3 Impact Players for Michigan State Football Next Season
Michigan State football has had a rough offseason, to put it lightly. During the season, the former head coach was fired, which led to uncertainty among the players about whether they would stay at Michigan State and play under a new head coach or leave and find a place with more stability.
According to 247Sports, Michigan State has had 38 outgoing transfers. Many of the players who are leaving were key contributors, and some were looked at as being future building blocks who could help the Spartans win in the future.
Players like Jaden Mangham, Bai Jobe, Andrew Depaepe and Derrick Harmon all left. However, it's not all doom and gloom, as new Spartans coach Jonathan Smith brought in 20 incoming transfer players and also managed to keep some players from transferring away.
For Michigan State to be a respectable team next season, it is going to need certain players to step up and show out on and off the field.
Malik Spencer is someone who has been looked at as a potential first-round pick. NFL insider Jordan Schultz of Bleacher Report put out a tweet during the Spartans' Spring Showcase on April 20 saying that “Spencer has a shot to elevate himself into the 1st-round with a strong junior season for Sparty.
In his sophomore season with Michigan State, Spencer put up 72 total tackles and six pass breakups. Spencer has a unique skillset with his quickness and athleticism, being listed at 6-foot-1 and 205 pounds. With a strong junior season, Spencer can be the best defensive player on the team and the highest draft pick for a defensive back player since Trae Waynes was drafted 11th overall by the Minnesota Vikings back in 2015.
Aidan Chiles is Smith's most hyped transfer pickup. Chiles was a freshman backup quarterback with coach Smith at Oregon State. Chiles was a four-star quarterback coming out of high school and showed flashes of how good he could be while playing under DJ Uiagalelei at Oregon State. Last season, Chiles threw for 309 yards on 24-35 passing attempts and also rushed for 79 yards on 17 rushes.
Going into his sophomore season, Chiles is most likely going to be the starter Week 1 and will have pressure to perform and prove he can be the starter for the future.
Freshman wide receiver Nick Marsh has the potential to become an impact player in his first season with the program. Marsh was ranked as a four-star and top-15 receiver in the 2024 class, as well as being the top-ranked recruit for Michigan State. Looking at the wide receiver depth chart, Marsh is the most talented out of that group and has the potential to be wide receiver 2 or 3 for the Spartans' first game against Florida Atlantic and throughout the rest of the season.
A duo of Marsh and Chiles could be a fun sight for fans and a nightmare for opposing defenses with Marsh’s athleticism. Spartan fans got to see a glimpse of him in action during the Spring Showcase when he posted 88 receiving yards, including a 75-yard touchdown catch.
“He's young, he's a baller," Chiles said of Marsh after the Spring Showcase. "And he draws a lot of his talent and everything."
While Michigan State still has other issues that need to be addressed on the roster, if these three guys perform like the superstars they have the potential to be, then the Spartans can be a tough opponent for the Ohio States and Oregons of college football.
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