Projected starting cornerback Cedric Henry has been ruled academically ineligible and will miss the entire season, head coach Bobby Williams said Tuesday evening.
“It’s a disappointing loss for us,” Williams said after MSU’s second preseason scrimmage. “Cedric will remain in school and get a chance to earn his degree if he chooses to come back next year.”
Henry did not pass a summer class to be eligible to play, Williams said.
As a starter in 2000, Henry led the Big Ten in pass break-ups with 24 and helped anchor the nation’s seventh-ranked pass defense.
Senior DeMario Suggs is still expected to start at right corner.
Quarterback Jeff Smoker said the loss of Henry has opened the eyes of many teammates.
“You come in here and think you’re going to just play football and not have to do anything else and then you see a guy like Ced Henry who is one of the best players on the team,” Smoker said. “This helps people realize that this can happen to anybody, and you can’t just come in here, play football and not stay focussed on school.”
Despite the loss of Henry, Monday’s scrimmage which - lasted about an hour and a half - marked an impressive showing by the defense, said Williams, who noted that the unit had many three-and-out situations.
Numerous starters sat out during Monday’s scrimmage because of minor injures, Williams said. The group included Herb Haygood and Charles Rogers, tailback T.J. Duckett, center Brian Ottney and linebacker Josh Thornhill.
Freshman Jason Harmon and junior Broderick Nelson could replace Henry.
Both corners are two inches taller than Henry and both have looked impressive in workouts, Williams said.
“They both have done a pretty good job up to this point,” Williams said. “Those are very, very big shoes for them to fill. Cedric was an outstanding player for us and we were really relying on him to give us the coverage we need in the secondary.”
Harmon said Henry has not attended the last few practices. He said he must keep improving to help fill the void.
“These off-season workouts have gone well for me, but I know that I’m to have to pick things up to get a shot,” Harmon said. “Our defensive group is very close and I think this loss will make it even closer.”
Nelson said he welcomes the challenge of replacing a preseason All-Big Ten selection, but said he wasn’t preparing to play much this year.
“I’m in a situation now where I have a shot to really contribute and that’s something that I thought I wasn’t going to have,” Nelson said. “I feel let down that Cedric’s not here, he’s definitely valuable to us. We’re just going to have to rally around this.”
Although Henry’s absence creates a new question mark on defense, other mysteries could be cleared up soon.
A starting quarterback could be named as early as Saturday for the Sept. 8 home game against Central Michigan.
Williams said the progress of both Smoker and senior Ryan Van Dyke - who are projected to share time during the contest - will be measured on a game-by-game basis.
A starting five on the offensive line should also be determined by the beginning of next week, offensive coordinator Morris Watts said.
And the kicking position should be given to either sophomore Michael Servis or senior David Schaefer early next week as well, Williams said.
