What’s Going Wrong with MSU’s WRs in 2025?
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The Michigan State Spartans are looking for a victory as they take on the Penn State Nittany Lions this afternoon.
Things have gone south for both teams, as they both sit at 3-6 and have not won a Big Ten game in 2025. MSU and PSU both wanted their seasons to go differently.
While the Nittany Lions had national championship aspirations, the Spartans were hoping to just get things off the ground in Jonathan Smith’s second year leading the program. All fans wanted was to make a bowl game and to see that things were turning in the right direction.
Part of that expected growth was the improvements Smith and the staff made to the wide receiver room. Their thought process was that getting more explosive separators would help Aidan Chiles in the passing game and spark the offense as a whole.
However, that has not really happened. Outside of Nick Marsh, the Spartans’ wide receiver room has been largely disappointing.
Michigan State's WR struggles
MSU is a top-10 passing offense in the Big Ten but ranks only 77th in the nation in passing yards per game (221.9). Last year, the Spartans ranked 79th, so the improvement has not been very noticeable.
Middle Tennessee transfer Omari Kelly got off to a great start in his final season of eligibility, but he fell out of favor when Big Ten play began. He had a big game against USC in his conference debut, but Kelly has struggled since then.
Kelly was solid against Minnesota two weeks ago, catching eight passes for 94 yards. However, the Spartans could not get it done on offense, despite a solid starting debut from redshirt freshman quarterback Alessio Milivojevic.
If the Spartans want to win their next three games, they will need Kelly to play like he did at the start of the season.
Kent State transfer Chrishon McCray was supposed to be the team’s explosive playmaker, but he has made only one explosive play this season. He caught a long touchdown against USC, but that was his most notable play in his one season with the Spartans.
While he dealt with an injury during fall camp, McCray has been healthy throughout this season. He has not been a very impactful pass catcher for this Spartan offense.
McCray has been a fairly reliable WR3, but the team expected more after his excellent season with the Golden Flashes.
Central Michigan transfer Evan Boyd has just three receptions for 54 yards after earning praise from the coaching staff this offseason. Does he need more opportunities, or has he not broken through the depth chart?
MSU may want to consider playing Valdosta State transfer Rodney Bullard more, as good things seem to happen when he touches the ball. Bullard caught a touchdown pass against Minnesota a few weeks ago on an explosive play.
Some individual numbers indicate that the Spartans’ wide receivers have had good seasons, but they have not contributed significantly to the offense as a whole. MSU needs more explosive plays from its WRs if it wants to make an improbable run to a bowl game.
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Carter Landis studied journalism at Michigan State University, where I graduated in May of 2022. He is currently a sports reporter for a local television station and is a writer covering the Michigan State Spartans