One Overreaction MSU Football Fans Must Avoid Right Now
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The battle in the wide receiver room is the biggest storyline of Michigan State's training camp this year.
It seems like MSU has a group currently in mind. Chrishon McCray, Charles Taplin, and Rodney Bullard Jr. were the players who went up first in a drill on Monday after I heard wideouts coach Courtney Hawkins call for the starters. That's certainly a glimpse into where things may stand, but there are a lot of ways it can go.
Current Outlook for WRs
McCray isn't going to have much to prove in fall camp this year. He's the team's leading returning receiver, and he'd be my pick to be the team's leading receiver this fall while operating out of the slot.
The question has always been about who would start next to him. Michigan State had a lot to replace, production-wise, with the departures of Nick Marsh (transfer to Indiana) and Omari Kelly (eligibility/NFL). The Spartans didn't get a super proven option from the portal, though. KK Smith and Fredrick Moore were both previously backup/reserve options at Notre Dame and Michigan, respectively. April addition Jameel Gardner Jr. was the WR3 last year at Jackson State.
Having all three starting receivers be returnees from last season would feel like a bit of a surprise. If Sep. 4 against Toledo were tomorrow, McCray, Taplin, and Bullard would probably be out there for the first snap of the season. It's far too early to declare things over, though.
"There's still a lot of competition and snaps to be had, and plays to be made for those guys to kind of see where they're going to be for the opener," offensive coordinator Nick Sheridan said about the ongoing competition at receiver and tight end on Wednesday. "But, knowing it's a long season, we're going to need them all. They're all going to have to be ready to go."
Why Things Can Change
One major factor is completely out of the Spartans' control. Bullard seems in a good place to start in his second year with the program, but there isn't any guarantee he's going to get that opportunity. He's been awaiting a decision on his eligibility from the NCAA since winter and, pretty inexplicably, hasn't gotten a response yet.
If the decision came down now, Michigan State could very well be losing a starting receiver just three weeks before the season. A potential denial would be easier to stomach during the spring, or maybe even during the summer. MSU would have a reasonable amount of time to figure things out. Now, it would cause a serious dent.
Position battles don't end when training camp ends, either. The gap between the starters and the reserves last year was pretty large. There will be more pressure on the coming weeks' "winners" to produce every week this season than there was on Marsh and Kelly last season.
Hawkins has traditionally relied on his starters, but a more "by-committee" approach would also make sense. Giving more receivers snaps would keep fresher legs on the field and also force opponents to game plan for more guys. This wouldn't work last year when Marsh and Kelly were such clear WR1 and WR2, but it could work now.
Those first two games against MAC opponents Toledo and Eastern Michigan could be an interesting trial run. Michigan State should have a decent idea of who its longer-term starters should be by kickoff in Week 1, but things can change during live competition.
Something will probably change at some point, whether it's something with Bullard's waiver, a push from a backup, a lack of production from a starter, or an injury; these competitions have multiple spots up for grabs and are rarely static. I wouldn't feel very stunned if Moore, Smith, or Bryson Williams started early on in the year. I could also easily see Samson Gash making a push at some point.
The bigger, overarching question is whether it can all add up to a solid group of playmakers for quarterback Alessio Milivojevic. The wide receiver position has consistently been a strength of MSU under Hawkins' coaching, but the Spartans need McCray and at least one other player to make a huge leap this coming fall.
I've talked a fair bit about the wide receiver competition, but just know that the latest update on the "starters" should come with a couple of grains of salt. Things can change rather quickly once pads go on, especially when one projected starter right now may no longer be allowed to play at any point.
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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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