The Position Battle To Watch Closest During MSU's Training Camp
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Several starting spots will be up for grabs in the coming weeks at Michigan State.
Competitions are generally a little more open with a new head coach, and the ensuing roster chaos means the Spartans have more new players this season than returning ones. Wide receiver seems like a place where the competition could be especially fierce, and that's the spot I'll be looking at the most during training camp.
Examining Wider Situation at WR
Chrishon McCray is the one receiver who can comfortably be penciled into the starting lineup. He was the Spartans' top slot receiver last season, and that should be his role again this year. McCray will probably be even more involved this fall as Michigan State's leading returning receiver; enough so that McCray eventually becoming the overall WR1 would hardly be a surprise.
The other two spots are the ones really up for grabs. MSU had to replace its starting X and Z receivers from the 2025 season. Omari Kelly ran out of eligibility, and Nick Marsh transferred to Indiana. The list of candidates to take their places is relatively lengthy.
Candidates at X and Z Receiver
Transfer Portal Additions
Michigan State wound up bringing in three wideouts from the transfer portal this winter and spring. The two biggest names are Notre Dame transfer KK Smith and Michigan transfer Fredrick Moore, but the Spartans also picked up Jackson State transfer Jameel Gardner Jr. back in April.
The question is whether any of them can prove they are capable of becoming Power Four-level starters, more specifically, Smith and Moore. They were both at P4 programs in the past, but in backup roles. Smith has just 11 catches, 161 yards, and two touchdowns during his career. Moore has 15 catches, 160 yards, and one touchdown during his career.
Gardner was actually a teammate of McCray's at Kent State. He was the third-leading receiver at Jackson State in 2025, totaling 32 catches for 445 yards and a pair of touchdowns. Gardner was also not around for spring ball to learn the offense. He should provide some decent, proven depth, but Smith and Moore definitely have the better odds to get one of those starting spots.
The Redshirt Freshmen and One Blue-Chip True Freshman
The youth movement in the Michigan State wide receiver group also has its own group of contenders. Charles Taplin appears to be the young guy closest to a starting role ahead of camp. He was getting a lot of first-team reps during the Spartans' spring game this April, and Courtney Hawkins called him one of the fastest players on the team during the spring as well.
Taplin's rise was one of the surprises of spring ball. He was one of the lowest-rated recruits MSU brought in its 2025 recruiting class and was rated beneath fellow wideouts Braylon Collier and Bryson Williams. Taplin also redshirted as a true freshman, only appearing in the Spartans' final four games and making one catch for eight yards.
True freshman Samson Gash is also very capable of taking a starting spot. Taplin is one of the fastest players on the team, but Gash is expected to be the fastest. He set an MHSAA record in the 100-meter dash during his junior year at Detroit Catholic Central. That speed will translate right away and make Gash a valuable asset in the Spartans' offense.
Gash finished ranked 257th overall in the class of 2026, per the 247Sports Composite, making him the third-highest-ranked get for Michigan State, only behind offensive tackle Collin Campbell and quarterback Kayd Coffman.
The Wild Card: Rodney Bullard Jr.
Rodney Bullard Jr. is the biggest question mark within the bigger question mark. Michigan State still doesn't know whether he'll be granted eligibility for the upcoming season. His waiver with the NCAA has been pending since the winter. Bullard said back in April he had thought the decision would come down "any day now" since January. It's now August.
In the event Bullard gets his additional year, he'll be in the running for a starting spot, too. He caught five passes last year for 119 yards and a touchdown. Bullard also picked up an additional score on the ground.
Bullard is a former Valdosta State transfer hoping to get two years with MSU, rather than one. The eligibility issue arises from whether his freshman year at Valdosta State, where he was a regular student and not on the football team, should count.
The five names here with the best shot seem to be Taplin, Smith, Moore, Gash, and Bullard (if eligible). Hawkins doesn't rotate backups in a ton -- Bullard's 132 offensive snaps last season were the most among the reserves. McCray was third among the starters with 446 snaps, and he missed a game. The difference between being "in" and "out" is pretty huge.
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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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