5 Additional Winners for Michigan State from Victory vs. Toledo

Lots of players' stock is going to move during season openers.

Michigan State's 30-20 victory over Toledo on Friday was no exception. Initially, the three biggest individual "winners" I named right after the game were quarterback Alessio Milivojevic, running back Cam Edwards, and kicker Liam Boyd. After looking over the film, there are a couple of other players worth recognizing:

WR Rodney Bullard Jr.

One of the top offensive performances came from wide receiver Rodney Bullard Jr. He put up comparable numbers in the first game of the season to his entire year in 2025. Bullard finished the game against Toledo with seven receptions, 90 yards, and a touchdown. Last season, he had five catches, 119 yards, and one receiving touchdown across 12 appearances and one start.

This was a statement game for Bullard, whose touchdown against the Rockets came on a fourth down in the fourth quarter for MSU to retake the lead. He also made a nice catch on the ensuing two-point conversion, which doesn't technically count towards his stats. Bullard was also very close to a touchdown earlier in the game. Milivojevic made an NFL-level throw to the corner of the end zone, but Bullard wasn't able to haul it in --- not necessarily a drop, but it was definitely catchable.

TE Jayden Savoury

Another big statement was made by redshirt freshman tight end Jayden Savoury. He didn't technically get the start on Friday --- that went to redshirt junior Brennan Parachek --- but Savoury looked like Michigan State's best tight end. He caught four passes for 36 yards.

The usage of tight ends moving forward will still be a storyline. All-around gadget player Carson Gulker only got one offensive snap on Friday, which is something that probably won't continue in the future. Kai Rios also got seven snaps, but he's largely contained to a blocking role. Savoury seemed like the best all-around tight end during camp, though, and that's what things seemed to show during Week 1.

CB Tre Bell

Iowa State transfer Tre Bell looked like MSU's best corner on Friday. He allowed a touchdown during the third quarter, but the play fell under the "good defense, better offense" category for me. PFF gave Bell a mere 55.8 overall grade for his efforts against Toledo, but that's a number where I definitely disagree. PFF's own numbers say Bell allowed just two catches for 25 yards on five targets; one of those allowed catches just happened to be in the end zone.

Bell's 42 defensive snaps (out of 45 possible) were also the most among the Spartans' corners. Houston Christian transfer Tyran Chappell actually had the second-most, with 30 coming off the bench. Charles Brantley had just 19; his 29.5 PFF grade was the lowest on the team on either side of the ball, which tracks after the long touchdown he allowed and a third-down defensive holding penalty.

Rush End Kenny Soares Jr.

N.C. State transfer Kenny Soares Jr. also lived up to the hype. He forced the only turnover of the game with an interception early in the second quarter. There was another play before that where Soares had nearly picked a pass off after being dropped into coverage. Soares was also credited with three pressures on 16 pass-rushing opportunities.

It's clear Soares is going to be a very versatile part of Michigan State's defense this year. His prior experience as a linebacker means defensive coordinator Joe Rossi can pretty much use him however he wants. Soares can get after the quarterback, be a big part of MSU's run defense, and then also drop into coverage. This lets Rossi get pretty creative with different coverage packages and simulated pressures, making Michigan State a little more difficult to game plan for.

DT Eli Coenen

The interior defensive line was a big question facing MSU entering Week 1. Michigan State has only six scholarship defensive tackles this year, and only two of them had really played college football before. One of them was Illinois transfer Eli Coenen. He might've been the biggest standout on the defense during Week 1, finishing with three total tackles and a sack. Coenen also broke up a pass on the first third down of the game.

The defensive tackle position as a whole was a pleasant surprise. Ben Roberts was effective when he was out there, and Mikeshun Beeler looked like a plus player during the first game of his college career, where he got legitimate playing time. The key there with the lack of depth will be whether those at the position can remain healthy.

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