After sustaining a sprained right knee in MSU's fifth game of the season last year, Javon Ringer was supposed to miss the remainder of the year.

Instead, he came back after missing four games and played the final three games of the season with a brace on the knee.

Now that it's time for spring football, Ringer has healed, but the brace remains at the behest of the MSU staff.

"We made a deal," Ringer said last Tuesday after spring practice. "I don't have to wear it now, but just in case anything happens in spring ball, they want to make sure nothing does happen. They feel safer with me wearing the brace right now, but they said come fall, I don't have to wear it."

But from a coaching standpoint, it's understandable that the Spartans don't want a fluke injury taking out one of their biggest offensive threats.

"I really did not want to wear it," Ringer said. "I don't know if I can stress that enough. I worked hard to get out of it, but I understand how they feel. They do have my best interests at heart, so I guess me wearing the brace for spring ball isn't that bad."

Offensive coordinator Don Treadwell said he was impressed by Ringer's off-season conditioning and his subsequent actions on the practice field.

"He leads by example," Treadwell said. "It's really great because when you're sitting and watching tapes after practice, no matter what position you coach, you have a guy you can point to and say, 'That's what we want out of everybody.'"

Despite missing the middle of last season, Ringer still led MSU in rushing with 497 yards on 86 carries. With spring practice in full swing, head coach Mark Dantonio has liked what he's seen from Ringer thus far, saying that the junior has "stood out."

But with a glut of talent at running back, Ringer, as well as senior Jehuu Caulcrick and sophomore A.J. Jimmerson, will have the opportunity to make an impression in MSU's spring scrimmages.

"We've got a couple freshmen coming in as well," Dantonio said. "We'll find out how everyone's doing as we move through the spring."

Fast learners

Dantonio credited former offensive line coach Jeff Stoutland for his work with the men up front. Stoutland told Dantonio that the offensive line would be one of the hardest working groups on the team, and Dantonio said that is proving to be correct.

"Coach Stoutland did a great job in the past working with those guys," Dantonio said. "They are more experienced, so they are able to adjust. They had quite a different number of people playing last year, so everybody has a little bit of experience. I think that helps, and they are able to gravitate to anything new we're doing easily."

Senior center John Masters said the running game will be a lot more downhill and not so much east-west this season. This leads to different block schemes for the line and the need to make an adjustment.

"They're telling us to man-up and see if we can knock the other guy off the ball," Masters said. "It's different than what I've been doing the past four years."