Out for spring
Along with the suspension of Kings, sophomore running back Delton Williams and senior punter Mike Sadler also are out for the rest of spring ball, after undisclosed surgeries.
"(Williams) did enough last season as a true freshman to warrant that,” head coach Mark Dantonio said. “He’ll be out all spring.”
Rounding up spring
Dantonio said although he’s been pleased with the performance of the team to date, the Spartans must continue to improve.
“I thought we saw a lot of good things, but consistency continues to be an issue, because when you look at both sides of the ball, I think you’re up for who’s gonna win it,” Dantonio said.
The coaching staff has made many changes in the lineup with only three significant practices left of spring football, and the young players have had a chance to show their abilities.
“We’ve got good young players, but they’re young, so every rep is important for them,” he said.
Players stepping up
Senior guard Connor Kruse has improved during 12 spring practices so far, and Dantonio said he looks to be a possible key player in the coming season.
“He’s a senior and can play a variety of positions,” Dantonio said.
Dantonio said sophomore offensive lineman Kodi Kieler also has had a great spring, playing at many different positions to decide where he fits best.
“He can play guard or tackle,” Dantonio said of Kieler. “He can play any place in the right side of the ball and other guys can go on the left side.”
Recruiting momentum
Since the team’s success in the 2013 season, they have had a lot of momentum and attention for future Spartan football players.
“I think people are interested in what we’re doing here, and we’ve had a lot of good players visit,” Dantonio said.
After signing five-star recruit Malik McDowell a few weeks ago, MSU will train hard but stay grounded and with the mindset that they still need to improve.
“I think it’s also important that we step back and that we try to reaffirm ourselves,” he said. “I think our football team is trying to do that, and we need to do that in a consistent basis. We can’t feel that entitled. We have to have confidence, but it’s a very fine line, so we have to wok hard and keep pushing.”
