MSU football notes: CB Hicks out indefinitely with mono

EAST LANSING – The Michigan State cornerback competition has its first casualty.

That’s not to say junior Darian Hicks can’t get back into contention for the starting job he held for most of last season. But MSU coach Mark Dantonio reported today that Hicks has been diagnosed with mononucleosis and will be out an undetermined period of time.

“You know, it could be three weeks, four weeks, five weeks,” Dantonio said of Hicks after the first practice of MSU’s preseason camp. “The main focus has got to be what’s best for him and his health. … Just (Thursday), he ran the (conditioning) test and made the test and then the next day, yesterday morning he came down sick. Just got to deal with it.”

Cornerback is the No. 1 question of camp for the No. 6 Spartans, with Trae Waynes off to the Minnesota Vikings in the first round of the NFL draft, and with Hicks losing his job late last season to then-senior receiver Tony Lippett.

Hicks was listed as a co-starter on the preseason depth chart at field corner, along with senior Arjen Colquhoun. Junior Demetrious Cox is listed No. 1 at boundary corner, and junior Jermaine Edmondson is a veteran contender as well.

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Redshirt freshman Vayante Copeland and four incoming freshmen – Josh Butler, David Dowell, Kaleel Gaines and Tyson Smith – also will get extensive looks at the position before MSU’s Sept. 4 season opener at Western Michigan.

MSU co-defensive coordinator and Harlon Barnett told MSU defensive backs and incoming recruits in the off-season that “there’s gonna be two new corners starting for Michigan State this year,” and he said to Hicks: “’Not to say it won’t be you. But it won’t be Darian Hicks from 2014. It’ll be Darian Hicks from 2015. It’ll be a new guy.”

MSU transitions to full pads Wednesday, and that’s when coaches will start getting a better feel for the freshmen in particular.

“You see great ball skills, you see burst, you see great athletic ability but you also need to see, I guess you’d say longevity and consistency,” Dantonio said of the newcomers. “They’ve got to know what they’re doing and you’ve got to be able to tackle in space out there. … There is a lot of work to do with younger players but we can also see them move rapidly, if they have the skill, you can see them move forward pretty rapidly.”

Dantonio said other than Hicks, the Spartans are healthy. Receiver Aaron Burbridge (foot), linebacker Jon Reschke (shoulder) and offensive lineman Kodi Kieler (undisclosed) all practiced Saturday.

Second time around: Dantonio said “98%” of MSU players passed the annual conditioning test – a series of “half-gassers” or sprints the width of the field and back – on their first try. Burbridge was one who needed a second try after he missed most of the spring and off-season healing a foot.

Dantonio said Burbridge should be able to get himself into game shape by the opener.

“He did pass it on the second shot going around and he’s got to run himself into shape,” Dantonio said of Burbridge. “But he looked pretty good for a guy who’d been off for a while.”

Punter watch: It was a good first day for redshirt freshman Jake Hartbarger, the third starting punter of Dantonio’s tenure.

“I tell you, Jake punted very well today,” Dantonio said. “Times were excellent, and booming punts.”

Tidbits: JUCO transfer Drake Martinez will start out as a reserve at the “star” outside linebacker position. … Asked again about the idea of receiver R.J. Shelton getting a look at running back, Dantonio smiled and said: “We will see how it goes.”

Contact Joe Rexrode: jrexrode@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @joerexrode. Check out his MSU blog at freep.com/heyjoe.