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Michigan State Football: 5 breakout candidates for 2019 season

By Connor Muldowney

LINCOLN, NE - NOVEMBER 17: Head coach Mark Dantonio of the Michigan State Spartans leads the team on the field before the game against the Nebraska Cornhuskers at Memorial Stadium on November 17, 2018 in Lincoln, Nebraska. (Photo by Steven Branscombe/Getty Images)
LINCOLN, NE - NOVEMBER 17: Head coach Mark Dantonio of the Michigan State Spartans leads the team on the field before the game against the Nebraska Cornhuskers at Memorial Stadium on November 17, 2018 in Lincoln, Nebraska. (Photo by Steven Branscombe/Getty Images) /
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EAST LANSING, MI – NOVEMBER 10: Justin Layne #2 of the Michigan State Spartans breaks up a pass next to Terry McLaurin #83 of the Ohio State Buckeyes during the first half at Spartan Stadium on November 10, 2018 in East Lansing, Michigan. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)
EAST LANSING, MI – NOVEMBER 10: Justin Layne #2 of the Michigan State Spartans breaks up a pass next to Terry McLaurin #83 of the Ohio State Buckeyes during the first half at Spartan Stadium on November 10, 2018 in East Lansing, Michigan. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images) /

Replacing someone like Justin Layne isn’t easy, and Michigan State will soon find out. The talented receiver-turned-cornerback went from a four-star wide out in high school to one of Mel Kiper Jr.’s first-round graded defensive backs in the 2019 NFL Draft.

Unfortunately, Layne fell to the third round as the Steelers picked him up but he left behind a position that Michigan State wasn’t expecting to fill with a first-year starter in 2019.

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Josh Butler is the favorite to start at the corner spot opposite Josiah Scott, but don’t sleep on redshirt freshman Kalon Gervin. He came to Michigan State as a four-star recruit from powerhouse Cass Tech in Detroit and impressed the coaches right away. He continued that upward trajectory this spring and looked like starting material during the scrimmage in April.

In fact, Gervin was all over the field and he was even covering Michigan State’s best receiver (Cody White) and he didn’t look overmatched at all.

This kid has all the talent in the world and it wouldn’t shock me if he earned some time with the No. 1s this season — though I do believe Butler will surprise people.

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