MSU Coach Jonathan Smith Confident in His TEs

Michigan State coach Jonathan Smith feels good about his tight ends as spring ball continues.

Nov 28, 2023; East Lansing, Michigan, USA; Michigan State Spartans football head coach Jonathan / Dale Young-USA TODAY Sports

Michigan State has had success at the tight end position in recent years, and with Spartans coach Jonathan Smith now at the helm, it will look to continue to do so.

Smith discussed his tight end room and its aspirations when he spoke to reporters on Tuesday.

"Yeah, really as a group each of them had different days making plays," he said. "Obviously, with [Jack] Velling knowing the offense a little bit, he's been out there helping those guys come along."

Velling, a 6-foot-5, 250-pound junior, followed Smith from Oregon State, arriving to East Lansing in January. Last season, Velling was named a second-team All-Pac-12 honoree, recording eight touchdowns to set a single-season tight end record for Oregon State. The total was tied for the most by a tight end nationally as well.

In his two seasons with the Beavers, Velling played in 23 games and started in 18 of them. His career numbers at OSU include a total of 45 receptions for 719 yards and 11 touchdowns. Velling has two seasons left of eligibility.

Smith also mentioned sophomore Brennan Parachek. As a freshman last season, Parachek played in eight games, making six receptions for 55 yards. He also saw some time on special teams.

In high school, Parachek was a four-star recruit, according to Rivals, and was ranked the top tight end in Michigan by 247Sports. Parachek is a holdover of the Mel Tucker era.

Smith said he is excited that Parachek is back from injury practicing.

The rest of the tight end group participating in spring ball includes redshirt sophomores Michael Masunas and Jack Nickel, redshirt junior Ademola Faleye and graduate Tyneil Hopper.

Masunas was predominantly a special-teamer in his nine games last season. Nickel played in 10 games mostly as a special-teamer, though he did earn 13 offensive snaps. Faleye is a transfer from Norfolk State, where he played in 20 games and recorded nine catches before redshirting for the Spartans last season.

Hopper is a grad transfer from Boise State, who was granted a seventh year of eligibility by the NCAA. He played in 45 games for the Broncos and three games for MSU last season.

"Masunas made some plays last Saturday," Smith said. "We feel like we got some depth there. We got some guys."

The Michigan State Spartan Football Spring Green and White Game (Spartan Showcase) will be held at the High Cathedral of the Spartan Nation, Spartan Stadium, on April 20, 2024, at 2 PM.

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