Every Starting Spot Up for Grabs During MSU's Fall Camp
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A few starting spots have yet to be determined for Michigan State headed into the fall.
Having a few competitions is natural. The Spartans have 62 new players this season, making up more than half of the roster. These are the spots on the field where things are not quite so certain:
Wide Receiver
The competition that's going to draw the most attention is in the wide receiving corps. Michigan State is losing starting receivers Nick Marsh and Omari Kelly from last year, and no proven, surefire starter came in through the portal during the winter. Transfers KK Smith (Notre Dame) and Fredrick Moore (Michigan) were backups at their previous stops, and Jameel Gardner Jr. was the third-leading receiver at FCS-level Jackson State last year.
MSU's crop of sophomores (or redshirt freshmen) is also a big part of the conversation. Charles Taplin made a lot of noise during the spring, and Bryson Williams is another interesting option after he became a full-time wide receiver this offseason, after being a hybrid running back/wideout as a true freshman. Chrishon McCray can be sharpied in as a starter, but those other two spots out wide are very much up in the air.
Tight Ends
The production from the tight ends will be another point of intrigue this fall. Michigan State seemed to have sophomore Jayden Savoury and senior Brennan Parachek as its top two tight ends during drills on Thursday morning, but that's hardly a permanent thing. Kai Rios was running with the first-teamers during the spring scrimmage back in April, plus freshman Eddie Whiting has also been making a bunch of noise.
Ferris State transfer Carson Gulker complicates the battle even more. He's hardly a traditional tight end, but that doesn't mean he won't play this year. Gulker can run with the ball, catch it, and even throw it. Where he lines up in certain formations and what he does will be what I'm looking for once the pads are on.
Offensive Line Spots
There doesn't seem to be a firm starting five for MSU just yet. Four names feel certain to be on there: Ben Murawski, Nick Sharpe, Trent Fraley, and Conner Moore. Murawski will be the left tackle, and Fraley will be the center. There is more of a question about where Sharpe and Moore will be, though.
Moore was the Spartans' starting right tackle last year, but there may be a shift to guard coming this season. He was playing right guard during the spring game in April, and Michigan State could potentially put either Georgia Southern transfer Robert Wright Jr. or junior Rakeem Johnson at his old spot on the right side.
Wright was one of the Spartans' better and quieter pickups of the offseason. He was a starter at Georgia Southern last year and went the whole year without committing a penalty. His three remaining years of eligibility make him an even more interesting commodity. Johnson, now a junior, is MSU's most versatile lineman. He's played 90 snaps at right tackle in his career thus far.
Left or right guard would make sense for Moore, and it's worth noting that he was working on the left side of the offensive line during a drill on Thursday. Sharpe played left guard at South Carolina last year, but before that, he played on the right side at Wake Forest. That was while he played for Nick Tabacca, who's now again Sharpe's offensive line coach in East Lansing.
Outside Linebacker
Perhaps the biggest "can't lose" battle will be for the second starting linebacker spot. MIKE linebacker Jordan Hall is as solid a starter as there is on the roster. Somebody is going to have to start next to him, though.
The two contenders here are Buffalo transfer Dion Crawford and Auburn transfer Caleb Wheatland. They're two of the most proven gets of the offseason for Michigan State. Crawford will be an interesting pass-rushing or blitzing option with 12.0 career sacks and a Third Team All-MAC selection in 2024. Wheatland was a starter at Maryland two seasons ago, but only appeared in a few games with Auburn in 2025 before transferring this offseason again.
Wheatland probably has the edge here. He's got the Big Ten experience, and Crawford was also getting reps in as a second option at MIKE during the spring. Still, Crawford gives MSU some flexibility with what it can do at linebacker, and he should still be on the field a fair amount this fall, even if it's not as a starter.
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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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