Michigan State Announces Scout Team Players of the Week Leading Up to Game Against Maryland

Michigan State has been doing its best to get ready for a potent Maryland offense. Coach Jonathan Smith recently awarded a few Spartans players with weekly awards.

Michigan State's head coach Jonathan Smith watches over the action during the first day of football camp on Tuesday, July 30, 2024, in East Lansing. / Nick King/Lansing State Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK

Michigan State has moved on from last week’s 16-10 victory over Florida Atlantic and will soon play its first Big Ten game on the road against Maryland.

Coach Jonathan Smith and his coaching staff widely admitted the desire to get back to the practice field to improve before a challenging conference matchup. Michigan State’s victory over Florida Atlantic flashed multiple bright spots for a Michigan State team still in the early stages of a rebuild.

The Spartans are filled with numerous new players and a new coaching staff. Michigan State’s coaching staff believes the team has had a productive week of practice and recently took the time to acknowledge multiple players who are unlikely to see the field on game day but still played a significant role in preparing the players in the starting lineup. 

Smith announced the Scout Team Players of the Week on X, formerly known as Twitter, saying: “Scout Team Players of the Week! These guys had a terrific week of practice to help our team get ready for Saturday."

• LB Brady Pretzlaff 
• OL Hayden Lorius
• QB Ryland Jessee
• OL Mercer Luniewski
• DT Ben Nelson
• DB Caleb Gash

Scout team players are often overlooked but play a vital role in preparing the team for its game each week. Players who do well on the scout team sometimes become significant future contributors. Smith prides himself on his ability to develop players. A quality scout team is a small way of helping players develop in the program, even though they may not play on game day. 

Since arriving at Michigan State, Smith has made many moves with the program's long-term future in mind. As he nears his first game as a head coach in the Big Ten, his ability to improve a young but talented Michigan State team will be tested. The Spartans have one of the most challenging schedules in the country.

This may be the time to develop the starters and work even harder on the lesser-known players on the roster that currently provide depth and may one day be a vital part of the team.

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