This MSU Freshman TE Turning Heads in Spring Ball

It hasn't taken long for true freshman tight end Eddie Whiting to stick out amongst the crowd.

"Look at him," Michigan State tight ends coach Brian Wozniak said of Whiting on Thursday when asked what is standing out about him. "I mean, you can't miss him. The guy's a tall glass of water; he's a massive, massive man, and he's not even strong yet. Wait 'til he hits that weight room for a full cycle."

April 16, 2026; East Lansing, Mich.; Michigan State Spartans tight ends coach Brian Wozniak speaks after a spring practice at the Skandalaris Football Center. | Jacob Cotsonika, Michigan State Spartans on SI

Whiting was a three-star recruit from Sioux Falls, S.D., who originally committed to the team while Jonathan Smith was the head coach and stayed on through the transition to Pat Fitzgerald, signing even before Wozniak's retention was official.

He's listed at 6-foot-6 and 249 pounds on the MSU roster already, which is a hefty sum for a true freshman. Whiting is already heavier than last year's starting tight end, Jack Velling, who was 6-foot-5 and 245 pounds.

Fitzgerald Joins Praise

Michigan State's new football coach Pat Fitzgerald addresses the crowd during a timeout in the first half of the Spartans basketball game against Iowa on Tuesday, Dec. 2, 2025, at the Breslin Center in East Lansing. | Nick King/Lansing State Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Whiting was one of the players Fitzgerald gave praise to earlier in the week. Fitzgerald wasn't asked specifically about how Whiting has been doing, but rather to highlight some of the guys who have been performing well. He could've gone many different directions with it, but Whiting was one player he chose to single out.

"Eddie's been really good," Fitzgerald said on Tuesday. "He's been a young guy that's been thrown into the fray. He's done a really, really nice job."

Young Guys in TE Room

It certainly seems that Whiting is playing above his station right now. He was ranked 1,079th overall in the class of 2026 on the Rivals Industry Ranking, placing him 74th among tight ends. Whiting was actually the second-best tight end in the class, with Joey Caudill being up at 472nd (in fairness to Caudill, he played quarterback in high school and is basically just now learning the position).

The Spartans need a young guy or two to step up this season from the tight end room to succeed. Losing TE1 Velling (graduation) and TE2 Michael Masunas (transferred to Texas). Adding Ferris State transfer and all-around athlete Carson Gulker makes things interesting, but Gulker is only entering his second season playing tight end.

Carson Gulke — Scenes from the Grand Valley State football game at Ferris State University on Saturday, Oct. 25, 2025. | Lenny Padilla / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Brennan Parachek, who redshirted and didn't catch a pass last season, and Kai Rios, who caught one pass in 2025, are the two veterans in the room. That can give Whiting room to step in and potentially play a role right away.

Redshirt freshman Jayden Savoury, who had a nice catch against Boston College last season, is another candidate to step in and make a difference this season.

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