After wrapping up the final practice of training camp, Michigan State announced its captains for the 2019 season: linebacker Joe Bachie, defensive end Kenny Willekes, quarterback Brian Lewerke and defensive tackle Raequan Williams.

Bachie and Lewerke served as captains last season, along with then-senior safety Khari Willis, while Willekes and Williams wear the title for the first time. The 2009 season was the last time MSU named four captains.

MSU head coach Mark Dantonio said there was a clear gap in the voting between those four and the other candidates.

"I sort of figured that it probably would be (four)," Dantonio said. "If there’s a gap, then we’re gonna have that. If there’s two, there’ll be a gap. I’ve never said, hey, we’ve gotta have this or that. We’ll still alternate guys in so everybody has an opportunity in our leadership council so walk out to that 50 because they’ve all done a great job leading right now from that leadership council and we want to make sure we honor that."

Going into his third year as a starter, Bachie has been named a preseason All-American by a handful of outlets. His junior season included a team-high 102 tackles, 8.5 tackles for loss, one sack, one interception, three forced fumbles and one fumble recovery in 2018.

Once he broke his leg in the Redbox Bowl and decided to return to MSU for his final season, Willekes openly talked about his desire to serve as a captain in 2019. The reigning Big Ten Smith-Brown Defensive Lineman of the Year, Willekes also has garnered multiple preseason All-American nods. Willekes, who joined the Spartans as a walk-on, posted 78 tackles, 20.5 tackles for loss, 8.5 sacks, 12 quarterback hurries, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery last season to earn MSU’s Governor’s Award (team MVP).

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Lewerke will be MSU’s starter under center for the third straight year. He completed 184 of his 339 passes for 2,040 yards with eight touchdowns and 11 interceptions while battling through a shoulder injury that hindered him in the second half of the season.

Williams has started 29 straight games in the middle of MSU’s defense. The Chicago native earned third-team All-Big Ten honors in 2018 after tallying 53 tackles, 10.5 tackles for loss, two sacks, three quarterback hurries and a forced fumble.

Dantonio said he's quite confident in the leadership structure that's in place beyond the four captains.

"Our leadership council is the same 12 guys that were last year," he said. "That’s voted on not all at once, that’s two a day for six straight days, so our team has an opportunity to really look at that and evaluate. So we’ve got strong leadership, I’ve said that before. I think nine of those 12 are seniors. They’ve been here, done that, and been involved in some great moments of celebration and some other times where you’ve got to pull up your boots a little bit."

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