Weakness: Depth. If Maxwell gets injured the Spartans could be in trouble because of backup quarterbacks Connor Cook and Tyler O’Connor’s youth. Cook, a redshirt freshman, and O’Connor, a true freshman are likely to struggle if forced into duty.

Running backs:
Strength: Experience. MSU will feature a stable of running backs with experience, led by junior Le’Veon Bell and senior Larry Caper. Bell said he’s improved considerably from last season and the game has started to slow down for him. He could be primed for a breakout year.

Weakness: Speed. Bell and Caper are known more as power backs and the Spartans lack elite speed outside of third-string running back Nick Hill, a sophomore, who might not get a ton of carries.

Receivers:
Strength: Depth. With six highly talented young receivers, MSU is loaded with potential. Junior Bennie Fowler appears ready for a big year and likely will be Maxwell’s go-to target.

Weakness: Experience. MSU’s only upperclassman is Fowler, and he’s missed significant playing time during his career. A combination of inexperienced quarterbacks and receivers could be the Spartans’ Achilles’ heel.

Tight Ends:
Strength: Size. Junior Dion Sims’ size makes him one of the toughest tight ends to match up with in the country. At 6-foot-5, 285 pounds, Sims is difficult in space and uses his size to box out defenders to create separation.

Weakness: Experience. Outside of Sims, few of the Spartans’ other tight ends have seen the field because of former tight ends Brian Linthicum and Garrett Celek heading last season’s depth chart. If Sims is out of the lineup, MSU might be in trouble.

Offensive & Defensive line:
Strengths: Size. MSU has some of the tallest defensive ends in the country, led by junior Will Gholston, and their unique height could make life difficult for quarterbacks. The offensive line is just as formidable, with seniors Fou Fonoti and Chris McDonald anchoring the offense’s biggest position of strength.

Weakness: Left guard and defensive tackle. With Joel Foreman and Jerel Worthy gone to the NFL, the Spartans will replace the anchor of last season’s offensive and defensive lines. Seniors Tyler Hoover and Anthony Rashad White are expected to fill in at defensive tackle and redshirt freshman Jack Allen at guard.

Linebackers:
Strengths: Intelligence. The ability to read defenses is critical as a linebacker and few are better than MSU’s linebackers, led by junior Max Bullough. With Bullough and senior Chris Norman as two of the team’s three captains, the linebackers will lead an elite defense.

Weakness: Pass coverage. MSU’s starters are excellent at stopping the run and getting to the quarterback but occasionally got lost in pass coverage last season. Expect MSU’s linebackers to improve in that area this year.

Secondary:
Strengths: Confidence: MSU has of the more confident secondaries in the country, with senior Johnny Adams and j“uniors Darqueze Dennard”:http://www.msuspartans.com/sports/m-footbl/mtt/dennard_darqueze00.html and Isiah Lewis. Secondaries must forget bad plays, and that’s MSU’s strength.

Weakness: Replacing Trenton Robinson. Head coach Mark Dantonio has yet to name a starter at the free safety position, with junior Jairus Jones and sophomore Kurtis Drummond looking like the strongest candidates.

Five lesser-known MSU players on the radar
Tony Lippett, wide receiver: After playing both offense and defense as a freshman, sophomore Tony Lippett has appeared to settle in at receiver. Lippett’s impressive height will make him a tough matchup for opposing cornerbacks, and his top-end speed will be a critical asset in replacing Keshawn Martin and B.J. Cunningham from a year ago.

Keith Mumphrey, wide receiver: Mumphery also will be a part of the group tasked with aiding a young receiving corps, and Mumphery is a player who’s often lost in the shuffle. The sophomore from Georgia was a highly sought-after recruit with scholarship offers from elite programs such as Arkansas, Florida State, Nebraska and Oklahoma State, and could burst on the scene with a big year this season.

Marcus Rush, defensive end: The sophomore had a breakout season as a redshirt freshman a year ago, tallying 58 tackles and four sacks and being named Big Ten Freshman Defensive MVP by ESPN.com. With a year of experience under his belt, and junior Will Gholston drawing attention on the other side of the defensive line, expect Rush to take his game to the next level and continue to give opposing quarterbacks fits.

Anthony Rashad White, defensive tackle: With All-American Jerel Worthy gone to the NFL, the pressure will be on Rashad White to step up and fill the void. The senior, and former junior college transfer, had the best game of his career in the Outback Bowl, recording seven tackles, three tackles for a loss and a blocked field goal in overtime, and the expectation is for that game to be more the norm than the exception.

Jairus Jones, safety: The Spartans have a hole at safety following Trenton Robinson’s departure to the NFL and Jairus Jones could be the one to step in and make an impact. The junior was rated as the No. 37 safety in the country by ESPN’s Scouts, Inc., when he came out of high school three years ago.