Michigan State Football: 3 position battles to watch ahead of 2022

2. Cornerback

Seven months ago, Ameer Speed was celebrating a national title with the Georgia Bulldogs. He began the 2021 season as a starter for one of the best defenses in college football history but eventually became a role player. He still has plenty of talent and felt like a fresh start somewhere else with an opportunity to start would be in his best interest.

Speed will likely be a starter at cornerback, but the Spartans are going to need someone on the opposite side and that could be Ronald Williams, Charles Brantley, Marqui Lowery, or my darkhorse pick, Caleb Coley.

I liked what Williams brought to the table at the end of last season. He struggled a bit early on, but he came into his own and showed why Nick Saban recruited him to Tuscaloosa. He’s probably my early favorite to win the starting job, but Brantley isn’t going down without a fight. His 2021 season was cut short, but the freshman had some star moments — the Michigan pick was a prime example. He’s not afraid of the spotlight and the talent is there.

Lowery was probably one of the more underrated cornerbacks on the roster last year and he should be able to earn some playing time because of his aggressiveness. And Coley is an incoming freshman who is incredibly talented and could crack that rotation.