Breaking Down Chrishon McCray's Role for MSU in 2026
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Michigan State’s wide receiver room will look vastly different in 2026.
Nick Marsh is in the transfer portal as the star is looking for a big program to help him reach the NFL. Omari Kelly, who was a productive player for the Spartans in his final year of eligibility, is off to the next level.
That leaves several targets to go to Kent State transfer Chrishon McCray, who came on for the Spartans as the season progressed. He finished the year with 24 receptions for 330 yards and three touchdowns.
It was a far cry from the 705 yards and nine scores he totaled in 2024 with the Golden Flashes, but McCray still played an important role for this team. His role may only increase entering the 2026 season.
What might next season have in store for McCray?
Chrishon McCray's 2026 role
The soon-to-be senior wide receiver was the Spartans’ WR3 last season, as Aidan Chiles preferred to throw to Marsh, Kelly, and tight end Jack Velling. However, things changed when Alessio Milivojevic took over as the starting quarterback.
In McCray’s first six games, he had nine receptions for 165 yards and a touchdown. In his final five, he had 15 receptions for 165 yards and two touchdowns.
While his yardage was the same, McCray saw a bigger target share, including a six-catch, 75-yard, two-touchdown game against the Iowa Hawkeyes on the road. Milivojevic clearly liked throwing to him, and that should continue in 2026 with Milivojevic as QB1.
McCray is a small receiver at 5-foot-10 and 175 pounds, so he may not be able to be the team’s WR1 next season. MSU might want to add more big-bodied receivers so McCray can be an ancillary playmaker for this offense.
The Spartans are expected to hire Nick Sheridan as their offensive coordinator. Sheridan has engineered elite passing attacks as an OC, so he should find a way to include McCray in the offense in an effective way.
McCray will also contribute on special teams, as he returned two kicks last season. Kelly returned punts last season, so the staff should consider putting McCray in that spot due to his ability to make defenders miss in the open field.
Last offseason, MSU added McCray in hopes that he could complement Marsh and be a safety valve for Chiles. He did a fine job, but he has a chance to make a bigger impact in what may be a bigger role in 2026.
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Carter Landis studied journalism at Michigan State University, where I graduated in May of 2022. He is currently a sports reporter for a local television station and is a writer covering the Michigan State Spartans