EAST LANSING – A young Michigan State team will have just two captains this fall.

Coach Mark Dantonio broke from recent history to name seniors Brian Allen and Chris Frey as 2017 captains. They are among just eight scholarship seniors on the MSU roster.

“We took two this year because the voting, there was so much clarity as to who were the two guys. The rest of (the votes were) all sort of shaken up,” 11th-year coach Dantonio said Thursday. “It really felt like rather than revoting, the fair thing to do was to let everybody lead from that leadership group.”

Dantonio said two players each week this season, representing a variety of classes, will serve as game-day captains from their Eagle Council. Offensive lineman Allen and linebacker Frey are part of that 12-player group that includes sophomore linebacker Joe Bachie, junior linebacker Byron Bullough, junior linebacker Andrew Dowell, senior running back Gerald Holmes, sophomore quarterback Brian Lewerke, junior safety Grayson Miller, junior safety Matt Morrissey, junior tight end Matt Sokol, sophomore defensive tackle Raequan Williams and junior safety Khari Willis. The Spartans will select two more players to join that group next week.

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“I think with our team right now, just because me and Chris are the captains, I don’t think anyone takes that personal or anyone’s stubborn,” said Allen, whose brother, Jack, was one of the 2015 captains. “Just because we have two named captains, I think we have a lot of leaders on our team. And those guys know who they are, and it’s not gonna stop because they weren’t voted captain.

“Our Eagle Council is really strong this year. I’m really happy with how tight we are and how everyone has been keeping everyone in check and accountable. I think if anything, guys are just gonna continue to step up more.”

The Spartans have had three captains every year since 2010. They selected four captains in each of Dantonio’s first three seasons. MSU has not had two captains since the 2002 season, when Brian Ottney and Thomas Wright served the roles in Bobby Williams’ final season.

Frey said it won’t be any different having just two captains instead of three.

“Every single week, we’re still gonna have four voices as leaders on this team and four voices as captains,” said Frey, who has played in all 39 games over his first three seasons at MSU. “Everybody on this team is honestly stepping up in a leadership spot. If you’re getting time on the field, if you’re playing – and even some of the guys that don’t get time on the field – they’re becoming leaders on the sideline, their bringing energy to the sideline during scrimmages and practices. … There’s still gonna be leaders in different places in every game, it’s not just two guys.”

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The Spartans have 52 players on the roster who are either true or redshirt freshmen, 24 sophomores and 24 juniors and just 13 seniors. Frey said this season is a chance for them to audition to become leaders next season and beyond.

“We really like what’s going on with the captains, because Brian and I won’t be here after this season. We’ll both be leaving and hopefully training for the NFL,” Frey said. “We’re only gonna take this team to a certain point, and there’s so many young leaders on this team. A lot of the rest of the Eagles are younger guys. … The rest of the Eagles are gonna then step up, and they’re gonna make their campaign for captains and step up into even more of a leadership role.”

It also is the first time in more than 30 years that MSU does not have at least one black player as a captain. The last time was in 1986, when Shane Bullough and Dave Yarema were captains.

Dantonio dismissed the racial component, pointing to the makeup of the Eagle Council. Four of the 12 players currently on it are black.

“I think we’re represented across the board in all areas,” Dantonio said. “That sort of sorts itself out as it goes. But I think we’re represented.”

Contact Chris Solari: csolari@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @chrissolari.

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