Michigan State Wide Receivers: One Thing I Like, One Thing I Don't
College football season is approaching fast, as we are less than two weeks away from Big Ten Media Days in Indianapolis and roughly a month from the start of fall camps around the country.
Michigan State's roster appears to be set for the 2023 season, and that makes this the perfect time to take a look at every position group on the team. In this exercise, I'll point out one thing I like, one thing I don't and one thing to watch.
Up next in this series, we take a look at a position group that will look vastly different than last season: Wide Receiver
One Thing I Like
Michigan State returns a proven slot receiver in redshirt senior Tre Mosley, and I like the Spartans' trio of talented second-year receiving options in Tyrell Henry, Antonio Gates Jr. and Jaron Glover. With two open starting spots heading into 2023, there ample opportunity for one or more of these young guys to rise up the depth chart and earn more playing time.
We got to see Henry on special teams last season, but he could play a larger role this season as another slot option behind Mosley. There's certainly another level to Henry's game that hasn't been showcased yet. I feel the same way about Gates Jr. — a former four-star recruit — and Glover, who are both big-bodied receivers who can beat defensive backs with their size and height.
At the same time, wide receivers coach Courtney Hawkins has some veteran options as well in Christian Pitzpatrick and Montorie Foster Jr. if those young guys aren't ready to seize a starting job. Nebraska transfer Alante Brown is another name and guy to watch for this fall.
Michigan State has a good mix of upper and lowerclassmen at wide receiver. Now, it's just about getting the right mix of guys on the field together.
One Thing I Don't
There's no two ways about it — losing junior wide receiver Keon Coleman to the transfer portal was a tough blow for Michigan State. Coleman was the most talented individual player on the Spartans' roster, and figured to be a major go-to option for the offense this fall.
Without Coleman, and departed senior Jayden Reed, MSU is without its top two pass-catchers from last season. That's a lot of production and talent for Hawkins to replace in one offseason.
While I like the young talent that Hawkins has recruited to East Lansing, there's a difference between "young and promising" and "productive". Experience at wide receiver also includes often overlooked things like downfield blocking in the run game. That was something that Reed excelled at. How quickly can Michigan State's young receiving options improve in that area?
One Thing To Watch
Michigan State will break in a new starting quarterback for the 2023 season, as the battle between Noah Kim and Katin Houser carries into fall camp. The level of chemistry between Kim or Houser and their receiving targets could influence the depth chart at both positions.
If the redshirt junior Kim wins the job, does that mean it's more likely that the upperclassmen wide receivers get the nod at the open starting positions? If the redshirt freshman Houser wins, does that give the underclassmen a better shot at cracking the starting lineup?
Just because players are closer in age and class doesn't necessarily mean they'll have better chemistry on the field, but it stands to reason that Houser, for instance, would spend more time throwing to his classmates in Henry, Gates Jr. and Glover. It'll be interesting to see how the quarterback competition influences the wide receiver rotation.
In Case You Missed It
This article is part of a series examining every position group on Michigan State's 2023 roster. You can find the other position groups that Spartan Nation has already covered here: (Quarterback, Running Back)
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