartan Stadium on November 4, 2017 in East Lansing, Michigan. Michigan State won the game 27-24.(Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images) /
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Michigan State football has plenty of All-Big Ten caliber players on the roster for 2018, but who are the 10 most likely to earn the honor?

Michigan State is loaded with talent. That was never more evident than during the 2017 season when talent trumped the immense youth and the Spartans went from 3-9 in 2016 to 10-3 with a Holiday Bowl win in 2017.

Mark Dantonio has assembled a heck of a roster with a plethora of All-Big Ten caliber talent. We assembled a list of the 10 most likely All-Big Ten selections from East Lansing for the 2018 season, and it wasn’t as easy as you might think to cut the list down.

There were a handful of players who were good enough, but just missed the top-10 cut. Here’s the honorable mention list:

  • Darrell Stewart Jr., WR
  • Mike Panasiuk, DT
  • Luke Campbell, OT
  • Tyler Higby, OG
  • Cole Chewins, OT
  • Andrew Dowell, LB
  • Matt Coghlin, K

Which 10 Spartans have the best chance to be named to the All-Big Ten team in 2018?

Coming to Michigan State, Khari Willis was looked at as an athlete. He played running back at the high school level, but Mark Dantonio felt the switch to safety would be best, and boy has it paid off.

Through two years, Willis played minimally, recording 41 total tackles and three pass deflections in 20 total games, but he truly broke out in 2017 as an All-Big Ten honorable mention. He finished the season with 71 total tackles, 5.5 tackles for loss, four sacks, three passes defended, two interceptions and a forced fumble. He became a defensive leader for the Spartans.

There’s a good chance we could see Willis as a captain in the 2018 season and he could also become one of the best defensive backs in the conference.

From All-Big Ten honorable mention to first or second-team All-Big Ten? It looks to be a likely outcome for Willis.

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