Michigan State Football: Midseason awards for 2021 Spartans

Michigan State football is off to a fast start this season and the Spartans are hoping to maintain this energy and confidence through the second half of the year.

The Spartans are 6-0 and hoping to make a shocking push for the College Football Playoff.

This wouldn’t be possible without some key players on both sides of the ball stepping up.

Let’s hand out some midseason awards.

Most Improved: Connor Heyward

Connor Heyward doesn’t have crazy numbers, but his impact on the team has been immeasuable this season. He’s been impressive in his new role as an H-back, making some solid catches to move the sticks. He’s also made some solid blocks all season, freeing up Kenneth Walker III for some big runs.

Heyward has also been a solid leader as a guy who the rest of the players look up to. He’s been a revelation at the H-back position.

I was rough on Heyward for his first few years in East Lansing and it was because he was playing out of position. It wasn’t his fault, but his shortcomings at running back were too obvious to ignore. And it’s clear he was willing to switch positions to benefit the team and it’s paid off.

Heyward has gone from over-utilized running back to perfectly-utilized H-back and the Spartan offense wouldn’t be as dynamic as it currently is without him stepping up.