Michigan State's Fou Fonoti planning to return in 2013

Offensive tackle Fou Fonoti will return to the Michigan St. Spartans in 2013 after opting to take a medical redshirt. The senior suffered a season-ending foot injury in practice prior to the team's Sept. 15 game against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish.

Fonoti, from Lakewood, Calif., transferred to East Lansing prior to the 2011 season, and was planning on finishing his second and final year with the Spartans in 2012. Prior to the injury, he had started the last 11 games of last season and the first two games of this season at right tackle.

If there's any silver lining for the Spartans, it's that Fonoti's injury allowed some younger players to gain experience at offensive tackle, so the team will return a very experienced group at the position in 2013. Left tackle Dan France will be a senior next season, while Fonoti's replacements -- Skyler Burkland and Michael Dennis -- will both be juniors.