None of Michigan State’s undrafted rookie hopefuls made it through NFL roster cutdown day intact.
After former Spartans have found ways to stick before - Nate Carter did it last summer as an undrafted free agent - this year’s group from the 2025 team was wiped out on Sunday as clubs trimmed down to 53 players.
The list of Michigan State departures was spread across the league. The Chicago Bears released wide receiver Omari Kelly and linebacker Wayne Matthews.
The Baltimore Ravens cut running back Elijah Tau-Tolliver. The Washington Commanders moved on from safety Malik Spencer.
The Atlanta Falcons waived tight end Jack Velling. The Jacksonville Jaguars let go of defensive end Quindarius Dunnigan.
That doesn’t necessarily close the book on any of them. They can still land with another team or find a path onto a practice squad, and Michigan State has recent examples of that route working out. Joe Bachie, Naquan Jones, Taybor Pepper and Andrew Dowell all built NFL careers that way.
While the undrafted group was cleared out, Michigan State did have two sixth-round picks set to begin their pro careers this fall: center Matt Gulbin with the Washington Commanders and punter Ryan Eckley with the Baltimore Ravens.
Kelly’s stop in East Lansing was his third college stop, following Auburn and Middle Tennessee State. He finished last season as MSU’s No. 2 receiver with 47 catches for 626 yards and two touchdowns.
Matthews arrived in East Lansing after starting at Old Dominion and spent two seasons with the Spartans. In 12 games last year, he was all over the field, finishing with 73 tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss and one interception.
Tau-Tolliver transferred in from Sacramento State for his final season of eligibility in 2025 and made his biggest impact late for the 4-8 Spartans. He ended up second on the team in rushing with 452 yards and two touchdowns, and he added 18 receptions for 139 yards.
Spencer, a four-year Spartan who grew up in the program, wrapped up his Michigan State career with 52 tackles, three tackles for loss, two sacks, one interception, one forced fumble and one pass breakup in 2025.
Velling came to East Lansing with former head coach Jonathan Smith from Oregon State and spent two seasons at MSU. He ranked third on the team in 2025 with 36 catches and 359 receiving yards, and he found the end zone three times.
Dunnigan, one of the team captains, transferred from Middle Tennessee State and posted 25 tackles, five tackles for loss, 2.5 sacks and one forced fumble.
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Turners place on the roster is notable because it sets him up for a bigger role than many expected when camp opened. He is part of a thin inside linebacker group in Denver, and the fact that he made it through to the regular season roster gives his career a clean new baseline after a strong summer, even as the details of how far that opportunity can go still remain to be seen. [Read more 🡒]