Michigan State’s season-opening win over Toledo left one big question hanging: who gets a bigger slice of the action in Week 2?
The Spartans spread the snaps around in a way that made a few roles look very much up for grabs, and Saturday’s 3:30 pm ET kickoff against Eastern Michigan on the Big Ten Network should give a better read on where things stand.
Carson Gulker was the biggest eyebrow-raiser from Friday. The Ferris State transfer and all-around athlete played just one offensive snap in his Michigan State debut, according to Pro Football Focus. Maybe Pat Fitzgerald and Nick Sheridan are keeping some of his usage under wraps before Notre Dame and the Big Ten schedule, but one snap is still a tiny number for a player with his versatility.
Michigan State already showed a few gadget looks against Toledo, too. Cam Edwards took snaps in the wildcat a couple of times, including on the Spartans’ first touchdown of the game, while another attempt on fourth-and-short got stuffed.
Backup quarterback Cam Fancher also checked in for one designed run. Gulker, who can throw it, could fit into that same package.
In the secondary, Houston Christian transfer Tyran Chappell gave MSU a solid first impression. He was targeted only once, didn’t allow a catch, and still managed to draw a pass interference flag.
Chappell was Michigan State’s CB2 by snap count, logging 30 plays. Tre Bell led the corners with 42 snaps, while Charles Brantley finished with 19.
That cornerback picture may not stay settled for long. Bell and Chappell appear to have separated themselves from the rest of the group, and Brantley had a rough outing.
He bit on a double move that turned into a 60-yard touchdown, and that drive was only alive because he had already been flagged for defensive holding on a previous third down. Brantley and Bell were listed as the two starters, but that arrangement could change.
Brandon Tullis is another player who could be in line for more work. The true junior back played only two offensive snaps in Week 1, which is a sharp drop from a year ago.
Last season, he reached double-digit snaps in 10 games and never had fewer than six in any outing. He also touched the ball in every game last year, something that didn’t happen against Toledo, when he got no carries on either of his two snaps.
That might open the door a little wider this week. Edwards handled 29 touches in his MSU debut and came away a bit banged up, so there may be fewer carries to go around.
Wide receiver KK Smith is another name to watch. The Notre Dame transfer played 11 offensive snaps in his first game with Michigan State and caught one pass for 10 yards.
By snap count, he was the fifth receiver in the pecking order behind Fredrick Moore and Rodney Bullard Jr. on the outside, Chrishon McCray in the slot, and Bryson Williams, whose 15 snaps were the most among the backups. Michigan State didn’t rotate nearly as much as expected in the opener, but Smith did enough to suggest he could earn a little more time Saturday.
Up front, Robert Wright Jr. also looks poised for a larger role at right tackle. The Georgia Southern transfer seemed more comfortable there than Rakeem Johnson against Toledo, even while he was literally throwing up on Toledo’s pass rushers. Wright brings the experience edge after starting all year at Georgia Southern in 2025, which is part of why Johnson winning the right tackle job was such a surprise.
Wright played 33 snaps on the right side Friday, and his workload could also be tied to the situation at left tackle. Ben Murawski’s status matters here, since Johnson filled in at LT while he was out for much of the second half. For now, keeping that right tackle battle open another week looks like the sensible move.
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The early run has given this team a look of growing inevitability, and it is doing more than just padding the record. Michigan State is piling up sets in bunches and finding answers from experienced players across the lineup, which is exactly the kind of balance that tends to travel well once the schedule stiffens and the season starts asking different questions. [Read more 🡒]