Michigan State football ranked No. 15 in preseason AP poll

Spartans won 11 games in 2021

Michigan State quarterback Payton Thorne (10) looks to pass against Pittsburgh during the first half of the Peach Bowl NCAA college football game, Thursday, Dec. 30, 2021, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/John Bazemore) (John Bazemore, Copyright 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.)

EAST LANSING, Mich. – The Michigan State football team is ranked No. 15 in the preseason AP poll coming off last year’s 11-win campaign.

Michigan State didn’t receive a single vote in last year’s preseason polls, but went on to finish 11-2 with a win over Pittsburgh in the Peach Bowl. Mel Tucker’s team beat Michigan for the second season in a row and also took down Penn State on the final week of the regular season.

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Despite the departure of star running back Kenneth Walker III, the Spartans have plenty of returning talent offensively, highlighted by quarterback Payton Thorne and star receivers Jayden Reed and Tre Mosley.

On defense, Michigan State figures once again to be stronger up front than in the secondary, with tackles Jacob Slade and Simeon Barrow leading the way.

There’s plenty of experience at the back end with Angelo Grose and Xavier Henderson, but the pass defense as a whole will need to be a lot better if Mel Tucker’s team wants to make a run at a Big Ten East title.

Here’s a look at the full preseason top 25:

  1. Alabama
  2. Ohio State
  3. Georgia
  4. Clemson
  5. Notre Dame
  6. Texas A&M
  7. Utah
  8. Michigan
  9. Oklahoma
  10. Baylor
  11. Oregon
  12. Oklahoma State
  13. North Carolina State
  14. USC
  15. Michigan State
  16. Miami (FL)
  17. Pittsburgh
  18. Wisconsin
  19. Arkansas
  20. Kentucky
  21. Ole Miss
  22. Wake Forest
  23. Cincinnati
  24. Houston
  25. BYU

About the Author:

Derick is the Lead Digital Editor for ClickOnDetroit and has been with Local 4 News since April 2013. Derick specializes in breaking news, crime and local sports.