Michigan State Football: Matt Dotson, Trenton Gillison will flourish in 2020

New Michigan State football offensive coordinator Jay Johnson said that tight ends will be the MVP of the offense, which could be good news.

For the past few seasons under Mark Dantonio, the tight end position fell under the radar. Outside of a sliver of hope in Matt Seybert, the Spartans haven’t seen much production from the position since Josiah Price in 2016.

Things are about to change under the control of offensive coordinator Jay Johnson.

Johnson is ready to utilize tight ends more than Michigan State has over the past five, or so, years. He called that position the ‘MVP’ of the offense because of how heavily they will be used for blocking, route-running and pass-catching. It’s not just about getting athletes who can catch, but strong tight ends who can do it all.

That’s where Matt Dotson and Trenton Gillison come into play. They’re going to be the first beneficiaries of the new offense and they’ll certainly star in it.

Dotson has plenty of athleticism but his blocking could use some work and Johnson and Chris Kapilovic will harp on that with him. He’s a strong route-runner and pass-catcher, but his strength will be improved in the run game.

Gillison is an even more athletic option and one who could become an absolute star in the new system. He’s big-bodied, athletic, strong and runs great routes, but he was under-utilized as a redshirt freshman. He had 12 catches for 147 yards last season and four of those for 88 yards came in the bowl game against Wake Forest. If the 6-4, 250-pound sophomore can produce like that on a regular basis, he’s going to earn some recognition on a broader level.

Recruiting tight ends will also see a boost because of this type of quote as these guys will want to play in an offense that utilizes the position like Johnson does.

Expect breakout seasons from Dotson and Gillison in 2020 as they prepare to star in a tight end-friendly offense.