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With all of the changes to Michigan State’s roster during the offseason, the biggest question of the spring will still be unanswered when preseason camp begins: Who will be the Spartans’ starting quarterback when they travel to Northwestern on Sept. 3 to open the season?
Source: Detroit Free Press
Xavier Henderson has a message for the rest of the Big Ten: Just wait until Sept. 3. That’s the day Michigan State kicks off the 2021 season, one that just happens to start with a Big Ten game that also happens to be against Northwestern, last season’s West Division champion.
Source: Detroit Free Press
Mel Tucker feels the sense of urgency going into his second season leading Michigan State’s football program. “Lots of people tell me, ‘It’s like Year 1 for you.’ No, it’s not Year 1, it’s Year 2,” Tucker said Friday at his first Big Ten media day. “We gotta get this thing moving.”
Source: Detroit Free Press
The upcoming 56th annual Great Lakes Invitational will be played in a showcase format at Yost Ice Arena and Munn Ice Arena. On Wednesday, Dec. 29, Michigan State will host Western Michigan at Munn Ice Arena, while Michigan will take on Michigan Tech in Ann Arbor. The teams will flip opponents for Thursday, Dec. 30 with Michigan Tech traveling to East Lansing and WMU heading to Michigan.
Two years ago, Elijah Collins was on top of the world. He was just a redshirt freshman for Michigan State football and he seemed to be a breakout star in an offense that desperately needed one. Collins put up some of the best rushing numbers since Jeremy Langford was in the backfield back in 2014, accounting for 988 yards and five touchdowns, truly breaking out against Western Michigan to steal the starting job from Connor Heyward.
Source: Spartan Avenue
Tori Franklin remembers when the last thing on Earth she wanted to do was the triple jump. As a high school freshman in suburban Chicago, Franklin preferred the pole vault, but her high school coach kept suggesting a different competition, one built a little more on her speed. After a while, she relented and gave it a shot. Now, she owns a triple-jump American record. And she’s headed to the Olympic Games in Tokyo.
Source: Lansing State Journal
The annual two-day event, which was canceled last year due to the pandemic, is Thursday and Friday at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. It will be Michigan State second-year coach Mel Tucker’s debut at the event and a chance for him to preview a new-look team following a 2-5 season last year. Tucker will speak on Friday, along with a trio of Spartans in safety Xavier Henderson, wide receiver Jalen Nailor and defensive end Drew Beesley.
Source: mlive.com
The addition of Mel Tucker also brought in a great mind in offensive line coach and run game coordinator, Chris Kapilovic. Much has been made about his potential impact in taking this team’s run game to the next level, but time will tell.
Source: The Only Colors
This week, the Tokyo Olympics begin with four former Michigan State Spartans taking part. Shay Colley (women’s basketball, Canada), Tori Franklin (track & field, United States), Franklin Gomez (wrestling, Puerto Rico) and Draymond Green (men’s basketball, United States) will represent their respective countries.
Michigan State junior running back Kenneth Walker III has been named to the Doak Walker Award Watch List, the PwC SMU Athletic Forum announced on Wednesday. The Forum annually presents the award to the nation’s top college running back.
Drew Jordan and Kendell Brooks arrived at Michigan State in the dead of winter from the same area in the South, yet miles apart in football experiences.
Source: Detroit Free Press
When making the jump from high school to college, players often cite the speed of the game or, perhaps, getting acclimated to life away from home as some of the biggest adjustments. Those apply for Michigan State freshman Pierre Brooks II, as well, but he’s already noticed something else during his short time on campus — he can never take a break.
Source: Detroit News
Forty-plus days away from the 2021 season, Michigan State has picked up a head-to-head win over a Big Ten program. Three-star defensive end Chase Carter on Tuesday announced his commitment to the Spartans, ending a recruitment that came down to MSU and Iowa. The Minnehaha Academy (Minn.) standout is MSU’s 15th commitment in the class of 2022, and the first defensive lineman.
Source: Spartan Tailgate
It has been discovered that Tom Izzo has added a second transfer to the roster in the form of Michael Peterson. He joins Jason Whitens, who transferred from Western Michigan to MSU, both being preferred walk-ons.
Source: Spartans Wire
Two men who grew up 30 miles away from one another, but 44 years apart, will be spending the next two years seeing a lot more of one another. Former North Central standout Jason Whitens officially became a member of the Michigan State men’s basketball team Wednesday, and will play for Iron Mountain native and Hall of Fame coach Tom Izzo.
Source: The Iron Mountain Daily News
Mel Tucker was a defensive back at Wisconsin and his foundation is as a secondary coach. Now heading into his second season as Michigan State’s head coach, he is facing a rebuilding project in the secondary, especially at cornerback.
Source: MLive.com
Experience is the theme of the Michigan State player contingent heading to Indianapolis later this week for Big Ten Football Media Days. Spartans head coach Mel Tucker will be joined by seniors Xavier Henderson and Drew Beesley and redshirt junior Jalen Nailor at Lucas Oil Stadium for the return of the annual event.
Source: Spartan Tailgate