Biggest Decisions Facing MSU's Fitzgerald During Fall Camp
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Michigan State's new head coach has some decisions to make in the next handful of weeks.
Thursday will be MSU's first official day of training camp. Several different starting spots and roles are up for grabs with less than a month to go until kickoff against Toledo in Week 1. These are a few decisions Pat Fitzgerald and his staff will have to make:
Starting WR Spots
Perhaps the biggest storyline of camp will be the battle in the wide receiver room. Chrishon McCray should be back as the Spartans' starting slot receiver, but that still leaves two other spots up for grabs. Notre Dame transfer KK Smith, Michigan transfer Fredrick Moore, Charles Taplin, Samson Gash, and Rodney Bullard Jr. all feel like contenders to earn one of those two spots ahead of camp.
Another wrench in the competition is that Michigan State is awaiting word from the NCAA on whether Bullard will receive a waiver and be eligible for the season. Taplin and Bullard were the two starters alongside McCray during April's spring scrimmage, though that was with Smith unavailable. Wide receivers coach Courtney Hawkins tends to ride with his starters more than others, so the decisions here will be really important.
Usage of Linebackers
Linebacker should be one of MSU's biggest strengths this fall. The group of Jordan Hall, Dion Crawford, and Caleb Wheatland includes three of the team's most proven players. Hall very well could be the team's best player, period.
How Michigan State and Max Bullough divvy up snaps around Hall will be interesting to see. Hall is an absolute lock to be the team's starting MIKE linebacker, and both Crawford and Wheatland would make sense as starting WILL linebackers. Crawford got some reps as a MIKE during the spring, as well. True freshman Adam Shaw also had an impressive spring, so keep an eye out for him, too.
Usage of Tight Ends
Tight end is another serious question mark before the fall. At least four, maybe five, tight ends are going to contend for snaps during the fall, and there is probably only room to give three snaps every week. Someone has to be that every-down tight end, somebody has to emerge as a receiving threat, and somebody has to provide quality blocking.
The group of contenders includes Brennan Parachek, Kai Rios, Jayden Savoury, Ferris State transfer Carson Gulker, and perhaps true freshman Eddie Whiting. Gulker can't just be contained to the tight end position, given his background as a passer, rusher, and often-used gadget player at a Division II dynasty.
Punt Returner
Fitzgerald and prized special teams coordinator LeVar Woods will also have to pick out a punt returner. Most teams look to their wide receiver room for solutions, since that's the position with the combination of hands and speed needed.
My two best guesses right now would be Gash or Taplin. Gash will probably be the fastest player on the team -- he set an MHSAA record in the 100-meter dash in high school -- and making him the punt returner would be an easy way to get him the ball in the open field. Taplin's speed has been pretty well regarded as well.
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A 2025 graduate from Michigan State University, Cotsonika brings a wealth of experience covering the Spartans from Rivals and On3 to his role as Michigan State Spartans Beat Writer on SI. At Michigan State, he was also a member of the world-renowned Spartan marching band for two seasons.
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