Michigan State DE Calhoun returning for senior season

Published Jan. 11, 2015 11:46 a.m. ET

foxsports

EAST LANSING, Mich. -- Michigan State defensive lineman Shilique Calhoun is returning to the Spartans for his senior season.

Calhoun announced his decision at a news conference Sunday before Michigan State's basketball game against Northwestern. The 6-foot-5, 256-pound Calhoun had eight sacks this season, and the seventh-ranked Spartans are poised to finish in the top 10 for a second consecutive year after beating Baylor in the Cotton Bowl.

Calhoun and quarterback Connor Cook have both decided to return after weighing a jump to the NFL. Michigan State is losing junior defensive back Trae Waynes to the pros.

The Spartans also lost defensive coordinator Pat Narduzzi, who took over as Pittsburgh's head coach, but Michigan State now appears to have enough returning talent to be among the favorites in the Big Ten.