Wide receiver Jerramy Scott needs 40 catches in his senior season to pass Andre Rison and become MSU's all-time leader in receptions.
"It's definitely one of my goals," Scott said.
Senior wide receiver Matt Trannon could also threaten the record. He's three catches behind Scott.
Three seniors will be making position changes for the 2006 season after each started all 11 games last year.
After not missing a start at left guard for the past two seasons, Kyle Cook will shift to center and anchor the offensive line.
On the defensive side of the ball, Clifton Ryan will move from defensive end to defensive tackle and Greg Cooper will roam the defensive backfield as a cornerback after recording 48 tackles as free safety in 2005.
"I'm going to draw more double teams than guys did last year, so that'll free up guys behind me," Ryan said about playing defensive tackle. "If I'm drawing two guys it means they are free, and those guys are good enough to get to the ball and make some plays."
All of MSU's starting offensive skill players return, but they'll have some different people protecting them. The Spartans have three new starters on the offensive line — sophomore Roland Martin, sophomore Jesse Miller and junior Pete Clifford.
MSU will also look different in the trenches on defense. Sophomore Brandon Long, sophomore Justin Kershaw and junior Ogemdi Nwagbuo will try to revive a pass rush that has been nonexistent since 2003.
Sophomore free safety Otis Wiley will also be a new starter.
Backup sophomore cornerback Ross Weaver broke his ankle during a scrimmage last week and will miss three to five months. Freshman Ashton Henderson, who likely would've been redshirted, will now have to provide depth at the cornerback position, head coach John L. Smith said.
Weaver's injury depletes an already thin cornerback position. Ken Tinney, a transfer from a New York prep school, had yet to appear in a game for the Spartans when he was dismissed from the team during the summer for unspecified reasons.
After appearing in 11 games for MSU in 2005, defensive back Cole Corey is now off the team. Corey, who registered six tackles last season in a reserve and special teams role, was sentenced in May to 2-10 years in prison for possession of a controlled substance.
The conviction stems from incidents that occurred when Corey was a student at Tecumseh High School in 2002.
Four seniors were named captains. Quarterback Drew Stanton and Clifton Ryan will serve as captains for the second straight season, while Kyle Cook and linebacker David Herron Jr. will serve as first-year captains.
