Mel Tucker: CB Charles Brantley made "mature decision and good choice" to return to MSU
Michigan State lost two 2022 starters, quarterback Payton Thorne and wide receiver Keon Coleman, to the transfer portal this spring. But, for 48 hours, it appeared that number of starters would be three.
Just hours after Thorne and Coleman sent shockwaves out of East Lansing with their portal entries, starting cornerback Charles Brantley's name appeared in the portal as well.
Fortunately for MSU, Brantley withdrew his name just two days later, preventing a tough situation from growing worse.
Addressing the media at Wayne State's National College Showcase football camp last Thursday, head coach Mel Tucker expressed his satisfaction in Brantley's choice to return to Michigan State for his junior season.
“I like Chuck. I think he made a really good decision to take his name out and come back," Tucker said. "Obviously, he’s still developing as a player. We really like him as a young man. We’ve put a lot of work into him, invested a lot of time into him. He’s progressing, on and off the field."
In two seasons at Michigan State, Brantley has appeared in 19 games with 12 starts. He sat out of the Spartans' season-finale at Penn State due to injury, but started each of the other 11 games he appeared in last season. Brantley led MSU with six pass breakups in 2022, and was seventh on the team in tackles with 48. The sophomore was also the only MSU defensive back to record an interception last season, which he returned for a touchdown.
"I’m just really happy about the decision he made," Tucker said. "I think it was a mature decision and a good choice.”
Brantley has a new position coach this year in Jim Salgado, who takes over after Tucker split his head coach duties with serving as the program's cornerbacks coach in 2022. Brantley provides Salgado with a returning starter on one side of the field, and the former Buffalo Bills staffer has a crop of young options to choose from at the other corner spot.
Sophomore Dillon Tatum, who can play anywhere in MSU's secondary, may be the favorite to start opposite Brantley in 2023. Tatum's classmates, Caleb Coley and Ade Willie, will also compete for the job. Three-star incoming freshman Chance Rucker could have a say in the matter as well.
Michigan State added some experienced depth at cornerback via the transfer portal with the addition of former Wisconsin corner Semar Melvin, and Tucker hinted at another potential portal addition at the position in the near future.
“We’re going to be young at that position, but very talented," Tucker said. "We do have some guys who have transferred in who are going to help us. There may be another guy who may pop up here in the next couple days, we’ll see. But, that’s a position where I feel like we’re going to have more depth.”
Upperclassmen Chester Kimbrough and Marqui Lowery Jr. have each played corner for the Spartans, but Lowery is coming off of injury and Kimbrough has struggled in pass coverage. Perhaps they're better options to back up likely starting nickelback Angelo Grose this season.
Michigan State is even younger at safety heading into the 2023 season, but the the Spartans have some exciting, second-year options at the position. Sophomores Jaden Mangham and Malik Spencer may be the favorites to start at safety in 2023. MSU added Cincinnati transfer Armorion Smith, who appeared in 12 games for the Bearcats in 2022, to add depth as well.
"We’re going to be very competitive there," Tucker said of the safeties.
Beyond those three names, however, options become limited. Redshirt sophomore Khalil Majeed has played just nine snaps on defense and 15 snaps on special teams during his career, while redshirt freshmen Malcolm Jones played exclusively on special teams a year ago. Walk-on redshirt freshman Shawn Smith has yet to appear in a game for the Green and White.
That didn't deter Tucker from expressing optimism last Thursday, however.
“Some of the players in those positions our fans don’t know about yet," the head coach said. "But, I think throughout camp and as the season starts, I think you’ll start to recognize that we have more players than maybe what people think that we have."
Redshirt junior safety Khary Crump will be suspended for the first eight games of the year, a carry-over for his involvement in last season's tunnel incident at Michigan Stadium. Crump was seen on video striking Michigan cornerback Gemon Green with his helmet during the altercation.
Michigan State even moved sixth-year senior Harold Joiner III, who played running back in his five previous collegiate seasons, to safety this offseason to give the Spartans a little more depth and competition. Joiner played primary on special teams for MSU in 2022, with two tackles.
“We want to make sure we’re competitive at each position, offense and defense," Tucker said. "Not just depth and bodies, but guys who can actually go in the game and play winning football for us.”
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