Michigan State Football: Expect Defense to Remain Elite
Nov 8, 2014; East Lansing, MI, USA; Michigan State Spartans wide receiver Tony Lippett (14) and safety Kurtis Drummond (27) and safety RJ Williamson (26) enter the stadium prior to a game at Spartan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mike Carter-USA TODAY Sports
The Secondary
Mark Dantonio has obviously been happy with the job of Harlon Barnett as Defensive Back Coach after his promotion to Co-Defensive Coordinator. A 7 year NFL safety, Barnett will still coach the Michigan State Secondary and has taken his professional and collegiate experience (with MSU) and used it to groom NFL caliber DB’s in East Lansing. Michigan State has had 7 Defensive Backs since 2010 drafted or with a job in the NFL under Barnett’s tutelage.
One of those Spartan draftees is CB Trae Waynes, who passed up his redshirt senior season at Michigan State for the NFL draft. At the Spartans thinnest position, Waynes departure to the Minnesota Vikings created a job opening for a Spartan DB.
Redshirt Junior Demetrious Cox will have the job to return to the opposite corner of Waynes. At 6′ 1″ 200 lbs, Cox has a little more size and has experience at safety. Barnett described Cox as “one of the most conditioned players on the team”. Cox has been in contact with current Cincinnati Bengal, and former Spartan CB Darqueze Dennard on pointers for the corner position. Demetrious will see some time at Safety this season, most likely even more so next year.
At the opposite corner Senior cornerback Arjen Colquhoun has put in the work to go out as a starter. Colquhoun has put in work also learning from former Spartans Dennard and Waynes as well as Coach Barnett on the ins and outs as a cornerback. He’s claimed to of gotten faster while adding weight. He’s earned Barnett’s praise as having a good spring and been described by teammates as looking more confident.
Colquhoun most likely wouldn’t have as much of a shot at starter if not for Junior Darian Hicks mononucleosis diagnosis. He’s still has a questionable timetable as far as how long he’s out, but he may come back with full health in time to battle for the starting CB position.
The dark horse to take the No. 1 job could be Redshirt Freshman Vayante Copeland . He’s been compared by Dantonio to Dennard in terms of his competitiveness and talent. He’ll have a regular role in some capacity for the secondary this season.
Former MSU Safety Kurtis Drummond graduated and is now a Houston Texan, but it’s possible he isn’t missed as bad as you may first be inclined to believe. Sophomore Safety Montae Nicholson seems ready to step up and fill the hole Drummond left. When Coach Dantonio’s response when asked for a breakout player in 2015 was this:
"“Coach Dantonio’s response. If you asked for one right now, I think Montae is a guy that played for us as a true freshman, started four games. He’s a 13.9 high hurdler and a 25-8 long jumper, 218 pounds, and he’s got a year of experience. He’s a very good tackler with good ball skills. He sort of fits that mold, but there are other guys out there.”"
If Dantonio is willing to point out Montae as fitting the mold of a breakout player, then we should to expect a solid year at Strong Safety from Nicholson. Hopefully he’ll show us star potential next season.
RJ Williamson is returning from a great year, 59 tackles, 3 INT’s, 2 returned for touchdowns. Williamson was awarded as the team’s defensive “Outstanding Underclass Award”. The Spartans will depend on RJ to return similar production in 2015.
Next: Dantonio's success goes beyond wins and losses