3 Young Michigan State WRs Could Play Increased Roles In 2023
Michigan State has been fighting an uphill battle with the transfer portal lately. So far this spring, the Spartans have had more players exit the program than enter.
Three key losses have come from the wide receiver room. Star receiver Keon Coleman enter the portal on April 30th, veteran backup Cade McDonald followed suit as a grad transfer on May 8, and star Jayden Reed went to the NFL. The loss of these experienced players puts added pressure on the Spartans’ younger receiving options.
Who will fill two open starting positions for MSU? Who can add depth in the slot?
The answers can be found in Michigan State’s 2022 recruiting class. The Spartans landed four receivers during that cycle, but that number is now down to three after Germie Bernard transferred to Washington in December. While Bernard was the most talented and made the biggest impact as a freshman a year ago, the other guys from that class still have plenty of talent.
The first guy to jump out as a potential impact wide receiver is Tyrell Henry. A help on special teams last year, the 6-foot, 175-pound rising sophomore is versatile. Henry can be a threat in the slot, along with redshirt senior Tre Mosley. In addition to a larger role on special teams, Henry will be asked to do a lot more by offensive coordinator Jay Johnson in 2023.
ShowTYme🖐️ #GoGreen pic.twitter.com/P1mpNVdrdU
— ShowTYme Henry (@TyrellHenry12) April 17, 2023
Another in-state receiver from the 2022 class is Antonio Gates Jr. While he didn’t see the field last season as a true freshman, Gates Jr. caught fans attention during the ‘Spartan Football Kickoff’ last month. A former four-star recruit who comes from a prestigious football family, the son of a Hall of Famer is expected to make an impact this fall.
At 6-foot-2, 190 pounds, Gates could play in a similar spot as Jayden Reed on the outside. While he doesn’t have blazing speed, his high school and practice film shows his ability to separate from defenders.
Antonio Gates Jr. reels in the spring game TD. 🤩@AntoniogatesJr1 x @MSU_Football pic.twitter.com/9G9DB6btFP
— Big Ten Network (@BigTenNetwork) April 15, 2023
The last receiver from the ‘22 class is Jaron Glover. Before coming to MSU, wide receivers coach Courtney Hawkins talked about how much of a ‘hidden gem’ the 6-foot-1, 195-pounder was coming out of high school. We are starting to see glimpses of what Hawkins was talking about.
Glover has added 10 pounds since arriving on campus, and plays bigger than he is. The Florida native has the potential to be the Spartans most dangerous vertical threat in 2023. After receiving a lot of praise from staff and players this spring, Glover will be a player to look out for in the fall.
😮💨😮💨😮💨 pic.twitter.com/ZTOP9cKAuV
— Michigan State Football (@MSU_Football) April 11, 2023
While Michigan State is still scouring the transfer portal to add depth to its wide receiver room, the Spartans have already missed or passed on several candidates that they had been exploring. Alabama transfer Tyler Harrell has committed to Alabama and Grand Valley State transfer Jahdae Walker committed to Texas A&M. Both of these players made visits to East Lansing, but wound up at other programs. There was also some fan-generated buzz surrounding Michigan transfer A.J. Henning, but he elected to continue his career at Northwestern.
With the above results, it’s looking more and more like Michigan State will need the young receivers already in the program to step up and fill these open roles. The Spartans will have a new starting quarterback this fall, and whether that ends up being veteran backup Noah Kim or redshirt freshman Katin Houser, MSU’s signal-caller will need new weapons to target. Henry, Glover and Gates Jr. could be those weapons in a new-look offense for Michigan State.
