Safety 1: Malik Spencer
The first safety I’m projecting to be a starter for Michigan State this season is Malik Spencer.
Spencer is a pretty easy selection for me as he appeared in all 12 games last season including grabbing eight starts. Spencer was No. 2 on the team in 2023 in tackles with 72 which included 41 solo tackles.
Spencer also recorded a solid six pass breakups last season, which ranked second on the team and 15th in the Big Ten. He also had a total of 634 snaps on defense which was third most on the team.
All of this experience will be critical on a defense that has a lot of new faces on it. Spencer also is only a junior, so MSU will greatly benefit from having his presence in the secondary over the next two years.
I fully expect Spencer to have a huge season this year, potentially even flirting with the All-Big Ten teams at the end of the season. He will be a leader of the defense, and it wouldn’t surprise me to see him become one of the captains of the team as well.