Several starting jobs are still wide open at Michigan State, and the one worth watching most closely in training camp sits out at wide receiver.
That room has the kind of churn that comes with a new head coach. Michigan State has more newcomers than returners this season, and the receiver group looks like the spot where the competition could get the tightest.
One starter is essentially set: Chrishon McCray, who handled the slot last season and should be back in that same role. He enters camp as the Spartans’ top returning receiver, and it would not be a shock if he ends up as the overall WR1 before long.
Everything else is far less settled.
MSU has to replace its starting X and Z receivers from the 2025 season after Omari Kelly exhausted his eligibility and Nick Marsh transferred to Indiana. That leaves a crowded field of challengers, starting with the three transfer additions the Spartans brought in this winter and spring.
The biggest names are Notre Dame transfer KK Smith and Michigan transfer Fredrick Moore. Both have Power Four backgrounds, but only in limited roles.
Smith has 11 career catches for 161 yards and two touchdowns. Moore has 15 career catches for 160 yards and one touchdown.
Jackson State transfer Jameel Gardner Jr. arrived in April as well, and he adds a different kind of résumé. Gardner was the third-leading receiver at Jackson State in 2025 with 32 catches for 445 yards and two touchdowns, and he was also a teammate of McCray’s at Kent State.
The catch is that he missed spring ball, so he’s still learning the offense. Gardner looks like useful depth, but Smith and Moore appear to have the better odds of grabbing one of those starting spots.
There’s also a young group pushing to break through.
Charles Taplin looks like the freshman most ready to make noise right now. He was getting a lot of first-team work in the spring game in April, and Courtney Hawkins also described him as one of the fastest players on the team during spring practice.
That was a notable jump for Taplin, who entered MSU’s 2025 recruiting class as one of the lower-rated additions at the position, behind Braylon Collier and Bryson Williams. He redshirted as a true freshman, played in the final four games, and finished with one catch for eight yards.
Then there’s Samson Gash, who may have the most eye-catching speed in the room. Taplin is one of the fastest players on the roster, but Gash is expected to be even faster.
He set an MHSAA record in the 100-meter dash during his junior year at Detroit Catholic Central, and that kind of burst should play immediately. Gash was ranked 257th overall in the class of 2026 by the 247Sports Composite, making him Michigan State’s third-highest-rated commitment behind offensive tackle Collin Campbell and quarterback Kayd Coffman.
One more name hangs over the whole battle: Rodney Bullard Jr.
His eligibility remains unresolved, with a waiver to the NCAA still pending since the winter. Bullard said in April that he had thought the decision would come down “any day now” since January, and the calendar has clearly kept moving.
If he gets the extra year, he’ll be in the mix for a starting job, too. Last season he caught five passes for 119 yards and a touchdown and added another score on the ground.
Bullard is a former Valdosta State transfer who is hoping for two years at Michigan State instead of one. The issue is whether his freshman year at Valdosta State, when he was a regular student and not on the football team, should count.
Taken together, the names with the best shot at those open receiver spots appear to be Taplin, Smith, Moore, Gash, and Bullard if he’s cleared. And because Courtney Hawkins doesn’t lean heavily on rotating backups, the gap between making the group and missing out is significant.
Bullard’s 132 offensive snaps last season were the most among the reserves, while McCray was third among the starters with 446 snaps despite missing a game. At this position, the line between being in the mix and being on the outside is a big one.
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Michigan State Freshmen Are Suddenly In A Real Fight For Fall Roles
Michigan States new-look roster is getting one of the biggest benefits of the NCAAs 5-in-5 eligibility rules, with the full roster available this season and a deeper competition for fall roles than the Spartans have had in recent years. That has created a real opening for members of the 2026 recruiting class, a group that includes wide receiver Samson Gash, linebacker Adam Shaw, tight end Eddie Whiting, offensive lineman Eli Bickel and kicker Stephen Gonzales, all of whom are being watched closely as camp approaches.
Gash stands out as the freshman with the clearest chance to matter right away, with special teams work and a path into the receiver mix giving him a legitimate way into the conversation. The rest of the class is also worth tracking because each player brings a different kind of fit, whether it is at linebacker, tight end, along the offensive line or on kicks, and Michigan States fall decisions could start sorting out which of those young players are ready to help sooner rather than later. [Read more 🡒]
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The quarterback situation is part of the intrigue too. Alessio Milivojevic appears set for a full-time starting role, and that kind of responsibility tends to raise a players profile quickly in todays college game. For Michigan State, the bigger picture is clear: players with more runway left in their careers often carry more NIL upside, and this group of Spartans could be among the most closely watched in the weeks ahead. [Read more 🡒]
Kaleb Glenn Just Changed Michigan States Season Outlook
Kaleb Glenn is back in the mix for Michigan State, and his arrival as a transfer from Florida Atlantic gives Tom Izzo another interesting piece to work with as the Spartans look ahead to the upcoming season. Glenn brings the kind of versatility coaches covet, with enough scoring and shooting to open up lineup combinations and add some needed offense to the rotation.
For a program trying to sort out its best pieces before the season gets rolling, Glenns presence matters because he was expected to be part of the conversation even before he stepped on campus. His ability to fit in a variety of roles could give Michigan State more flexibility, especially if he settles in quickly and gives the Spartans another reliable option on the perimeter. [Read more 🡒]