Michigan State football: 5 position battles to watch as 2018 fall camp begins

4. Tight end

Senior tight end Matt Sokol has earned the starting job. He spent a couple of years learning behind Josiah Price but took over in 2017, finishing with 21 catches for 222 yards and a touchdown. He smashed his previous career-highs, but that’s only because he barely saw the field before 2017.

While he may seem like a lock to start in 2018, his job isn’t as solidified as you may think. Michigan State has done an excellent job of recruiting the tight end position and that’s going to put some added pressure on Sokol.

First off, there’s sophomore Matt Dotson who’s added some solid weight and already has the athleticism to become one of the Big Ten’s best pass-catching tight ends. The former four-star will get a true shot to steal some snaps this fall, and it wouldn’t be all that shocking to see him do so.

Next, as long as he’s healthy, you have 6-foot-4, 244-pound sophomore tight end Noah Davis. He’s had a quiet career thus far, but he could soon have a major impact.

Chase Gianacakos isn’t necessarily on the team to catch passes at tight end, but he’s more of a blocking specialist.

Lastly, Trenton Gillison is the talented true freshman tight end everyone has been talking about. He could come in and surprise some people with his athleticism and he, too, has added some good weight.

Looks like Sokol has his work cut out.