Michigan State’s camp has narrowed a handful of starting jobs to the final stretch, and with less than two weeks until the Sept. 4 opener against Toledo, a few of those races look close to settled while others are still very much alive.
The clearest answer on the roster is at running back. Cam Edwards is locked in as the lead back after rushing for 1,240 yards and 15 touchdowns last season at UConn, and there’s a real chance he becomes the centerpiece of the offense, maybe even the team’s best player. The bigger question is how the rest of the backfield gets sorted out behind him.
Right now, Western Kentucky transfer Marvis Parrish looks like the best bet for the RB2 role. He put up 779 scrimmage yards as a true freshman and led the Hilltoppers in rushing, and he should also matter in the passing game after catching 36 passes last season.
Brandon Tullis and Iowa transfer Jaziun Patterson are still in the mix, though. Tullis spent a solid stretch of last season as MSU’s No. 2 back, and Patterson was Iowa’s second option in the backfield in 2025.
Still, if everyone stays healthy, at least one back is going to see a meaningful drop in touches. Using three running backs is normal; four is a lot, especially when one of them comes with star-level expectations.
Up front, one offensive line job remains open: right tackle. That spot became available when Conner Moore shifted over to left guard, where he started at right tackle a year ago.
Rakeem Johnson appears to be the favorite to take over. That isn’t the most obvious outcome, but he got the nod in April during the spring scrimmage and has held that edge over Georgia Southern transfer Robert Wright Jr. since then.
Wright started at right tackle for his previous school last fall and was not flagged once all season, while Johnson has only 90 career snaps at right tackle.
Tight end is another crowded room with plenty still to sort out. Michigan State has four or five players who could carve out real roles, depending on how the staff wants to deploy them.
Brennan Parachek and Jayden Savoury are the two main traditional tight ends at the moment, and while Savoury might be the best option in the room, Parachek opening the year as the top guy would not be a surprise. Kai Rios adds another layer.
He probably won’t be a major factor as a receiver, but he looks like the best blocker in the group, which should get him onto the field in short-yardage situations when the defense is expecting the run. Then there’s Carson Gulker, who brings a different kind of versatility.
He’ll likely play plenty of tight end, but he could also show up as an H-back, a fullback, and even at quarterback in a wildcat look.
The biggest battle, though, is at wide receiver, and this one may still be unsettled when the season opens. Pat Fitzgerald said last week that "maybe as many as nine" receivers could be part of the rotation this season, a departure from what MSU has done in previous years with Courtney Hawkins coaching the room. That wider rotation makes sense given how close the starters and backups appear to be.
For now, the projected starters are Chrishon McCray, Charles Taplin, and Rodney Bullard Jr. McCray has had the steadiest camp of the group.
He started last season in the slot and looks like the safest bet to lead Michigan State in receiving this year. Bullard’s situation has another wrinkle, too: his eligibility case.
He has a hearing scheduled for this coming Thursday on the injunction he filed against the NCAA last week. Beyond those three, the main candidates for playing time appear to be KK Smith, Fredrick Moore, Samson Gash, Jameel Gardner Jr., Bryson Williams, and Braylon Collier.
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Michigan State Has A Few Final Camp Battles Fans Need To Watch
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On the defensive line, Derrick Simmons has an opportunity of his own to keep climbing the depth chart, and that makes these next few practices especially important for a staff still trying to settle on reliable pieces. For a team looking to enter the season with some clarity, these camp battles are less about headline-grabbing drama than they are about who can show enough consistency to earn real snaps when the games count. [Read more 🡒]