Sixth-year senior Maverick Hansen was not projected to become a captain for the Michigan State Spartans coming out of high school. The former two-star recruit was the lowest-rated non-specialist in MSU’s 2019 recruiting class.

Much like a lot of guys that Mark Dantonio recruited, the rankings did not matter much.

Hansen, the only remaining member of that class on the roster, was announced as one of five season-long captains Monday.

“It means the world to me,” Hansen said Thursday. “The fact that the guys voted me captain, it shows that they truly care and value me, and I can’t ask much more than that. I love it. It really means everything to me.”

Hansen had served as a captain a few times last year, when former head coach Mel Tucker would name captains for each game.

“Coach Smith called up a team meeting on Monday after practice, so we just thought we would go in there and do what we normally do in fall camp,” Hansen said about how he learned about the honor. “He ended up telling everyone (who the captains are), because [The team] voted captains on Sunday. That was awesome.”

Out of the five captains, the others being Aidan Chiles, Nate Carter, Tanner Miller and Jordan Turner, Hansen is the only captain that has played at Michigan State for his entire career. Chiles and Miller followed Smith from Oregon State, Turner transferred from Wisconsin and Carter just had his first season as a Spartan in 2023 after two years at UConn.

Become a Spartans Illustrated subscriber and receive 60% off an annual subscription. Use code KICKOFF2024. Offer for a limited time only.