Dan Murphy, ESPN Staff Writer 9y

#B1GFridayFive: Redshirt seniors

It’s Friday, which means it’s time for one of the Big Ten Blog’s newest regular features: #B1GFridayFive. We begin the end of each week with a new topic in hopes that it will inspire you to join the conversation, pass it along, our tell us how dumb and biased we are. Use the hashtag and give us your thoughts directly by following @MitchSherman, @BennettESPN, @ESPNJoshMoyer, @DanMurphyESPN, @ESPNRittenberg, @AWardESPN and @ESPN_BigTen.

Given the buzz about the conference’s “Year of Readiness” idea earlier this week, we decided to take a look at which players have benefitted the most from staying on the sideline during their first year on campus. Here are our top five returning redshirt seniors in the Big Ten. An important caveat: In the spirit of freshman ineligibility, no one on this list played as a true freshman. Fifth-year players who sat out later in their careers (Ohio State quarterback Braxton Miller, for example) don’t qualify.

1. Shilique Calhoun, DE, Michigan State


The former Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year passed up the NFL draft for a season to chase a national championship in East Lansing. Calhoun is used to putting things on hold for a year. After sitting out as a true freshman, he played on the defensive line in all 13 games in 2012. He began the following year with three defensive touchdowns in his first two games and has been a staple of the Spartans defense since then. His return this year gives Michigan State a dominant pass-rusher to anchor a front seven that has some key players to replace.


2. Connor Cook, QB, Michigan State


No one benefits more from delayed gratification than the Spartans. Mark Dantonio’s system builds its players into overachievers with slow and steady progress. His quarterback is no exception. Cook improved incrementally during the 2013 season and was at the center of completing the country’s biggest two-year offensive turnaround last fall. Cook will be essential in his final season for an offense that loses top receiver Tony Lippett and top back Jeremy Langford, both of whom were also beneficiaries of a redshirt year.


3. Michael Caputo, S, Wisconsin


Wisconsin is another program that doesn’t often attract the blue-chip athletes ready to compete for starting jobs when they arrive on campus. Caputo was considered the top prep player in western Pennsylvania at one point, but still waited his turn with the Badgers. In his fourth season, he led the defense with 106 tackles. After losing starting inside linebackers Marcus Trotter and Derek Landisch to graduation, Wisconsin in thrilled to have another year of Caputo keeping the middle of the defense steady.


4. Anthony Zettel, DT, Penn State


Zettel became an impact player for the Nittany Lions last fall when he moved inside from the defensive end spot. His martial arts training helped him shed blockers to finish the year with 17 tackles for loss and eight sacks. Had he played in 2012, Zettel would have been a one-year wonder for Penn State. Now he has the chance to return for another season under coordinator Bob Shoop to lead a stingy front seven.


5. Paul James, RB, Rutgers


James has only 15 collegiate games under his belt after four years at Rutgers. He missed the last nine games of the season in 2014 after tearing his ACL in September. Before the injury, he scored a nation-leading six touchdowns in the first two weeks of the season. James might have competed for headlines with the plethora of Big Ten running backs had he stayed healthy. Instead, he’ll have another season in 2015 to separate himself from the pack.

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