Jay Johnson Talks Tight End Production at Michigan State
The tight end production has been down in recent years for the Michigan State football program, but with new coaches and schemes, there's a possibility MSU will utilize them differently in Jay Johnson's offense.
Speaking to reporters last week, Johnson thinks, "they've done some good things," early in camp.
"Obviously Trenton (Gillison) has played, and obviously Matt Dotson has played a lot here. He had the injury that he's still coming back from, but I think it's a solid group, I really do," said Johnson.
In June, Spartan Nation predicted Dotson would be the starter if he entered his senior season healthy, but Gillison will fight for playing time and make the most of his opportunities.
"In 2019, he caught 12 passes for 147 yards, including a career-high four receptions for 88 yards during the New Era Pinstripe Bowl against Wake Forest. Gillison came to MSU as a four-star recruit from Ohio, and in two years, he's climbed his way up the depth chart. Matt Seybert is gone, and Dotson is coming off an injury – this might be Gillison's best chance to become the No. 1 tight end in East Lansing."
Michigan State's offensive coordinator believes tight ends are the MVP of the offense, "because they do have to do an awful lot for us."
"They've got to run; they've got to be able to pass protect, they've got to run routes," Johnson said. "They have to do a little bit of everything."
The Spartans have been experimenting with the position, trying out some "wildcards" to see who could move over to TE if need be.
One of those players is MSU kicker/punter Tyler Hunt.
"Somebody kind of brought him to our attention. They said he was really impactful player on special teams in general. And so when they when you looked at him physically, we're like, 'Man!' and so we said that let's do it. So we started that process during the summer and, obviously, it's quite a transition for him.
"But he seems to be catching on, and his athletic ability does show up," said Johnson. "So, I'm excited to kind of get a few more padded days with him and see how he can progress."
Whether Hunt will continue to kick for Michigan State remains to be seen, but Spartan Nation should pay close attention to their tight ends leading up to kickoff.
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