Michigan State Tight Ends Look For Breakout Season
Since Josiah Price left the program in 2016, Michigan State has struggled to get consistent play at the tight end position.
In the 2020 season, the Spartans tight ends combined for just 22 catches for 234 yards and no touchdowns. They were led by Matt Dotson who had nine receptions for 107 yards but he is not with the program this year.
This year, the Spartans added an influx of talent with Purdue transfer Maliq Carr as well as freshman Kameron Allen.
Trenton Gillison, Tyler Hunt, Adam Berghorst and Parks Gissinger all return for the Spartans as well as they all look to compete for starting positions.
Here's a deeper look at the tight ends.
Trenton Gillison
One of the presumed starters this fall, Gillison stands at 6-4, 240 pounds. Last season Gillison had five catches for 49 yards in the first four games before an injury forced him to sit out the remainder of the year. Gillison is a huge asset in the blocking game. With his solid frame and athleticism he's able to help blocking down the field as well as in the run game.
Tyler Hunt
Last season Hunt made the transition from punter to tight end, which is unheard of. It's never easy changing positions, especially two drastically different ones, but Hunt is the most productive returning tight end. Hunt's transition has been pretty smooth as he had eight receptions for 78 yards last season. Hunt is listed at 6-3, 220 pounds and is valuable in the passing game with solid catching ability and a knack for making plays after the catch.
Maliq Carr
The transfer from Purdue comes to Michigan State after a freshman season where he only saw action in three games. As a former wide receiver, Carr is a freak athlete listed at 6-5, 230 pounds. Mel Tucker has talked about using Carr as a "hybrid" where he can line up at either tight end or wide receiver and create mismatches in the future. Last season Florida did something similar with Kyle Pitts and it worked out pretty well for them. Carr just started practicing again after leg surgery over the offseason.
Kameron Allen
The youngest player in the tight end group is freshman Kameron Allen. The youngster is listed at 6-4, 220 pounds. It will be hard for him to get on the field in 2021 but if the tight end woes do continue into the season, Allen may see himself getting early playing time. Allen was ranked the No. 67 tight end in the country by 247Sports in the 2021 class.
