Michigan Wolverines vs. Michigan State Spartans NFL Prospect Watch

One of the top matchups of the weekend pits Denard Robinson and the Michigan Wolverines against Jerel Worthy and the Michigan State Spartans.

These are two teams with no love lost and you can bet that Spartan Stadium will be rocking for this Big Ten and in-state rivalry game, one that features some intriguing NFL prospects.

Likely, the two best prospects as of right now are coming in the trenches, with Michigan center David Molk and Spartan defensive tackle Jerel Worthy, both of whom are NFL Mocks midseason All-Americans. Molk and the Michigan offense are absolutely cleaning house this season, dismantling anything that stands in their way.

Likewise, the Michigan State Spartans are playing some really tough defense, only allowing only 10.2 points per game, good for third in the nation. Worthy is having a very good season, commanding double teams and allowing guys behind him to make plays. If Michigan State were more capable offensively, I would think they would be heavily favored in this home game, but alas, that is not the case.

Michigan’s offensive attack is led by quarterback Denard Robinson, who already has 18 total touchdowns this season and is drawing some early Heisman buzz. He has the Wolverines up to 10th in the nation in some polls, and even as stout at the MSU defense has been, they are going to have a tough time containing Robinson, who seems to put up big numbers even when he throws two or three interceptions.

His top target in the passing game has been Junior Hemingway, a senior who is averaging over 26 yards per reception. Hemingway has been inconsistent this season, but he’s showed up in Michigan’s biggest games. One player who hasn’t been getting looks this season is junior wide receiver Roy Roundtree, a player who has only eight receptions this season but had 72 a year ago.

If Sparty is going to have a chance in this game, Worthy and the MSU defense are going to have to really step up their game and limit the dominant Michigan offense, but at the same time, they are going to need more production out of quarterback Kirk Cousins, who has severely disappointed in his senior season.

Cousins was regarded as one of the top senior quarterback prospects in the country going into the season, and he has only six touchdown passes in five games. Cousins is really going to have to step up his game to help the Spartans keep pace with Michigan. You can check out my list of the Michigan State prospects along with scouting reports here, and we also had staff member and Michigan buff Nick Hlebichuk give us a preview of the top prospects for the Wolverines.