MSU's 'MJ' Will Get a Look at Tight End This Spring
When most people think about Michael Jordan, they think about a smooth jump shot, relentless competitive spirit and an NBA champion. Around East Lansing, the name Michael Jordan is synonymous with a mostly unknown football player waiting for his opportunity to shine for the green and white.
Michael Jordan came to wear #98 for the Spartans by way of a very unconventional path. Michael came to MSU with ties as a high school player to both Grand Rapids and Lansing. He was thought to be a raw athletic body that missed his chance to play for a major university straight out of high school due to academic short falls that sent him west to junior college.
Michael put his head down, worked hard and ultimately became a member of Mark Dantonio’s first recruiting class this past fall. Jordan’s 6’5†295-pound body made him an ideal fit for Narduzzi’s pass rush, but competition at both defensive end and defensive tackle saw him largely unutilized this past season. Expectations were high for Jordan; most thought he would land firmly in the “two-deep†at defensive end and wreak havoc on opposing offenses.
As the season took shape, Michael Jordan worked hard but never really cracked the depth chart with any consistency. With the transfer of Trevor Anderson from Cincy to MSU and the early enrollment of Tyler Hoover, Jordan is expected to see extensive time at tight end this spring. It is rumored that Jordan spent some quality time during MSU’s bowl game practices at TE and he looked pretty good. A three hundred pound tight end is a rare commodity. We have not have one in East Lansing since Duane Young and Bob Organ. The difference between Jordan and his three hundred pound predecessors is that Jordan is much lighter on his feet. Rarely do three hundred pound men run with the speed and agility of Jordan and spring expectations will be heaped firmly on his shoulders.
MSU graduates both Kellen Davis and Eric Andino. The TE production from Davis will be extremely hard to replicate, but Jordan offers some promise. He may give them a better advantage at the point of attack running the football seeing that he is as big as any defensive lineman and almost as big as a starting offensive tackle. Michigan State is counting on Michael to become a force in the running game and also catch his share of passes from Brian Hoyer next season.
Promising tight ends Garrett Celek and David Duran redshirted last season and Charlie Gantt continues to show promise, but he hasn’t taken the leap needed to secure the starting job this spring. Mark Dantonio’s motto is that every position is up for grabs and that the players will ultimately determine the starting line-up with their performances both on the field and in the classroom. One thing is for sure, athletes like Michael Jordan are rare and Dantonio is looking for ways to utilize the nimble three hundred pounder. Keep your eyes peeled this spring. The battle for MSU’s starting tight end promises to be very interesting. Good luck Michael, I cannot wait to see you lower the boom on opposing safeties. That is just wrong isn’t it?
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