Michigan State Football: Dissecting the 2015 depth chart
Dec 7, 2013; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Michigan State Spartans tight end Josiah Price (82) celebrates after catching a pass for a touchdown during the third quarter of the 2013 Big 10 Championship game against the Ohio State Buckeyes at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Andrew Weber-USA TODAY Sports
Tight Ends
There’s no way around it, Josiah Price is the best tight end on the team right now. He has been named to award watch lists and many believe he might be the best the Big Ten has to offer this year.
Related: Josiah Price is Michigan State’s most underrated player
Not many people really even talk about the junior tight end from Ohio, but he has been as solid and reliable as anyone on the team. With a couple top targets of Cook’s heading to the NFL, it’s only right to believe that Price will be the fall-back option many times for the senior quarterback to start the season.
Sep 14, 2013; East Lansing, MI, USA; Michigan State Spartans defensive end Jamal Lyles (11) celebrates a touchdown against the Youngstown State Penguins during the second half in a game at Spartan Stadium. MSU won 55-17. Mandatory Credit: Mike Carter-USA TODAY Sports
Last year, Price was the fourth-leading receiver, catching 26 passes for 374 yards and six touchdowns while the backup tight end, Jamal Lyles, was eighth on the team, snagging just five passes for 74 yards.
Lyles and Price are both junior this season and they are each expected to be big-time targets for Cook in their own separate ways. Many believe Price will be the every down-type of tight end that MSU has yearned for and Lyles will become a redzone target because of his ability to go up and get the ball.
This is one of the deepest positions on the depth chart and, unlike the wide receivers, the third and fourth-stringers could easily step in and make a start, if need be.
Senior Paul Lang is third-string, sophomore Dylan Chmura is fourth and redshirt freshman Matt Sokol is fifth. All will be fighting for time, sans Lang, along with Noah Davis in 2016 once Lyles and Price graduate.
Next: Offensive Line