Michigan State Football: 5 defensive players with most to prove in 2019
Since he’s in his last year in East Lansing, you could argue that even if Josh Butler does prove himself, it won’t matter because he’ll be gone come the 2020 season. But that’s not how this list works.
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This is more of a short-term list. Butler needs to prove himself worthy of a starting job if Michigan State is going to pick up right where it left off in 2018 with one of the nation’s best secondaries, and defenses in general. He has some big shoes to fill as Justin Layne opted to go the NFL route with a year of eligibility remaining and Butler is finally getting his shot.
Butler has shown that he can handle starting snaps, but he’s had such a small sample size of production each year, never playing more than seven games in a single season. He needs to prove that he can not only start, but handle the wear and tear of a 12-game regular season.
The talent is there, but Butler just needs to stay healthy for long enough and continue his improvement at the position. Will the fifth-year senior make fans forget that Layne left early for the NFL?