MSU Freshman Receives More National Recognition Following Week 2 Performance

Michigan State wide receiver Nate Marsh helped the Spartans upset Maryland. The freshman's performance has brought national recognition his way.

Michigan State's Nick Marsh catches a pass 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 started the season having a good idea of what to expect from its defense but knowing its offense was still a work in progress.

While Michigan State has talent at multiple positions on offense, the offense still entered the season as an unknown, as the start to the 2024 campaign was the first opportunity to see the Spartans in a meaningful game. 

The Spartans started the season with two close wins, a 6-point victory over Florida Atlantic and a 3-point victory over Maryland. While Michigan State’s defense played well in both games, its offense struggled in the first game. This led to the Spartans being more than an 8-point underdog to Maryland and many questions surrounding Michigan State’s defense as the Spartans traveled east. 

However, Michigan State’s offense would finish with about 200 yards more against Maryland than it did against Florida Atlantic. In part, this was due to the explosive plays freshman wide receiver Nick Marsh helped create for Michigan State’s offense. The freshman receiver announced himself loud and clear to the Big Ten by helping Michigan State put away a challenging Maryland team on the road.  

Billy Tucker of ESPN recently released his list of top-10 freshmen in college football following the first two weeks of the season. Tucker listed Marsh as the seventh-best freshman in the country, following his productive game against Maryland. Marsh finished the Spartans’ 24-24 victory over the Terrapins with eight catches for nearly 200 yards, including a massive 77-yard touchdown that swung momentum in Michigan State’s favor last Saturday.

“Marsh broke out in his second-career game, the Spartans’ 27-24 upset win at Maryland,” Tucker wrote. “He hauled in eight catches for 194 yards and one touchdown after catching just one pass in Week 1. The No. 20-ranked receiver in the 2024 [recruiting] class tied the score late in the fourth quarter with a 77-yard touchdown, utilizing his long stride and deceptive 4.6 verified speed to get behind coverage and catch a perfectly timed strike from Aidan Chiles. Like Williams [Alabama wide receiver Ryan Williams], Marsh is only 17 but playing with the moxie of a veteran.”

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