Michigan States 2021 spring football practice: 21 thoughts on the Spartans

EAST LANSING, Mich. — Don’t call it a spring game. That’s not what this was for Michigan State. This was practice No. 15 for MSU, signaling the end of spring football — Mel Tucker’s first as Spartans coach.

Rather than a full-on scrimmage, Michigan State invited 6,000 fans to Spartan Stadium for a look at how the team operates under Tucker. There were 14 practice periods, mostly focusing on positional drill work with 7-on-7s and a scrimmage portion mixed in. It was our first time checking out the MSU team Tucker returns in 2021, so there was a lot to discuss.

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Here are 21 thoughts after the end of Michigan State’s 2021 spring:

1. Let’s start with the quarterbacks. All eyes were on Payton Thorne and Anthony Russo on Saturday, our first peek at this budding competition. You have to take most spring takeaways with a grain of salt, but based on what we saw Saturday, Thorne has solidified himself as a player who won’t back down from a challenge. And it makes sense, right? Thorne is entering his third season at MSU and his second in this offense. He’s further along than Russo, has familiarity with his wide receivers and was the last quarterback to start at this stadium. Michigan State made sure to mix in both Thorne and Russo with the first-team wide receivers and offensive line Saturday, but Thorne was always the first man up.

It was a good day for Thorne. He threw a nice ball to his man Jayden Reed for a touchdown and another to Cade McDonald. Did you know they all played together in high school? A pass to tight end Tyler Hunt was also picked off by Michael Dowell, but it was an otherwise clean day for Thorne.

2. One other thing that caught my attention about Thorne took place at the end of practice. Darien Harris interviewed Russo and Thorne together for Big Ten Network, and as soon as it was over, Thorne ran over to the wide receiver huddle in the end zone and had some words for his guys. It’s a small detail, but it backs up what I’ve heard about Thorne. In high school, Thorne would gather his wide receivers together, chat with them, pick their brains and show them exactly how he would like them to run routes and would tell them where he expected them to be coming out of their breaks. So gathering them together after the team’s final spring practice reinforced the stories of his leadership. I don’t know if I’d call it an “it” factor, but people tend to respond to him. It’s impressive.

Payton Thorne finished up his BTN interview and ran over to chat with his receivers pic.twitter.com/j2oQiJ5Yl9

— Colton Pouncy (@colton_pouncy) April 24, 2021

“You gotta just be yourself,” Thorne said. “When you’re trying to be something that you’re not, people can tell, especially teammates when you’re with them all the time. I’m just focused on being me and doing the things I’ve been taught throughout my life and encouraging guys and getting the best out of guys. That’s the job of a leader — to get the best out of the guys around you.”

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3. On to Russo. It’s easy to see what MSU likes about him. He’s a big, strong quarterback at 6-foot-5, 240 pounds. He has nice zip on his throws and solid touch on his deep balls. The tools are there, and the hope is he’ll benefit from better talent around him. He was the No. 2 guy, so make of that what you will. If I had to guess, he’s still learning the playbook and getting acclimated to his surroundings, which could explain why he came in after Thorne. Still, Russo rotated in quite a bit with the first team and had some notable throws, including this one to Reed for a 41-yard score.

To hear just SOME of Spartan Nation today was an amazing feeling, I can’t even begin to imagine how special it will be come fall 🙏🏽 … just wait on it💚 pic.twitter.com/x8J9PCHwLs

— Lisa B. (@lisabenchaim) April 24, 2021

This competition is far from over, of course. But it’s clear that Russo won’t just be handed the starting job. His ball placement and turnovers at Temple will have to improve, and he’ll have to beat out a motivated Thorne to win the gig. The good news for Russo is he has about four months to catch up.

4. While we’re on the topic of quarterbacks, I do want to talk about Noah Kim. He appears to be the No. 3 right now. I didn’t think that would be the case, but he was the third man up all day, and it was confirmed on the broadcast. He certainly took advantage of the moment.

Kim had a couple of really nice balls, and it was more impressive considering he was throwing to third-stringers and went against the projected starting defense. Entering Saturday, I wasn’t sure where Kim stood, given that Thorne and Russo are ahead of him and Kim has a Tucker signee in Hampton Fay behind him. But if he is, in fact, the No. 3 guy, that’s notable. It also means Theo Day, a junior, is your No. 4 QB. If Day wants playing time, he probably is going to have to transfer to find it.

“I feel good about that position,” Tucker said of his quarterbacks. “I feel like we’re gonna have really good production from the quarterback position this season.”

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5. Elijah Collins is noticeably trimmer. MSU has released some graphics of certain players’ progress in the weight room, and I’d be interested to see where Collins is. On Saturday, he looked like he had more burst than at any point last season. Of course, he played the 2020 season after COVID-19 issues, and it was clear he wasn’t the same player. But he looked closer to it Saturday. He also rotated in with the first-team offense, alongside Kenneth Walker III (who looked like the real deal in his limited carries) and Connor Heyward. Collins looked more comfortable out of the backfield running some routes in the 7-on-7 period. I don’t know what the future holds for the running back room, but the Spartans have some legitimate options if Collins can pick up where he left off in 2019.

6. Reed is going to be an absolute problem for defenses this year. He just has another gear. He caught touchdowns from Russo and Thorne, torching the defensive backs he was up against. And I’m not just saying this because he beat MSU’s second- and third-stringers. We saw it last year, and he’s only going to get better.

Consider this: Reed added 10 pounds of muscle without sacrificing speed. He has a year in the system and proved last year that he could do what he did at Western Michigan versus Big Ten opponents. Now you add what should be an improved quarterback group, especially if Thorne is the guy, and Reed could have a really good season. Declare-early-for-the-NFL good. There’s a reason MSU gave him the late Charles Rogers’ No. 1 jersey. I’m expecting a big season.

7. The offensive line, uh, wasn’t all there. Figuratively and literally. Part of this is because Michigan State’s defensive line is legitimately good (more on that later) and part of it is because the Spartans were missing some bodies. Left tackle AJ Arcuri and left guard JD Duplain did not dress. Those two are projected starters, and that’s why we saw others filling in. Here’s the group I had working with the first team: left tackle Jarrett Horst, left guard James Ohonba, center Nick Samac/Matt Allen, right guard Matt Carrick and right tackle Kevin Jarvis.

MSU eventually will find a way to get Arcuri, Horst and Jarvis on the field together, but I would imagine there are some guys banged up who had to sit out. Duplain is a starter to me, so probably nothing to worry about there, either. It was interesting to see Samac and Allen split reps at center. I would’ve thought it was Samac’s job until further notice, but Allen continues to hang around. As does Carrick, who has played a lot of football and, at the very least, will continue to be a rotational player. He might even stick as the starter at right guard if MSU likes Arcuri and Jarvis at tackle and views Horst as depth.

8. One offensive player whose stock is up after Saturday is second-year wide receiver Ian Stewart. He made some really nice catches. MSU experimented a bit with Stewart last season by moving him to tight end, which shows you the kind of ability the coaches think he has. He a nice frame at 6-foot-4 and great natural leaping ability, and he could’ve been a mismatch versus opposing linebackers. But he also projects as a big-bodied outside wide receiver and moved back this spring. Stewart can win 50-50 balls, and he has gained 15 pounds of muscle this offseason. You never want to overhype a spring performance, but for a young player like Stewart who’s still trying to crack the two-deep, that’s what you want to see.

We see you, @ianstewart219! 😲 pic.twitter.com/XZPaIbSeN5

— Michigan St. on BTN (@MichiganStOnBTN) April 24, 2021

“Ian’s done a really nice job,” Tucker said. “He’s got a big body, he’s got good hands, plays really hard. It’s always good to see those young guys step up and make some plays.”

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9. The final four periods were scrimmage periods. Here’s the offense that took the field first:

• QB Thorne
• RB Heyward
• WR Reed
• WR Jalen Nailor
• WR Terry Lockett Jr.
• TE Tyler Hunt
• LT Horst
• LG Ohonba
• C Samac
• RG Carrick
• RT Jarvis

Again, you can’t read too much into spring results, but this reveals a bit about the depth. Heyward won’t be the starter, but he’s still going to be involved. Lockett got the nod with the first team, which is good news for him. MSU has Maliq Carr, Christian Fitzpatrick and Keon Coleman coming this summer to add to the wide receiver room, so Lockett taking control of that spot in the spring should help his cause later. The tight ends rotated quite a bit, with Hunt, Trenton Gillison, Parks Gissinger and Kameron Allen all getting good reps. And the offensive line is under construction. That about does it for the offense.

10. The defense was pretty thin, and that could be why MSU opted for more of an open practice than a full scrimmage. I didn’t see defensive tackle Jacob Slade or linebacker Chase Kline. Kalon Gervin was dressed but didn’t compete much in the team scrimmage. MSU only has three scholarship cornerbacks on the spring roster and just five scholarship linebackers, so it was always going to be tough to make that work. Still, here’s one of the “first team” combinations I gathered:

• DE Jacub Panasiuk
• DT Jalen Hunt
• DT Dashaun Mallory
• DE Drew Beesley
• LB Noah Harvey
• LB Cal Haladay
• Nickel Dowell
• CB Zach Denha
• CB Emmanuel Flowers
• S Angelo Grose
• S Xavier Henderson

11. A lot to unpack here, obviously. Let’s begin with the defensive line.

Even without Slade, you have to feel pretty good about MSU’s defensive line. This was a group that was one of the best in the country in terms of advanced metrics last season, and that was after Kenny Willekes, Raequan Williams and Mike Panasiuk finished their careers. There was little drop-off, which is always encouraging.

Slade is a projected starter, so he’ll be back when he’s ready. But MSU’s depth was on display Saturday. Jalen Hunt and Mallory are perfectly capable defensive tackles who could start for a lot of programs. I liked Maverick Hansen’s development last year, and redshirt freshman Simeon Barrow really flashed Saturday. There was constant interior pressure in team drills without any blitzes. The defensive tackles are legit.

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12. Panasiuk and Beesley got the nod at defensive end. Beesley really came on strong last year, which is why he was asked to return for a sixth year. It looks like he has improved as a pass rusher. The team was unable to generate a consistent pass rush last season, so it’ll need more from players like Beesley. Panasiuk, meanwhile, hopes to bounce back after battling through COVID-19 last season. Both are solid players, but MSU added depth to the position in defensive end Drew Jordan.

Jordan didn’t participate much in the team scrimmage, but he was dressed and on the field. He can help the team. He has played a lot of football and seems to be a high-character young man. Regardless of whether he starts, he’s going to factor in. Also, keep an eye on Michael Fletcher and Jeff Pietrowski. Fletcher just stands out whenever you see him and truly towers over his peers. If he learns to use his length to his advantage, he’s going to be a problem. And Pietrowski has received unprompted praise from his coaches and fellow teammates. He seems to be the furthest along out of the defensive linemen MSU added in the 2020 class.

13. Harvey and Haladay were your first-team linebackers Saturday. Just as everyone suspected.

Kline was not dressed Saturday, which is probably why Haladay got so much work. It’s still worth mentioning that Haladay was the next man up because it gives us an idea of the pecking order. Harvey and Kline were the only two returning linebackers with extended playing experience. They’re two of just five scholarship linebackers on the spring roster, and the other three are all redshirt freshmen who joined the program in 2020. Of those three, Haladay received first-team reps over Cole DeMarzo and Devin Hightower. That gives us an idea of how the two-deep is shaping up before others arrive this summer.

14. Four-star linebacker Ma’a Gaoteote is wrapping up his senior year. Ben VanSumeren already has announced his plans to transfer to MSU. Itayvion Brown is more of a pass-rushing outside linebacker/edge rusher, but he could get some time with the linebackers. And Tennessee linebacker Quavaris Crouch, currently in the portal, appeared to be in attendance.

👀 pic.twitter.com/CurM6IWxxx

— SpartanMag (@TheSpartanMag) April 24, 2021

It looks like help is on the way.

15. As with the linebackers, there’s just not a ton of depth at cornerback this spring. There are three scholarship cornerbacks listed on the roster: Gervin, Grose and transfer Kendell Brooks. That’s the list.

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Brooks is more of a natural safety than a corner, so he might’ve been listed at corner out of necessity. Grose played nickel last year but interestingly got the nod at safety. I’m not sure if that’s a cross-training thing or something we could see more of, but it was certainly interesting. And Gervin played sparingly Saturday. I’m assuming he’s a bit banged up since he was seen stretching with an elastic band before practice.

16. Instead, we saw a lot of Flowers, Justin White and Denha. Flowers is entering his fifth year on campus and has played wide receiver and defensive back. He got a ton of reps at corner Saturday, as did White and Denha, two walk-ons. Again, it’s a rail-thin position. The good news is that Michigan State is set to add six scholarship cornerbacks to the roster this summer when Chester Kimbrough, Khary Crump, Marqui Lowery Jr., Charles Brantley, Antoine Booth and Steffan Johnson enter the mix. That’ll be a much-needed boost.

17. There was a somewhat interesting development with the safeties. Henderson held down his typical role with the group and likely will be named a team captain this year. But there’s an opening next to him with Tre Person no longer on the team. I assumed that job would go to Dowell, but MSU had other plans Saturday.

18. Most of Dowell’s reps Saturday came at nickel. He swapped between nickel and safety last year as he became a key rotational player. I saw him as the favorite to start at safety next to Henderson, and that still could be the case, but Grose got those reps instead. Again, that could be a cross-training type of deal. Have Grose, the projected starting nickel, play safety. Have Dowell, the projected starting safety, play nickel. I suppose we’ll have to keep an eye on that, but it did stand out.

19. Another thing that stood out: Matt Coghlin’s mullet. It is incredible.

Matt Coghlin is looking good! #MSUSpringGame pic.twitter.com/GM9XKjsNwo

— SPᗩᖇTY KIDS ™💚🤍 (@spartykids) April 24, 2021

Your projected starting kicker, ladies and gentlemen.

20. Michigan State opted for an open practice instead of a spring game in part because of the limitations at certain positions. But another factor was the recruiting opportunities.

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Several high-end prospects from the 2022 and 2023 classes were in attendance Saturday. Instead of a full scrimmage that would’ve been played on a wet field with a handful of projected starters out, Michigan State was able to show recruits what a Tucker-led practice looks like. They got to see what could be their future position coaches going to work. That could end up making a bigger impact than a scrimmage.

📍💚

— Dillon Tatum ¹ᵏ (@PrimeTimeDill) April 24, 2021

East Lansing📍

— Kevin Thomas (@k_thomas8) April 24, 2021

Yesssirrrrr👀 https://t.co/CFcIZDYZUE

— Aj Duffy (@anthonyjduffy) April 24, 2021

Great day @MSUFBRecruiting spring game today! It was a lot of fun!! @StephenM_Brooks @C_Robinson247 @JimComparoni @JakeReiling97 @JayJohnsonFB @QuarterbackUniv @WLWestern_FB @SMSBFootball pic.twitter.com/b5ft9aZNnG

— Drew Viotto (@ViottoDrew) April 24, 2021

With the dead period set to end June 1, this was a good preview for the prospects who came out to Spartan Stadium. MSU has locked in official visits with most of its top targets, so it should be a fascinating summer.

21. More than anything, this spring was about taking the next step. Michigan State went 2-5 in a COVID-19-affected season that wiped away spring football, paused team activities and partially stole a year of development.

Tucker didn’t have that time a year ago to determine what the roster he inherited looked like in pads. He’s a coach who relies on his eyes. He has a system that helps him identify players who fit what he wants based on their size, weight, athletic ability at each position, love of the game and personality. That made it tough in Year 1. It wasn’t the season he hoped for, so he’s working to change that.

He now has a year under his belt. He and his coaches have talked about the team’s struggles last year, in part because they believe things will be better. He slowly has been able to acquire talent, with more on the way. The level of competition has increased at each position. We’re starting to see glimpses of what he wants to do.

You don’t learn everything about a team from spring football. But as Tucker wraps up his first regular spring at Michigan State, we continue to learn more about his process, what’s on track, what needs to improve and, ultimately, what he hopes to accomplish in Year 2.

“It was really great to get out there, practice 15, to wrap up the spring,” Tucker said. “It was incredible to have our fans out there and the band and the cheer team. That was something we were all looking forward to, just getting back to normal. … I felt like we got a lot of work done today. We wanted to be efficient, we wanted to get better and continue to gain ground and continue to build in a relentless manner. I feel like we were able to get a lot accomplished today.”

(Top photo of Payton Thorne: Courtesy of Michigan State Athletics)

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