2. Michigan State: An excellent group that could get even better if -- as we expect -- Ed Davis gets cleared for his sixth season. The 6-3, 225-pound standout who had 12 TFLs and seven sacks in 2014 was sidelined last season by a knee injury he suffered in training camp. Davis is an All-American talent. He's a good blitzer, slippery and just a really smart football player. In his absence Riley Bullough and Jon Reschke both blossomed, combining for 181 tackles and 13 TFLs. MSU LB coach Mark Snyder, who coached under Mark Dantonio at Ohio State when they had a bunch of play-making linebackers, sees some comparisons with his old Buckeye standouts, likening Bullough "a smart, tough, leader who has good ball skills" to A.J. Hawk and Reschke who is longer and really athletic and good in space like Bobby Carpenter. Chris Frey, an old Chris Spielman protege, is also tough and physical and has taken a step forward by shedding about 15 pounds. Junior Shane Jones, who started a game in 2015 at middle linebacker, played well when he was called upon. Another big plus with this group is that the players are so interchangeable, having the ability to play multiple linebacking spots. Reschke can play all three positions. Sophomore Andrew Dowell, a former prep running back, may be the fastest of the bunch and is getting a good education learning from the older Spartan backers. Oh, and there's yet another Bullough in the pipeline -- Byron, a 6-1, 225-pound sophomore who also had a really strong spring and impressed the MSU coaches.
