MSU Football Players Primed for Larger Roles in Week 2
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Michigan State distributed its snaps in an interesting way during its season-opening 30-20 win over Toledo.
Now, the question is which players get more time on the field in Week 2 against Eastern Michigan (kickoff is set for 3:30 pm ET on Saturday on the Big Ten Network). Here are a few players who might get more playing time against the Eagles:
TE Carson Gulker
One of Friday's surprises was the lack of Carson Gulker. The all-around athlete and Ferris State transfer received only one offensive snap during his debut with the Spartans, according to Pro Football Focus. Perhaps head coach Pat Fitzgerald and offensive coordinator Nick Sheridan don't want to show too much of Gulker on tape before the Notre Dame game and the Big Ten schedule, but one snap still feels very low.
Sheridan and MSU already put some potential set-ups for trick-or-gadget plays on tape against Toledo. Michigan State used the wildcat formation with running back Cam Edwards a couple of times during Week 1, once on the team's first touchdown of the game. The other instance didn't go so well -- a fourth-and-short that the Rockets stuffed. Backup quarterback Cam Fancher also came into the game for one play for a designed run. Gulker, who can throw it, could easily line up there as well.
CB Tyran Chappell
Houston Christian transfer Tyran Chappell is a new piece in the secondary who performed adequately during Week 1. Chappell was only targeted once in coverage and didn't allow a catch, though he was flagged for pass interference at one point. He was Michigan State's CB2 going off snap count. Chappell got 30 snaps, Tre Bell led the way with 42, and Charles Brantley had 19.
There could be some separation between Bell, Chappell, and the rest of the corners after Week 1. Brantley, simply put, had a bit of a rough day. He fell for a double move and allowed a 60-yard touchdown, and that drive was only active because he was called for defensive holding on a prior third down. Brantley and Bell were technically the two starters on Friday, but a change could come there at some point.
RB Brandon Tullis
Another offensive player who might see more time is running back Brandon Tullis. He only got two offensive snaps during the first game of his true junior season. Tullis' role was likely to be smaller this year than last with the influx of transfers at the position, but just two snaps is a pretty big drop. He got double-digit offensive snaps in 10 games last year and never fewer than six in any game.
Tullis also didn't receive a carry in either of his snaps on Friday. He got the ball in his hands at least once in every contest last year. Edwards probably won't get as many carries this week after a 29-touch MSU debut, getting a bit banged up in the process. That may leave some more room for Tullis to play a bit more.
WR KK Smith
One player deserving of another look is wide receiver KK Smith. He transferred to Michigan State this season after three total years at Notre Dame. Smith got just 11 offensive snaps during his MSU debut, though he did make one catch for a 10-yard gain.
Going off snap count, Smith is the fifth wide receiver on the depth chart. Fredrick Moore and Rodney Bullard Jr. were the two starters out wide; Chrishon McCray started in the slot, and Bryson Williams' 15 offensive snaps were the most among the backups. The Spartans didn't use as much of a "rotation" as expected during the season opener, but Smith looked sharp enough during Week 1 to get a bit more time on the field this Saturday.
OT Robert Wright Jr.
Georgia Southern transfer Robert Wright Jr. should also get more run at right tackle. He looked better at that spot than Rakeem Johnson did against Toledo (even when Wright was literally throwing up on Toledo's pass rushers). Wright has the experience edge on Johnson after starting all year at Georgia Southern in 2025, which is why Johnson winning the starting RT spot felt like a surprise.
Still, Wright got 33 snaps on the right side of the offensive line on Friday. His role may be partially determined by the status of left tackle Ben Murawski, as Johnson filled in at LT while he was out for much of the second half. Keeping that right tackle competition open to see who emerges for at least one more week seems like the wise thing to do, regardless.
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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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