Chris Solari

Detroit Free Press

EAST LANSING – As Michigan State’s coaches debate whether to play true freshmen, they’re also enjoying the security of having three graduate transfers adding experience at key positions.

Two of them, tackle Kevin Williams from Nebraska and end Gabe Sherrod from Delaware State, are known. They arrived this summer with plenty of chatter, in part because the Spartans are so thin along the defensive line.

Prescott Line quietly has been giving them a run for their new coaches’ attention.

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With senior Delton Williams “nicked up” according to coach Mark Dantonio, Oxford High grad Line has risen to co-starter status at fullback for MSU. He and Williams are attempting to replace three-year starter Trevon Pendleton, who graduated.

“(Line) is a guy that really will shock you in our blocking scheme, iso blocking and so forth, power blocking,” co-offensive coordinator Dave Warner said Wednesday. “He provides probably more shock than we’ve had at that position in a few years. So he’s able to move people.”

Pendleton provided strong lead blocking for MSU's running backs and protection for quarterback Connor Cook, but he also had a knack for making big plays in the passing game. That included his touchdown against Stanford in the Rose Bowl and a 74-yard catch-and-run against Michigan last season. Pendleton finished with one career carry for 0 yards, but he caught 13 passes for 223 yards and three scores.

His replacements, however, both have been steeped in running the ball prior to moving to fullback.

Line arrived as a graduate transfer Southern Methodist, where he played in 35 games – including 22 starts – over his four years in Dallas. The 6-foot, 253-pound former tailback ran for 774 yards on 228 carries for the Mustangs. Warner said “he’s got some decent running ability.”

Williams shifted to fullback during the Spartans’ spring workouts. The 6-1, 228-pound Erie, Pennsylvania native ran for 554 yards and six touchdowns on 92 carries during his first two seasons at MSU. He was suspended for brandishing a firearm in the spring of 2015 and sat out off-season workouts before returning to the team late last summer. Williams didn’t play in the first five games, then managed 26 carries for 56 yards and a TD as LJ Scott, Gerald Holmes and Madre London saw the bulk of the work at tailback.

“They bring different skill sets,” Dantonio said. “Delton is still sort of getting back into shape as being a fullback. He's really a fourth tailback really, so he can run the football, there's no question about that. And then Prescott is learning because he just got here. So both of those guys are sort of in that mode of transitioning, I would say, to their relative new positions.”

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