MSU football MOST IMPROVED unit will come from defense | The pros and cons of "coin toss" games

Michigan State's most improved unit is it going to be quarterback this year or are we going to go to the other side of the ball to find who is going to raise the ceiling a little more plus we're going to talk a few coin toss games let's go you are locked on Spartans your daily podcast on the Michigan State Spartans part of the locked on podcast Network your team every day this episode of lockdown sparts is brought to you by Game Time download the game time app create an account and use code locked on college for $20 off your first purchase terms apply Spartan friends Spartan family locked on Spartans listeners thank you all so much for tuning in to lockdown Spartans your team in green and white five days a week here on the lockdown podcast Network please rate review subscribe comment below what position group you think is going to be most improved this upcoming fall and guys if you have any questions reach out to us locked on Spartans gmail.com or find me on Twitter shean for sports I just asked for another round of mailbag questions from you beautiful people out there and actually we're going to start this off with one that came from the last round of begging and pleading for mailbag questions this one comes from Madison so Madison I'm so sorry it took seemingly 15 weeks to get to this one but this is a question out a lot of people's minds you're saving this one for just the right time so here we go the question point blank was well who's going to be the most improved unit on the field this fall we've gotten many different iterations of this question so so certainly not the only one asking this question guys unfortunately or maybe incredibly fortunately I don't know which way to take this I'll let you guys be the judge of that one no shortage of options here all over the field um the negative of that is that yeah last year was pretty brutal we all know that by now but the positive is is that hey you know what we can be experiencing a lot of improvement in a lot of different areas on the field this fall so I know what's be the popular answer is quarterback heck I'm very thrilled about the quarterback situation here in East L and I do think there is going to be an improvement certainly over no disrespect to these players Noah Kim Kon Hower Aiden Charles raises the floor on those guys also too we got this question last week is shoot how do we know that Aiden Charles is gonna be better than Sam levit and yes there could be a world where Sam levit does end up having the better college career but I think with already known the offensive system just like aen Charles does with the coaches he transferred over with the usage of his legs and the powerful arm I I think that the floor and the ceiling has been raised at the quarterback position but guys we're going to take a trip to the other side of the ball here because I think that there's one other position group that has a little more Improvement than even a fresh start at quarterback here the defense as a whole they returned 75% of production that is 20th best in the country so it's a lot of familiar faces but where we are going to see improvement with the guys that are still there and added Personnel from this spring is the one the only secondary that's right the thorn in Michigan State football and Michigan State football fans sides for the last three years they were either last place or second to last place in yards per game in the passing game for their opponents I didn't have to say that stat you guys probably know how miserable of a stretch it has been for the passing def in years past but hey this is who we return Malik Spencer Dylan Tatum chance Rucker those first two presumed to be starting safeties and then chance Rucker a guy that got a lot of run last year as a true freshman yes he will be a cornerback this year so just alone just right there for the returners okay you can see that as the first two guys I named Spencer and Tatum are going to be Juniors and then chance Rucker sophomores these are guys that are going to take you know some big steps forward uh you know barring their health and everything like that now if that wasn't good enough what they did in the spring they added nikai Martinez guy that started every game for USF Central Florida that is he played everywhere secondary nickel Corner this guy is versatile they also added another versatile guy in Legend Cavazos from North Carolina by way of Ohio State former High fourstar recruit just like Niki he's played a little bit everywhere but there's also one other addition that was the Catz pajamas the headliner of this transfer portal class if you ask a lot of people myself included at least for the spring window that is Ed Woods out of Arizona State one of the best Pack 12 quarterbacks in the conference last year Alabama wanted his services but Michigan State won that battle so shout out to Blue Adams coach meet Joe Rossi Jonathan Smith for that because with the floor they already had it wasn't good enough for them they built on top of that and now it is an experienced group that has a lot of Versatility in it and I will pump the braks a little bit guys like does this mean that oh my goodness gracious we're going to the return of the no fly zone coming up like are we hearkening back to the days of 2013 here in E Lancing like no I I don't think that but guys like they just need to be average I mean of course we all take above average you know even good but if they just give us a baseline level of just decent secondary play that is strides on top of strides forward from where they were in the last few seasons as a matter of fact pick six preview which by the way if you haven't already gotten that preview magazine for the colal off season go ahead and do that Brent seonia doing great work over for the pick six previews he had Michigan State 66 out of 70 power four teams in pass defense last year so yes this is as you guys already know uh you know it's been brutal but if you want some numbers attached to it 66 best pass defense out of 70 yeah that's how much room there is to grow now the spring again was huge we just going to reiterate this Spencer and Tatum at safety fine all right chance Rucker maybe Chuck Brantley starting cornerbacks okay whatever uh Angelo gross starting at nickel you know what okay that's that's like a decent floor right there to start but then guys I mean now this is what we're looking at with the additions that they've made Dylan Tatum nikai Martinez possibly starting at safety chance Rucker and now Ed Woods starting at cornerback and now for the backups at corner you have Chuck Brantley a guy with a lot of experience Legend kazos is a guy in the two deep with experience that's another backup right there and then could also move Malik Spencer down to Nickel my goodness gracious with Angelo gross a guy that as we all know plenty of experience potentially coming off the bench so they have raised the floor drastically enough in the secondary that I think that's going to be the most improved group coming up now we're gonna stick with the defensive side of the ball here because of course we have some honorable mentions we'll talk a little bit about quarterback here in a second but keeping with the defensive side of the ball even though they have been the strength you know going into this off season I still think linebackers will make a big jump from last season to this season coming up and like sure it's a bunch of familiar names right like you have your Cal holidays you have your Jordan Halls you have your Darius snows like names that we already know but two big additions which once again raises the floor and possibly the ceiling to of this team like Wayne Matthews Old Dominion linebacker transfer guys you've heard us talk up and down about him the last few weeks if you listen to the show every once in a while 10th best pass coverage linebacker in FBS not just group of five colleges no the whole division one landscape that is according to Pro Football Focus he is a game changer in pass coverage and not to bring up last season again but we all saw what uh pass coverage looked like from the linebacker crew last year they desperately needed help and Jonathan Smith got him almost immediately I think that if Jonathan Smith was watching film on that flight from Corvalis to East Lancing to you know start that introductory press conference I think by the time Wheels touchdown at laning airport I think he identified that okay we'll need a pass coverage linebacker here and he went and got that guys there's also another linebacker transfer Jordan Turner two-year starter at Wisconsin now look this was already strength of the linebacker core stopping the Run that's what K holiday is known for Jordan Hall even as a true freshman decent enough job at that even as a Young Gun but hey you add Jordan Turner which that's a strong suit too stopping the run you just raise your floor once again in run stopping in a conference that yeah is going to require a lot of stopping the run here so that was good work by Jonathan Smith now the offensive side of the ball as far as returning production goes we just said Michigan St on defense top 20 in the nation at returning production not the case with the offensive side of the ball they just have 46% returning production that is outside the top 100 in the nation and I got to say good I good I I think this is one of the situations where you don't mind seeing a lot of fresh faces on the offensive side of the ball whether it's the guys on the field no disrespect or the coaching staff a little disrespect there that was Despicable what we saw last year anyway guys we already T quarterback right off the rip okay you know what this is going to be a floor razor maybe eventually a ceiling razor for what aen child has just immediately has added into this program now another position group we're going to include is the tight and position both with not just who they added as far as guys were in the helmet and playing on the field but the coaching staff too and how they run their offense very tight end oriented and when you have guys like transfer Jack Val who Jonathan Smith not one to ere exaggerate in press conferences said that he believes that he could be one of the best tight ends in the nation okay yeah we'll take that and that's just not you know a bunch of blind smoke he blowing up our butts right now Jack valan as many of you know top tight end touchdown pass catcher in the nation last year he reeled in eight touchdowns that led the nation also guys Brennon perek we've talked so much about him but let's not discount Michael munis all right red shirt sophomore 6'5 258 does a little bit of pass catching a little bit of blocking and then back for his seventh year of college and no I'm not doing a bit I know that I like to do that sometimes say oh guys back for 16th year of college like no tyneil Hopper is literally back for his seventh year of college so it's a pretty healthy room that you have and it's a first time in a long time that we've had a healthy line or sorry a healthy tight end room one other position we got to get to here in a little bit but first need to talk your ears off about game time the greatest ticketing app out there and guys something very personal just happened in my life Fred again my favorite DJ he dropped a tour date in Detroit and you know that I will be using game time to get my tickets now why well because they make it too easy it's the Flash Deals let's say a few weeks before the concert I just want to see what good ticket deals are out there game time has them all over the place guys not just concerts either we're talking sporting events comedy shows theatrical performances if there's a ticketed event look for it on game time also too I'm a procrastinator let's say that I just forget to buy the tickets until I'm walking up to Little Caesars Arena well hey their last minute ticket deals 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happen in now less than three weeks that's right week zero Around the Corner lock on college football is available on YouTube and wherever you get your podcast part of of course the lockdown podcast Network your team every day now as far as Improvement goes I swear I'm not trying to talk out of both sides of my mouth right now because we talked a lot like plenty of you are sick of how often we've talked about this but um the offensive line depth okay that's a concern that could be the weakness of the team that could be why you know over in Vegas their over under total is just four and a half and not just you know the gambling people but the analytics people s SMP plus all right K Ford rankings they're expecting a low win total for Michigan State that could very well be why but here's where like this might even sound ridiculous is that I even think the starting offensive line could be an upgrade from last year I will say this not like the bar is you know all the way up sitting on Saturn right now right like the offensive line play left a little to be desired last year so as far as starters go I don't hate how Michigan state is going to take the field in week one like Brandon Baldwin he returns solid season last year left tackle for him Christian Phillips is there a world where you know that could be a wash with goo Vanden Mark's departure at inside uh guard yeah I I do like gin was a fine player I think Christian Phillips can also be a fine player especially if he played the way he did in the Spring Showcase a few months ago that was delightful to see uh Tanner Miller okay All-American Tanner Miller I know that Nick sech was just drafted in the seventh round but could that be a wash I very well think so I think Tanner Miller is a fantastic player clearly so does Jonathan Smith that's why he brought him over from Oregon State now Luke Newman FCS all americ from Holy Cross he played tackle down in The Patriot league but he's going to bump to inside offensive lineman just because that's how he's built in FBS football can that be an upgrade over JD dupain I think so and guys without being like way too mean about this next one but Ashton leppo will that be an upgrade over Spencer Brown yeah even with three limbs I think that's going to be an upgrade here I said I wasn't going to be mean about that I'm sorry but yeah like that's going to be an upgrade at right tackle just off the shoot so you can either have realistically washes at some positions if not just outright upgrades at the starting offensive line now of course our issue is with the rest of the line that when you get behind those starters you have Dallas Fincher he has college experience everyone else in that room no none like none it's gonna be a lot of retri freshman former walk ons maybe even true freshman so there is a little concern about the two deep and we all know especially as Michigan State fans injuries in football do happen so we'll see how it looks when they get to the two deep here inevitably but for now I don't think it's crazy to say that the starting offensive line unit is going to have a little bit of an upgrade and that's also going to improve the Run game now I'm just kind of going off in a tangent here because you know the question was what groups improved or what players are gonna improve I while you have the same running backs as last year you have Nate Carter back and you do add KRON Lynch Adams I think is a massive addition like I think the Run game just as a whole is going to improve again gotta say this the bars on the floor they averaged 2.9 yards per carry last year that was in the bottom three for the big last season so I know that we all know Nate Carter I I think that just as a total the Run game is going to improve partly because okay they do a really good job scheming the Run game all right the last three years at Oregon State they were at least in the top 40 nationally even three years ago they were in the top 15 at yards per carry whereas Michigan State they really struggle to move the ball not just through the air but also on the ground as we all know so yes that is what we got for improvement on the horizon uh and now as we move to the mail bag here this is Matt C wonderful uh guy always comments always watches shout out to Matt C part of the uh Ben Carter fan club too so uh if you ever see him in the streets he's probably rocking as Ben Carter Jersey out there somewhere that's a joke I'm sure he just snapped his phone in half listening to that I'm sorry about that Matt see anyway here comes the question how come you give poverty programs like Iowa Ruckers Illinois the benefit of the doubt but never MSU you and step Brooks really continue to understate how bad the coaching was last year Matt C just like Madison's question last segment we've gotten a few iterations of those comments too of course it's like coaching's going to be just this big of an upgrade we had a comment on a video not too long ago saying that we're not going to lose to Indiana and Iowa and I think Ruckers was the other team because of you know coaching mishaps and errors which Fair of course it is like coaching is going to be an instant upgrade whether it's time management which my goodness gracious was a boondoggle the last few years or play calling which of course on both sides of the ball was beyond stale we already know this guys like that's going to be an instant upgrade just with the coaching but this is what I'm gonna do now for the next few moments is play both sides of the aisle here and also like just tell you why that we talk about those games the way that we do all right because guys none of those are walkover games all right like the the Iowa game certainly not a walkover game ruter isn't a walkover game Illinois not even a walkover game so our job here is to keep us the fans focused I know that we don't play I know we're not strapping up the shoulder pads I know that we're not making the bus right over to Champagne Illinois November but hey we gotta be focused no walkover games we are not going to sleep on these opponents so let's go one by one I'm gonna give reasons why it's gonna be a tough game but also I will give MSU the benefit of the doubt I will give reasons why MSU could or if not should win these games we're going to start with Iowa now Iowa is going to be tough right like that's that's going to be a game Michigan state will be underdogs in despite it being a home game despite it being homecoming now why well it's because I was going to be a top five defense in the country like they're projecting as a top five defense right now maybe even top three depending on who you're reading out there but they returned 86% of production from last year that is top 10 easily in the country Jay Higgins and Nick Jackson arguably the best linebacker duo in the conference if not maybe the country too like is a nasty linebacker Duo that's the story with Iowa mean defense Tales old this time right so how can MSU win well Iowa's offensive line could struggle okay like yes they do return four of five starting offensive lineman from last year but it's not like they lit the world on fire last year their yards per carry not great they had a very high sack percentage too I think 9% of all dropbacks ended in a sack that was outside the top 100 in the country and well sure like mcnea can't be worse than Deacon Hill so maybe that opens up the box a little bit teams can't load the box with eight or nine Defenders like they did last year but still that was an offensive line unit that did struggle a little bit last year now also why Michigan State can win we've been saying this we've been beating this into the ground Iowa games for the most part are just a race to 20 points okay their offense isn't going to do much but their defense isn't going to let other teams do much so when games that are raised to 20 points happens what does that really rely on special teams you know punting field goal kicking and of course turnovers like the bounce these are games that could just be decided between a bounce of the ball one way or another we saw it last year in Iowa City special teams played a massive role in Iowa stealing that game late a ball bouncing the ronway certainly killed any chance Michigan state had at a game winning drive at the end of that game so can you tighten up special teams well I think so Michigan state is going to have one of the best kicker punter Duos in the conference if not the best going into next year and turnovers well yeah that's going to be a wait and see sort of thing but it's a home game it's home coming and I'm liking Michigan State's chances a lot more than the metrics do actually I know that there are some out there that give Michigan State roughly a 20 to 25% chance of winning that game I until you know what like I'm gonna wait to see what our team looks like injury-wise and what Iowa looks like injury-wise before I just you know scream it from the mountain tops but that could be your early upset game right there or your biggest upset coming up this season now Ruckers now why can Ruckers make this a game why you know arguably will they be expected to win this game at least right now before the season even starts their defense nasty they returned 75% of their production from defense that includes nine starters guys and that was a solid defense last year over there in Piscataway their offense returns three all big 10 honory lineman and running back Kyle manongi this guy is impossible to bring down I'm convinced a school bus could just go at him at 45 miles an hour and he'd still be standing that this kid is a tough Runner and also just this is weird like this is gonna sound so strange to say out loud but like the The Vibes that Ruckers can be going into this game with like there is a realistic shot I mean not not a likely shot but a realistic scenario that Ruckus is going for like their ninth or tth win of the season when they come to East Lancing in week 14 if you don't believe me go ahead and look at that schedule that is the softest schedule arguably in the Big 10 maybe even inarguably if I could say but like right now again their over under is just six and a half it would take a herculan effort to get up to nine or 10 wins for Ruckers but nevertheless there's a long way of saying that they're gonna be a good team and they can be riding into this game with a lot of confidence that said ymu the Ruckers passing game is a wow and not in a good way like their pass offense is going to to be well let's just put it this way Gavin Wim he transferred to Kentucky I don't know what to do I I don't know if he's hoping to throw the ball over there somehow but anyway Minnesota transfer Athan CIS transfers to Ruckers he's the presumed starter that's the same Cali kamakis if I'm saying that name right that had a 53% completion percentage last year and I gotta say whenever I watch Minnesota football which was like way more than any human being should uh it looked even worse in 53 3% like I if it came down to hey this kid you know transferred to Michigan State and there's no other quarterback I would trust Ryan Eckley our punter to kick the ball to receivers more than I would trust Rucker starting quarterback to at least complete two passes in a row I I'm being really mean this episode but I think he was atrocious last year but this their starting quarterback so let got a bod well for Michigan State unless guy learns how to throw a ball in the 13 weeks leading up to the Michigan State game anyway Michigan State's front seven against Ruckers Run game that could make this another race to 20 points so of course just like we said with the Iowa game msu's kicker and punter maybe the best duo in the country or if not the conference going into next year now the Maryland game very early game and I know we're jumping all over the board here as far as schedule goes this is the week two game after talking about the week 14 game right there but why is Maryland not an opponent to shake any sticks at well first and foremost we got a two-game win streak over our Michigan State Spartan so hopefully that the guys in the locker room that have been here for those two games know not the Sleepwalk against the terrains early in the season Maryland is the worst time to get Maryland I know it's been somewhat of a joke in Big 10 circles is that yeah you want to play Maryland at the end of the year when they've mailed it in and you don't want to face him early in the year while they're still trying like that's not a joke there are numbers to back that up in the last three years in the month of September Maryland is 12 and one that one loss was last year on the road losing to Michigan just by seven points like that this terpin team under Mike Loxley turns the burners on in September so get to get them weak to it sucks like we'll just come out and say it how it is like that absolutely sucks I really wish that was a November game when uh you know they just morally and mentally quit the last few weeks of the season anyway now this is going to be really weird to say for Maryland uh they've got a really defensive line coming in next year like usually when you think of Maryland you think of okay like a pretty solid offense some really good skill position players and they still do have those on offense like you know running back Roman henby they got wide receiver Ty Felton but man they returned six guys with experience to that defensive line a defensive line that just gave up 3.4 yards per carry good for 20th in the country so it's going to be defense why Maryland will be good this year as odd odd as it is to say but why will MSU make this a game why could this be an early up set for our Spartans well Maryland as a whole my goodness gracious they've gotten pillaged on offense just 36% of production coming back on offense they have a three-man battle for quarterback right now they could very well bleed into the season in week two and you know the saying if you have two quarterbacks that you're deciding to start you have none well what does that make three I don't think they necessarily have an automatic replacement for toia Tonga aloa from last year so that's going to be a breath of fresh air at least for these Spartan eyes over here and you're going to like this too all new offensive line okay they got a transfer over from Purdue they got a transfer from a division 2 college that you know Penn State had for a little bit he was a late flip so he's going to be solid as well but whole new line and hey that's a good time to catch him actually maybe is in week two and they're still trying to build the chemistry there so that's why Michigan State maybe has a fighter chance when they go to college park now Illinois why should we fear Brett BMA and Illinois I'm going to be honest I I don't have a lot for this one actually like it's a road game it's later in the season I think Illinois is off of by if I'm not mistaken I could be corrected there but nevertheless like K Ford is still only giving us a 45% chance of Victory so the best I can do to give Illinois the benefit of the doubt is say that kind of like what we talked about last week with sunny Verma the offensive line can't get any worse especially under Brett VMA a guy that knows how to coach that position very well like they struggled last year I'm sure the offensive line will be better this upcoming season but I'm not too inspired by Illinois this year so like I mean look they took a big step back with Ryan Walters going to Purdue all right that that that defense that Illinois had two years ago not there anymore they've lost a lot of guys to the NFL including from last year's team jerson Newton a guy that went in the second round okay he also had a strong running mate whose name is escaping me right now at defensive tackle but that was a strength of their defense last year not going to be there anymore so I like they also lost two top offensive linemen their wide receiver the guy that did it all last year for them Isaiah Williams like he's gone so I actually don't know how to give benefit of the doubt to Illinois other than that it's a road game and I'm sure that their offensive Line's gonna be fine going in next year so that's that's what I got the other two games that are like kind of coin tosses Michigan State actually favored to win these games in many projections actually you know for unfortunately a lot of projections right now as things stand the only two Michigan State is favored to win it's a Purdue game it's the Indiana game I'll just be really quick with these uh Purdue give them the benefit of the doubt like Hudson card their quarterback I think he's gonna have a fine bounceback season from last year his second year in that system and I just really like Ryan Walters as a coach I mean I know that year one did not go well no one's thought that it would go well for him over in West lafa yet though but maybe that there's going to be a jump here from year one to year two what doesn't help is that they lost their top defensive end in the transfer portal to Texas A&M but I am the Ryan alter believer I don't know if it's going to happen in year two but maybe it does so that's the benefit of the doubt I have for Purdue and Indiana you know just like Purdue I I do love the Kurt cetti hire for them now what he's also done is he's brought over 13 James Madison guys okay he's also got a really strong quarterback transfer from Ohio Curtis roor a guy that won Mac offensive player of the year two years ago so I think that he's raised the floor for Indiana right off the bat but is that really saying a lot I I not not to be mean again for like the 18th time this show but I I don't really think it takes much to raise a floor on Indiana football from what they had last year so he has 13 James Madison guys they're gonna be ready to play obviously those are all guys that know the system there's not going to be a lot of learning to do in the offseason and well by the time Michigan State sees Indiana in November you know they'll be hitting their stride right now we'll see what that actually means though they got a lot of holes on that defense so yeah if I just had to give any benefit of that out to those two teams that's it right there still expect Michigan State to take W's in both of those games all right folks hope I did a good enough job I hope that we're not going to sleepwalk through these opponents but at the same time I hope I wasn't just a total debut Downer there I hope I did give some reasons why Michigan state is going to have a fighter chance if not a very likely opportunity to get some wins here this season I guys like I'm liking Michigan State going into the year I know I'm not predicting the Orange Bowl or the cotton bow or anything like that I'm just you know predicting a nice little Sunday seven and5 here you know something nice and relaxing here but I that's still higher than the projections out there I'm high on our Spartans I hope you guys are to in Jonathan Smith's first year and we will be back tomorrow here on lock on Spartans again guys just like we said go make lock on college football your second listen and if you want a third listen head on over to locked on Big 10 but until then guys we will see you all tomorrow love you all go