A big reason the Spartans have won two of the last three Big Ten championships is because they leaned on their defense to stifle opponents.

In recent Spartan lore the secondary has taken a lot of the credit, there seems to be a change in the guard this upcoming fall. This year. the linebackers residing in East Lansing will look to make their mark in the heart of opposing offenses.

One of the biggest criticisms of this team is the amount of talent they’re losing. It’s a fair one, with hoards of Spartans leaving for the pros. Replenishing the winningest class in MSU history is a tall order for head coach Mark Dantonio and his staff. But with Ed Davis looking to come back, he’ll continue to bolster the linebacking corps for MSU.

Along with Davis, fifth-year senior Riley Bullough will return. Bullough said he figures he will be one of the leaders of not just the position, but the team.

“(Being a leader is) being vocal all the time,” Bullough said. “Not picking and choosing when you try to get guys going. It’s an all-the-time thing. That’s what I’ve been working on. It’s just exciting to get back on the football field and do that.”

In MSU’s defensive scheme, the linebacker position is also the center of the defense, yelling instructions to their teammates on the field. With his wealth of experience, a player like Bullough knows exactly how important it is for them to step up and lead the Spartans.

“I think (the linebackers) have to be the core leaders of the team,” Bullough said. “Not just me, the other two guys, whoever it is beside me. I think the team looks at them as the core leaders.”

Luckily for him, he’ll also have plenty of help on the gridiron in the form of other guys like Chris Frey, Andrew Dowell and Jon Reschke, just to name a few.

Reschke was essentially thrust into the fire last season when Davis went down with a knee injury. He was plugged into the “money,” or middle linebacker position, and he hasn’t looked back since.

“It was a great experience being on the field starting every game last year, it’s something to build on,” Reschke said. “That’s the way I’m looking at it, I’m looking to make a lot of strides forward over this next season.”

One of the biggest takeaways, though, is the fact that all these players have led to a variety of depth on the Spartan team. They’ll have options from a variety of players who have had established playing time.

“We have a ton of depth at linebacker,” Reschke said. “It’s a good thing, it’s really pushing everyone to be better and better and better, or else your spot is going to be taken. It’s competitive.”

Among that landscape stands one of the more intriguing guys on this squad in Dowell. A true sophomore, he played in 13 of the Spartan’s 14 games last year. He was one of six true freshman who earned their varsity letter during the 2015 campaign.

As for what his teammates have seen out of him, he’s made quite the impression.

“Andrew is an athletic, quick guy,” Bullough said. “He kind of has some shock to him, so he can do it all. He can stop the run but he can also cover. So that (weak-side linebacker) position, that’s crucial for him.”

After being a key player on the special teams unit last year, Dowell will look to transition more to the defensive side of the ball

“Playing my freshman year helped me a lot,” Dowell said. “I’m familiar when I get out on the field. Those nerves that usually come aren’t there. I can just play my game and play ball.”

The linebackers have a solid mix of veteran talent and hungry youth. If Davis ultimately comes back, the 2014 All-Big Ten honoree will only add to the tremendous depth.

Just like the Spartan team that won the Rose Bowl, the 2016 version of the team will look to use their defense to create their own team identity. For Bullough and the linebacking core, they will look to continue getting better, chipping in their part to form the Spartan identity, which has carried them so far.

“As a whole, I feel like we have to keep working together, work on our chemistry,” Bullough said. “It’s a big thing that we always talk about. But we got guys that can play football here, ready to step in and fill holes.”