Three Key Michigan State Players Who Must Deliver vs. Michigan

As Michigan State prepares for Michigan, three players on offense need to step up if MSU wants to win.

Michigan State QB Aidan Chiles | Darrell Craig Harris, On SI

Michigan State will take on the number 25-ranked Michigan Wolverines in East Lansing on October 25th at 7:30 on NBC.

Michigan is coming off a dominant rushing performance against Washington at home, whereas Michigan State is coming off a blowout loss against the number two-ranked Indiana.

Head coach Jonathan Smith, the Spartans are now 3-4, as they have lost four games in a row and are trying to save their season but also their jobs. As for Michigan, they are now 5-2 and one more win will give them bowl eligibility and will keep their college football playoff hopes alive.

With the stakes so high for the Spartans, let's look at who needs to step up on the offensive side of the ball for MSU to beat Michigan.

Oct 18, 2025; Bloomington, Indiana, USA; Michigan State Spartans quarterback Aidan Chiles (2) warms up prior to the game against the Indiana Hoosiers at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Robert Goddin-Imagn Images | Robert Goddin-Imagn Images

Aidan Chiles

It should be no surprise that Aidan Chiles is on this list. Aidan Chiles is the most important player on the Michigan State roster. Last time Chiles played against Michigan, Chiles played well as he went 17/23 for 183 yards and a passing touchdown. The problem was that there wasn't a true number one receiver to throw to as the leading receiver was senior running back Nate Carter with 56 yards.

Now, Michigan State reloaded its wide receiver core as now Nick Marsh has stepped up into that number one receiver role. Head coach Jonathan Smith also brought in Omari Kelly and Chrishon McCray. Now that Chiles has more pass catchers, he needs to step up and be as efficient as he was against Michigan last season.

Omari Kelly

Sep 20, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Michigan State Spartans wide receiver Omari Kelly (1) runs the ball against Southern California Trojans cornerback DJ Harvey (2) during the first half at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images | Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

Speaking of Omari Kelly, he is another player who is very important for the Michigan State offense. Nick Marsh is the biggest threat out of the MSU pass catchers and will be the focal point of Michigan’s defense as they will look to double-team him.

Throughout the season, Kelly has had a productive year as he is second on the team in receptions with 27, and first in receiving yards with 406. With that in mind, Kelly needs to be ready to be a reliable option for Chiles.

Jack Velling

Velling is the safety blanket for Chiles and this offense. Velling is a good football player as he is a good pass catcher, as well as both a good run and pass blocker. Velling is going to be used in short yardage situations and is a great redzone jumpball threat.

All three players are part of MSU’s passing attack. The Michigan State running attack has not been great this season, and it will be very important for the passing game to be great against Michigan.

Michigan State's Michael Masunas, left, celebrates his touchdown catch with Jack Velling against Youngstown State during the third quarter on Saturday, Sept. 13, 2025, at Spartan Stadium in East Lansing. | Nick King/Lansing State Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

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