Michigan State Football: Complete 2015 Spring Practice Primer

A month after Michigan and two weeks after Ohio State, Michigan State will hit the practice field on Tuesday for its first spring practice of 2015.

But while the Spartans have flown under the radar this offseason in comparison to Jim Harbaugh's new team and the defending national champions, that doesn't make their spring practice session any less important as they attempt to keep pace in the suddenly ultra-competitive Big Ten East.

A combined record of 24-3 over the past two seasons should help head coach Mark Dantonio's cause, as should the return of multiple players who could have otherwise entered the NFL draft. With the Buckeyes as strong as ever, and the Wolverines and Penn State seemingly on the rise, Michigan State will have its work cut out for it this season, but a strong spring could go a long way toward securing a third consecutive successful season for the Spartans.

What to Watch for on Offense

As opposed to entering this year's draft, where he could have been a potential first-round pick, quarterback Connor Cook opted to return to East Lansing for his third straight season as the Spartans' starter. But as opposed to the past two seasons, where Cook knew what he was working with, this spring will see the 6'4", 218-pounder attempt to get used to a new array of weapons.

Gone from last year's team is perhaps what was Michigan State's most reliable weapon in running back Jeremy Langford, a situation that only became more complicated with the recent arrest and subsequent suspension of Delton Williams. With Dantonio deeming Williams' suspension indefinite, the top returning rusher for the Spartans this spring will be R.J. Shelton, a wide receiver who tallied 148 yards and two touchdowns on 21 carries last season.

Seeing as Shelton is primarily a wideout, the bulk of Michigan State's running back carries this spring could go to redshirt sophomore Gerald Holmes, who rushed for 44 yards on 15 carries in 2015. Redshirt freshman Madre Williams could also see increased touches.

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The Spartans wide receiving corps should have more stability than the running backs this spring, though not by much. Cook will be without his top two wide receivers from a season ago in Tony Lippett and Keith Mumphrey, while the team's leading returning wideout, Macgarrett Kings Jr., was arrested earlier this month on charges of drunken and disorderly conduct and obstructing.

Kings, who caught 29 passes for 404 yards and one touchdown last season, was suspended for the remainder of spring practice in 2014 for another alcohol-related incident. In a statement, Dantonio said that Kings' most recent arrest will be handled "internally."

Behind Kings, Michigan State's top returning pass-catchers include tight end Josiah Price (26 catches, 374 yards, six touchdowns), wide receiver Aaron Burbridge (29 catches, 358 yards, one touchdown), Shelton (16 catches, 173 yards, one touchdown) and wide receiver AJ Troup (seven catches, 113 yards, two touchdowns).

The good news for the Michigan State offense—aside from Cook's return—is that it could possess one of the top offensive lines in the country, if not the nation, in 2015.

Potential 2016 first-rounder Jack Conklin will anchor the unit, alongside fellow returning starters Jack Allen, Donavon Clark and Kodi Kieler. Since keeping Cook upright shouldn't be a problem, the senior signal-caller should have plenty of time to find new favorite targets this spring as he attempts to continue to build chemistry with the MSU offense heading into the summer.

What to Watch for on Defense

Like its offensive counterpart, the Spartans defense will return key cornerstones from last season but will also need to see some strong development from other spots this offseason.

Starting with the positive, Michigan State returns star defensive end Shilique Calhoun in 2015, who, like Cook, opted to bypass this year's NFL draft. A two-time All-Big Ten selection, Calhoun recorded 12.5 tackles for a loss in 2014, including eight sacks.

But while Calhoun will help anchor one of the country's best defensive lines this season—alongside Joel Heath, Lawrence Thomas and Malik McDowell—the rest of the Spartans defense isn't short on question marks.

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That's the case namely at cornerback, where Dantonio will spend his second consecutive season replacing a first-round draft pick. Last season, he was fortunate enough that Trae Waynes stepped up in the absence of Darqueze Dennard, but with Waynes now on his way to being the likely first cornerback taken in this spring's draft, he again finds himself having to fill the same void.

One name that pops out is junior-to-be Darian Hicks, who started alongside Waynes last season and recorded 19 tackles, three pass breakups and two interceptions. Dantonio could also find himself relying on junior Jermaine Edmondson, a Canton, Ohio, native who appeared in 11 games for Michigan State a season ago.

At linebacker, the Spartans return two starters in Ed Davis and Darien Harris but will need to replace the heart of the middle of their defense with the departure of middle linebacker Taiwan Jones. Junior Riley Bullough will seemingly get the first crack at occupying the spot that his brother, Max Bullough, formerly occupied. Also, don't count out sophomore Jon Reschke, who appeared in seven games and recorded 13 tackles as a freshman in 2014.

Mark Dantonio's Toughest Task

While Dantonio has plenty of position battles to keep an eye on this spring, and the recent arrests of two of his key offensive players haven't helped matters, the main key for the Spartans this spring will be to maintain the momentum they've developed over the past two years.

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After a disappointing 2012 campaign saw MSU go 7-6, the Spartans bounced back with a 13-1 Rose Bowl-winning, Big Ten championship season in 2013, before going 10-2 in 2014, including a win over Baylor in the Cotton Bowl. And when all was said and done, Michigan State's only losses last season came to the two teams who wound up playing each other for the national championship—Ohio State and Oregon.

But with the rest of the conference on the rise, the Spartans are going to have to keep pace to remain in the playoff picture. Cook will have to find consistency with his new weapons, and the defense will have to fill some key losses—perhaps none more important than that of former defensive coordinator Pat Narduzzi—but it's already apparent this year's Michigan State squad has all the ingredients to be another special one.

Ben Axelrod is Bleacher Report's Big Ten Lead Writer. You can follow him on Twitter @BenAxelrod. Unless noted otherwise, all quotes were obtained firsthand. All statistics courtesy of CFBStats.com. Recruiting rankings courtesy of 247Sports.