The third week of fall practice is in the books, and while another scrimmage is on the horizon, there are still plenty of questions surrounding this year's Michigan State football team.
The Spartans bring back a relatively experienced team with a second-year starter at quarterback and arguably the deepest receiving corps in years, so there aren't as many question marks on the offensive side of the ball, but not all position groups on that side of the ball are solidified.
Jonathan Smith has been speaking highly of his quarterback, his receivers, and his offensive line, but fans are still being cautiously optimistic heading into the season after missing three straight bowls.
What are the position groups with the most question marks heading into the 2025 season?
Let's discuss.
1. Defensive line
We all know about the struggles of this group from a year ago. The Spartans seemingly couldn't find their way into the backfield after the opener against FAU which was disappointing, to say the least.
Now, the Spartans bring back Jalen Thompson, Alex VanSumeren, Mikeshun Beeler, Ben Roberts, Ru'Quan Buckley, Jalen Satchell, Quindarius Dunnigan, and Tyler Gillison to bolster the group with veteran leadership while newcomers like Anelu Lafaele, David Santiago, Kekai Burnett, Grady Kelly, and Derrick Simmons are all looking to battle for snaps.
There's no set starting group, and I think that's the definition of "question marks" heading into the season.
2. Running back
We've heard about Brandon Tullis and Makhi Frazier standing out so far this fall, but the Spartans have also added Elijah Tau-Tolliver from Sacramento State and Jace Clarizio in the 2025 class. Oh, and we can't sleep on Zion Gist either.
There's no standout starter and Keith Bhonapha has even said he's looking for some separation which hasn't happened yet.
No one really knows what to expect from this backfield that has next to no experience (outside of Tau-Tolliver at the FCS level).
3. Secondary
With arguably the most pieces it's had in years, the secondary has more question marks than answers heading into the 2025 season. I could've easily put the offensive line in this spot, but I'm more concerned about the secondary.
Gone is Demetrice Martin, which was obviously a huge blow to the group, and Dillon Tatum has transferred to Northwestern. The room is going to look a lot different in 2025.
Nikai Martinez and Malik Spencer are likely the two solidified starters, in my opinion, and the cornerback spots seem to be up for grabs for guys like Jeremiah Hughes, Joshua Eaton, and Chance Rucker, to name a few, to win. There are just too many question marks at cornerback while I do believe the safety spots should be in solid shape with Martinez, Spencer (nickel), and Justin Denson, among others.
I'm very curious to see just how improved this much deeper unit is.