Why MSU’s Tight Ends Are Big Winners From Fall Camp
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One position group I had a lot of questions about headed into Michigan State's training camp was the tight ends.
Headed into Friday's season opener against Toledo (8 pm ET, FS1), my worries have gone by the wayside a little bit. The Spartans have a unique group of players at the position this year, and I think, together, they can become an effective one.
Glancing Around the Room
I think there are going to be four tight ends this season who will get playing time on a weekly basis (assuming good health): fourth-year Brennan Parachek, second-year Jayden Savoury, fifth-year Kai Rios, and sixth-year Carson Gulker. I think there could also be room for some snaps for freshman Eddie Whiting, but five tight ends playing every game would be stretching it a lot.
A major point of my prior concerns is that none of these players have proven themselves at the Big Ten level before. MSU lost a lot of production from Jack Velling and Michael Masunas this offseason, and the fact that tight ends coach Brian Wozniak stayed relatively content with what he had in the transfer portal was a bit of a surprise to me.
I think Parachek is the starter for now, but he's got just 14 catches for 118 yards in his career, and he didn't make a single catch last season. Savoury won't be far behind (I personally think he'll become the best tight end on the team this year), but he's still a young player with one career catch.
Rios got just 15 offensive snaps in his first year with the program in 2025 after transferring from Indiana State, but he's probably the Spartans' best blocker at the position. He'll get an uptick in playing time this year. Gulker, as freakishly versatile and unique as he is, is still a Division II transfer (even if Ferris State would destroy many FCS programs).
Why Stock Has Improved
Having now watched the tight ends work during practice a lot, one of the main things I like about the tight ends this year (and really the offense in general) is that there seems to be at least one player for every job coordinator Nick Sheridan could need.
Savoury and Parachek both seem like every-down guys who will be threats as both receivers and blockers. I'd lean Savoury slightly more towards the receiving side, and Parachek to the blocking side. Rios will get plenty of short-yardage snaps as a blocker. Gulker's obvious weakness is blocking, but he can do literally anything else --- receiving, running, and even passing.
Potentially rotating in so many different players makes it more difficult on defenses, too. They'll constantly have to worry about the type of personnel Michigan State has on the field because it has so many options to turn to. It's another variable to add to the defense's overall equation; the depth at running back and the rotation at wide receiver will only further strengthen it.
I don't feel like doing the math on the number of combinations Sheridan could have out there with probably four playable running backs, four playable tight ends, and probably upwards of eight playable wide receivers, but I'm guessing it's a lot. Michigan State only regularly played three running backs, two tight ends, and three receivers last year. Maybe, just maybe, all the substitutions could catch the defense off-balance once in a while.
Youth Movement
Another reason my opinion on the tight ends has grown has been the outlook for the young guys at the position. Savoury has been one of the biggest risers this camp. I'd thought of him as one of Michigan State's more promising prospects, but I was pleasantly surprised to see him contending for a starting role when I got a glimpse of the team's first training camp practice last month.
Whiting, who had a pretty good spring, was also one of the most interesting parts of MSU's 2026 recruiting class. He ranked right around the middle of the Spartans' class at 1,067th overall, per the 247Sports Composite, but Whiting may have had the most loaded offer list. Just some of the other programs that Whiting turned down for Michigan State include Alabama, Iowa, Nebraska, Wisconsin, Florida, Auburn, Michigan, UCLA, and Washington.
Joe Caudill is another big piece of MSU's future at the position. I doubt we'll see much of him this season, as Caudill is transitioning from quarterback in high school, but his frame and athleticism make it easy to see him as a Power Four starter someday. Rivals had Caudill as a 4-star recruit and at 236th overall.
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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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