Dantonio said there will be a fourth captain this season, and that fourth captain will be a rotation of players from the "Eagles" leadership council.

Dantonio also said the number of captains varies from year to year, as in 2017 former linebacker Chris Frey and center Brian Allen were the only two captains, compared to his first three years in East Lansing, when he had four and three from 2010-16.

This is because of how the voting process proceeds, he said.

"Total them up different ways, weigh them different ways and that kind of stuff and see is there a strong message," Dantonio said. "Last year there were two. This year there’s a very strong three and nobody close to being a fourth... Because it gets filtered out and there are so many other people getting votes, it gets a little bit displaced."

This is the first time since 2012 and third time in the Dantonio era the Spartans have multiple non-senior captains, when former quarterback Andrew Maxwell and linebacker Max Bullough were elected captains as juniors.

"We got a bunch of returning guys and a lot of us got experience with who we had to play last year," said Bachie, who was the team MVP last season with 100 total tackles and three interceptions. "We both had decent seasons and moving forward we knew we were probably going to be the starters again, so the team trusted us and now we are going to run with it this year."

But having two juniors as captains doesn't mean they don't have experience. All three experienced the 2016 3-9 season, with Lewerke and Willis also going through MSU's 2015 College Football Playoffs appearance.

However, Willis, who had 71 tackles, five pass deflections and two interceptions in 2017, said he isn't sure yet going through those highs and lows will help him be better equipped to be a captain. But he hopes it does.

"Coaches put me in positions or opportunities presenting themselves, maybe being able to learn from previous leaders and step up and take ownership," the Jackson native said. "So I think that’s been a part of it. From the moment since I’ve came here, I wanted to be a leader of this team."

Willis, Bachie and Lewerke all wanted to be captains or at the very least, a part of the "Eagles" leadership council.

However, this team has more leaders than this three, Dantonio said.  In fact, he said he has leaders all over the team at different positions, which he prefers.

"Really what you have is, and I think Hayden Fry used to say this, (former) coach of (the University of) Iowa, 'You need a bell-cow at each position group, you need a guy that sort of pulls the load to some extent and leads from within that group,'" Dantonio said. "And so we focus on that as well. If a guy is not represented in the eagle group and maybe he’s outside of it, we bring him along as well as a so called bell-cow. And so we’ve got a couple of those guys too."

Bachie said one of those bell-cow players is a fellow linebacker. He sits behind the Brook Park, Ohio, native in the depth chart at middle linebacker.

"Somebody asked 'If there was a fourth (captain), who would be the fourth?' I said '(redshirt senior linebacker) Byron Bullough,'" Bachie said. "He’s just another defensive guy. He hasn’t really been a starter here, but you know what, that guy, man. He’s someone you can look up to as a leader."

And while both Lewerke and Bachie are alongside Willis as captains, they both look up to him as a leader. As "captain Khari."

"Khari Willis, he’s got words that people can’t talk," Bachie said. "You saw him speak at Big Ten Media Days, that’s what I’m saying. He’s a great leader, a great person and that’s a guy I’m truly honored to be alongside."

As for Bachie, Lewerke said he's a very confrontational leader.

"I mean if you do something wrong, he’ll get in your face and tell you you’re doing it wrong," said the Phoenix native, who had 3,352 total offensive yards in 2017, the second-most by an MSU quarterback.

There's a side of Lewerke not many people get to see. Bachie said Lewerke can get mad when needed.

"I guess I can snap sometimes, flip a switch," Lewerke said. "I come off as more of a nice person, not really a yeller. But sometimes I guess I can yell. I think I’m growing into a position of talking to people and to try and kind of address stuff. Most of the time I was kind of shy, just let it go, but I think I’ve done a good job of addressing things that happen."

Lewerke said he's a very approachable person and "can create relationships with a lot of people and try and encourage them in ways to get better."

Which made being voted as one of team's captains that much better.

"To be voted by my teammates, I think, is a big honor, it’s very humbling," Lewerke said. "And I’m ready to lead them the best way I can."

In doing so, Lewerke is helping groom the younger players to become leaders of their own.

"I think they kind of just see what the seniors and the leaders of this team do everyday," Lewerke said. "As older guys you try to set the example and not let the younger guys slip away and constantly remind them that you can be on top of the mountain one day, next day you’re at the bottom. So you just gotta keep working every single day."