3 Breakout Candidates for Michigan State Football on Offense
Michigan State is one-third of the way through spring practice and excitement it building for Year 1 under new head coach Jonathan Smith.
There's a lot of work to do in East Lansing, with the Spartans coming off back-to-back losing seasons and failing to reach bowl eligibility for two straight years. MSU saw nearly 20 players enter the transfer portal this offseason, but Smith and his coaching staff have been able to suppliment the roster with several additions via the portal as well.
On offense, quarterback Aiden Chiles and tight end Jack Velling are two transfers who are expected to make an immediate impact in East Lansing, and the Spartans have an excellent running back returning in senior Nathan Carter. Still, in order for the 2024 season to be a successful one, Michigan State is going to need multiple guys to step up and play a larger-than-expected role this season.
With that in mind, here are 3 breakout candidates for the Spartans' offense this fall...
1.) WR Nick Marsh (Fr.)
Michigan State lost multiple wide receivers to graduation and the transfer portal in the offseason, which opens up an excellent opportunity for true freshman Nick Marsh to make an impact right away in his first season as a Spartan. A former four-star recruit, Marsh is already one of the biggest receiving targets at MSU's disposal at 6-foot-3, 208 pounds.
Marsh is a very good athlete who can win 50-50 battles with his physical superiority and his ability to high-point the football. The freshman's potential to be an instant-impact option will come to how quickly he picks up the techniques necessary to be a college wide receiver and his ability to block in the run game. We don't want to put too high of expectations on the true freshman, but Michigan State doesn't have many guys who look like Marsh.
2.) WR Jaron Glover (R-So.)
Sticking with the wide receiver room, I see a potential big year for redshirt freshman Jaron Glover. The 6-foot-1, 209-pounder got his first real taste of college ball last season when he totaled 261 yards on 14 receptions, leading Michigan State at 18.6 yards per reception. I can see a sizeable improvement in those numbers in 2024 however, Glover could even emerge as the Spartans' top pass catcher this fall.
It'll be interesting to see how MSU handles the wide receiver room this fall. Position coach Courtney Hawkins was the only member of former head coach Mel Tucker's staff that was retained by Smith, but three of the top four receivers from the 2023 team are no longer on the roster. Redshirt senior Montorie Foster is back after leading the Spartans in receptions, yards and touchdowns last season, but the other two starting spots at receiver are open. My early pick would be Glover and Marsh to fill those roles.
3.) TE Brennen Parachek (So.)
As mentioned in the opening, Velling is going to be Michigan State's top tight end in 2024. The rising junior had two excellent seasons at Oregon State, totaling 719 yards and 11 touchdowns on 45 receptions over the past two years, and earning second team All-Pac 12 honors a year ago.
With that understood, Michigan State is going to need play more than just one tight end in the system Smith and offensive coordinator Brian Lindgren is bringing to East Lansing. My money is on sophomore Brennen Parachek to be the guy who spells Velling at tight end for the Spartans. The 6-foot-5, 254-pounder got his feet wet a year ago, appearing in eight games and totaling six receptions for 55 yards. It's impressive that Parachek was able to get on the field as a true freshman at a physical position like tight end, but it speaks to his unique physical gifts and talent level. Parachek is going to have an increased role this season, and will provide MSU with excellent depth behind Velling.
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