Michigan State football names trio of captains for Northwestern game

We don’t know who will be starting at quarterback for the Michigan State Spartans just yet.

However, we now know who will be going out for the coin toss for the season opener against Northwestern— baby steps, right?

Michigan State named its captains on Monday afternoon, anointing three players for the role in Week One: junior wide receiver Jalen Nailor, graduate senior defensive end Drew Beesley and senior safety Xavier Henderson.

That might not be the biggest surprise in the world as these three players represented MSU at Big Ten Media Days a few weeks ago.

Nailor returns as a fourth-year starter and one of the premier receivers in the Big Ten, as he held a conference-high 19.8 yards per reception.

Henderson — a staple starter for the last two seasons — is the active leader for tackles on the Spartan defense.

Beesley returns from a season where he earned All-Big Ten honorable mention accolades, anchoring a front four that is amongst the best in the Big Ten.

Last year, Michigan State had rotating captains for each game, and will likely do the same thing in 2021, so expect other players to be weekly captains as the season rolls on.