Breaking Down MSU's WR Room Without Nick Marsh
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The Michigan State Spartans are entering (another) new era of Spartan football.
MSU moved on from Jonathan Smith after his second season in East Lansing, after he won only nine games and could not get the rebuild off the ground.
The Spartans decided to bring in a proven program builder who has done it in the Midwest, in Pat Fitzgerald. He takes over at MSU after a few years away from coaching, having previously served as Northwestern’s winningest coach.
With a coaching change now official, the Spartans will likely see significant roster turnover in the coming weeks. Some of that attrition has already begun.
Star wide receiver Nick Marsh has announced his intention to enter the transfer portal. While he cannot officially enter until a few days from now, it is Marsh’s intention to explore his options.
Thank you Spartan nation for everything it’s been an honor 🙏🏾💚 SD4L #GoGreen https://t.co/KknAzSsmHa
— Nicholas “Megatron” Marsh (@NickMarsh_11) December 1, 2025
This loss stings for MSU and Fitzgerald, who still have a chance to retain Marsh if he can sell him on his vision for the future. As of now, the future NFL receiver will likely be playing elsewhere in 2026.
With Marsh not expected to be in the fold for Fitzgerald’s first year, what does the Spartan wide receiver room look like? Let’s break down what MSU’s new coach has to work with.
The Spartan wide receiver room
Marsh is in the portal, and Omari Kelly is out of eligibility, so Chrishon McCray currently stands as MSU’s leading receiver. He caught 24 passes for 330 yards and three touchdowns last season.
McCray is talented and explosive, but he did not have many opportunities to showcase his skill set in 2025 under the previous offensive system. If Fitzgerald likes what he has, and McCray wants to stay, he could have a bigger season in 2026.
Central Michigan transfer Evan Boyd did not have a big season, only catching three passes for 54 yards. However, now that a few spots above him on the depth chart have opened, we could see more Boyd next season.
MSU will also be without Alante Brown and Rodney Bullard Jr., who are no longer eligible.
One intriguing player Fitzgerald might like is freshman Braylon Collier. The 6-foot-tall, 176-pound receiver didn’t see much action in his first season in East Lansing, but a year of development and putting on more weight may make him a stronger contributor next season.
The receiver room also features players like Charles Taplin, Atticus Carradine, Shawn Foster, Jack Yanachik, and Nick Hardy.
MSU also has high school recruits coming in, like Zachary Washington and Rai’shawn Elmore. Four-star Samson Gash will wait to sign until February.
The Spartans will likely add some wide receivers through the transfer portal to supplement the room. They may feel the loss of Marsh, but the receiver position is typically easy to replace.
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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