Report: MSU’s Delton Williams available for opener

East Lansing — Michigan State junior running back Delton Williams has been working himself back into shape after missing the first week of preseason camp, and now it appears he’ll be ready to play in the opener Sept. 4 at Western Michigan.

Coach Mark Dantonio told Spartannation.com as part of an interview to be aired between 6-8 p.m. Wednesday that Williams faces no more punishment, including missing any games, after he was suspended following a road-rage incident last March when he flashed a gun at another motorist.

“Yes. It will all be about his play on the football field,” Dantonio said in the interview. “I feel he has paid his dues. I expected him to be back a little earlier than he was, due to university regulations etc., he was held out for a longer period of time. So he missed all of summer conditioning as well as spring practice. I feel like we need to move on. We need to allow him get back with his life. Everything moving forward should be about his future, not the past.”

Williams has 92 carries for 554 yards and six touchdowns in his first two seasons with the Spartans and has spent preseason camp catching up in the battle to replace Jeremy Langford as the starting tailback.

Dantonio said this week redshirt freshman Madre London has emerged as the starter at this point ahead of sophomore Gerald Holmes and freshman LJ Scott. But Williams remains a factor and now it is clear he’ll be available when the season kicks off.

“Delton Williams is getting back into the flow of it,” Dantonio said on Monday. “(He) missed a lot of time, so there’s timing things and little things. He’s gotta get himself back in shape, but he’s certainly functional.”

matt.charboneau@detroitnews.com

twitter.com/mattcharboneau