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

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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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) /

Another young player who came to Michigan State as an offensive weapon, Justin Layne quickly made the switch to cornerback. The former four-star receiver was one of the top wide outs in the 2016 class and had the look of a future Big Ten Receiver of the Year candidate, but has since become one of the top cornerbacks in the conference.

In fact, both the coaches and media named him an honorable mention All-Big Ten selection in 2017, his first full year as a starter.

Layne’s switch to cornerback was met with resounding fan approval mostly because his first game starting at cornerback as a freshman saw him record a pick-six against Northwestern. It was in 2016 when Michigan State’s offense was struggling, so that was a huge pick-me-up for the Spartans.

The rest is history. He started nine games in 2017, recording 40 tackles, eight passes defended, a forced fumble and 0.5 tackles for loss. His 6-3, 185-pound frame makes him a nightmare for opposing quarterbacks.

Layne could break out in 2018 and no one would really be surprised.

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