Little is known about the big-armed junior-to-be from Midland, Mich. He has been patient and learned the position behind arguably the program’s most historic quarterback Kirk Cousins. He has the support of the coaching staff as the unquestioned starter for the Spartans in 2012. Head coach Mark Dantonio had this to say about his future starter this spring, “He has a very live arm and he’s an outstanding leader. He’s very calm and poised and I think great things are around the corner for him.” The poise, leadership, mental approach to the game, stature (6-foot-3, 215 pounds) and arm strength have led most observers to Cousins comparisons. If he is half of the quarterback Cousins was in East Lansing, Spartan fans will be very happy — and he will be much higher on this list come next summer.

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While Adams gets the most NFL praise from scouts, Dennard has proved that he is an All-Big Ten-type performer as well. He posted 42 tackles in 11 games last fall and tied a Spartan bowl record when he intercepted Aaron Murray twice in the 2012 Outback Bowl, including one he took back 38 yards for a touchdown. It is easy to overlook the Dry Branch, Ga., native while he plays alongside names like Lewis and Adams, but Dennard is a huge part of what makes the Spartans back-seven so scary in 2012.

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The third of the stellar linebacking corps in East Lansing is no slouch in his own right. The Detroit product earned his own all-conference recognition when the media gave him an honorable mention nod a season ago. He posted a career-high 76 total tackles, 6.5 tackles for a loss and a couple of sacks. The 6-foot-1, 230-pound linebacker has made 23 career starts as he enters his final season in college.
 

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Since Mark Dantonio took over in East Lansing, the offensive line has been a physical presence along the line of scrimmage. And McDonald has been a big part of that Spartan’s rushing attack. The honorable mention All-Big Ten blocker played more snaps (775) than any other offensive lineman on the team. The 6-foot-5, 299-pound hog molly enters his third season as the starter after helping Michigan State to its first two 11-win seasons in school history.

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Allen is not your prototypical pass-rushing strongside linebacker, but he is incredibly effective. At 5-foot-11 and 232 pounds, the short tackler led the Spartans in sacks with 11.0 quarterback takedowns in 2011, good for second in the Big Ten behind only first-round NFL Draft pick Whitney Mercilus. His 83 total tackles were second on the team and earned him second-team All-Big Ten recognition from the media in only his year in the starting line-up. Like Bullough and Lewis, Allen has played in all 27 possible career games for the Spartans. 

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Bell has the potential to be a first-team All-Big Ten player if he can provide consistent production week in and week out. He has scored 21 touchdowns in two seasons as an underclassman and has the frame — 6-foot-2, 238 pounds — to be a future star on the next level. However, Bell has only one game of at least 20 carries in his career and failed to score in 14 of his 27 career games — meaning he scored 21 times in 13 games. This is likely why Mark Dantonio has felt the need to motivate the rising junior this spring. The head coach knows that much of the team’s offensive success in 2012 will run through Bell. The Ohio native has a chance at a special season behind a solid offensive line if he can play with consistency and dedication.

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This Indianapolis, Ind., safety is a bit undersized at 5-foot-10 and 195 pounds, but he doesn’t play that way. The consensus second-team All-Big Ten selection tied for the team lead with four interceptions, including two he returned for touchdowns against Central Michigan and archrival Michigan. He also posted 74 total tackles and 2.5 sacks in only his first season as the starter. He, too, has never missed a game in his two years on campus and should be one of the best at his position in the Big Ten.
 

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In two quick seasons, the third generation Spartan legacy has established himself as one of the most dependable tacklers in the Big Ten. He posted 89 total stops in his first season as the starter last fall and has yet to miss a contest in his 27-game career. He earned second-team All-Big Ten honors from the league’s coaches in 2011 and should be amongst the conference’s top tacklers once again in 2012. The heady, savvy inside tackler should lead the team in tackles for the second straight season and plays with the heart and toughness that is required from to excel as a Big Ten middle linebacker.
 

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A fixture in the Spartan Big Ten-leading defense, Adams has played in 42 games and started 28 heading into his final season in East Lansing. He is a two-time All-Big Ten selection, including a first-team nod by the coaches in 2011. He finished last fall with 51 total tackles, three interceptions — including one he returned 86 yards for a touchdown — and three sacks. The Akron, Ohio, product has 122 career stops and 25 passes defended (eight interceptions, 17 passes broken up). His versatility makes Adams one of the best cornerbacks in the country.

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There are few players in the nation with as much raw physical talent as this Detroit pass rusher. As a sophomore, Gholston earned second-team All-Big Ten honors after wracking-up 70 total tackles, 16.0 tackles for a loss and 5.0 sacks in 2011. The 6-foot-7, 275 monster has the ability to develop into an All-American and high NFL Draft pick — if he can stay focused and committed to being successful. He was suspended for the Wisconsin game for an on-the-field transgression and recently sustained minor injuries after his SUV rolled into a ditch in a car accident (although, it appears he wasn’t at fault). With just a touch of maturation, Gholston has a chance to be the best player at his position in the Big Ten.

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As a two-time all-conference selection, Bullough set a single-season school record for tackles in 1991 with 175 stops (he also is No. 3 all-time with 164 tackles in 1990). He won two Big Ten championships and three bowl games including the 1987 Rose Bowl championship. The long line of Bullough started with Chuck’s father, Henry, who played and coached at Michigan State. Henry, also known as the “Doctor of Defense,” coached for 23 years in the NFL. Chuck’s nephew, Max, will have a breakout sophomore season for the 2011 Spartans. His 391 tackles were fifth best in school history.

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Over his four-year career, Cousins improved his yardage, touchdown and completion totals every year. He never threw more than 10 interceptions in a season and his 66 career touchdowns ranks first all-time in Spartans’ history. Michigan State has posted five total 10-win seasons in program history and Cousins claims two of those. In fact, the only two teams in Sparty history to reach 11 wins were quarterbacked by the Holland, Mich., native. His 9,131 career yards, 723 career completions, 9,004 yards of total offense, 146.1 passer rating and 26 200-yard games are all Michigan State school records. His career 64.1% completion mark ranks sixth all-time in Big Ten history. He also holds the school record for wins with a 27-12 starting mark.

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A first-team All-American, Adams checked in at 6’7” and 330 pounds as a collgiate athlete. As a semi-finalist for the Outland Trophy and the Lombardi Award, Adams allowed only two sacks and registered 37 pancake blocks during his 1997 season. He earned Big Ten Lineman of the Year honors and was selected in the second round of the NFL Draft by the Dallas Cowboys.

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After 39.5 sacks in two seasons as an All-American at Valley Forge C.C., Peterson, the Seaboard Conference Player of the Year, signed with Michigan State. Despite only playing for two seasons, Peterson has his name all over the Spartans record book. The dynamic hybrid end/backer set the school record for career tackles for a loss with 48 – due is most part to his single-season record of 30 in 1999 in which he obliterated his own record of 18. That same season Peterson posted 15 sacks, good for second best in Spartan history. His 25 career sacks rank second all time to Larry Bethea. He finished with 140 tackles.

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In only two seasons in East Lansing, Rogers finished fourth all-time with 135 receptions and became only the second player to post back-to-back 1,000-yard receiving efforts (Plaxico Burress). The consensus All-American was the best receiver in the nation in 2002, claiming the Fred Biletnikoff Award. He set Spartan single-season record with 68 catches, finishing second to only himself with 1,351 yards and 13 touchdowns. He set both marks in 2001 with 14 TDs and 1,470 yards. He broke Randy Moss’ NCAA record by catching a TD pass in 13 straight games. He set MSU’s single game yards mark with 270 against Fresno State in 2001. He topped MLB star Kirk Gibson (24) with 27 career TDs. Rogers was selected with the No. 2 overall pick in the 2003 NFL Draft.

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“Bad Moon” Rison left school as Michigan State’s all-time leading receiver with 146 catches. He is still the all-time leader with 2,992 career receiving yards. He also set a single-game school high of 252 yards against Georgia. His 20 career touchdown receptions rank third in school history. Rison is one of few players to have won a championship in the both the Super Bowl (Green Bay, 1996) and the Grey Cup (Toronto, 2004).

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Snow finished his sterling MSU career with 473 tackles, good for second all-time to Dan Bass. The three-year starter became the first player in NCAA history to win the Butkus and Lombardi awards in the same season (only one player has done it since then, Marvin Jones, Florida State). The two-time All-American and three-time first-team All-Big Ten selection, Snow set the Michigan State single-season tackle mark two years in a row with 164 in 1988 and then 172 in 1989. As the leader of the “Gang Green” defense, Snow pushed the Spartans to the Big Ten Championship and 1988 Rose Bowl title over USC – claiming the Rose Bowl MVP trophy. Snow was the 13th overall pick in the 1990 draft.

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One needs to only look at the 1988 Heisman Trophy ballots to realize just how dominant Mandarich was on the college gridiron. He finished sixth in the Heisman voting after his second straight All-American season in East Lansing despite playing in only eight games. In the face of a short NCAA suspension, Mandarich was an Outland Finalist after helping Michigan State rush for nearly 270 yards per game in the final eight contests. The 6’6” 315 pounder did not allow a sack and recorded 50 pancake blocks as a senior. He was the second overall pick in the 1989 NFL Draft – taken one slot before Barry Sanders, Derrick Thomas and Deion Sanders.

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As a sophomore, White became the first Big Ten running back to top the 2,000 yard mark with 2,066. He finished fourth in the Heisman voting that season and earned All-American honors. He was also the first Spartan to ever lead the nation in rushing at 173.5 yards per game. White also finished fourth in the Heisman balloting two years later, earning consensus All-American honors in 1987. He helped MSU to its first Rose Bowl in over 20 years. White is currently the school’s all-time leading rusher (4,887), all-time leader in attempts (1,082) and career TDs (43). He also has the top two single-season rushing totals and the top two single-season attempts – carrying the ball 419 times in 1985 and 357 times in 1987. White has the record for most attempts in a game with 56 rushes (he actually claims five of the top seven single-game performances).

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One of the biggest defensive backs to ever play the game, the 6’5” 230 pound defensive back was a two-time All-American in 1971 and 1972 (consensus). The big hitter became the first defensive back in NCAA history to win the Maxwell Award as the nation’s best player. He was also given the Chevy Defensive Player of the Year by the Columbus Touchdown Club. He was 13th in the Heisman voting in 1972. Van Pelt finished his career with 256 tackles and 14 interceptions – good for fourth all-time in school history for passes picked off. Van Pelt earned seven varsity letters, playing on both the basketball and baseball teams as well. Playing 14 seasons in the NFL, the five-time Pro Bowler was selected in the first round of the 1973 NFL Draft.

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Michigan State's rabid defense forced seven fumbles and the Spartans beat Frank Leahy's Notre Deam team for the third straight season, 21-3. The win was Clarence 'Biggie' Munn's 23rd straight and raised MSU's record to 8-0. A win over Marquette completed the Spartans' undefeated season and led to the school's only AP national championship.

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