Michigan State Football: 3 players who improved their stock in 2021 spring game

When Mel Tucker took over and Ian Stewart was coming in with the freshman class in 2020, the new head coach made the decision to try out the newcomer at tight end. He had a bigger body and probably would take a lot of adjusting, but the Spartans were thin at the position and needed to at least give the bigger receiver a look.

After his first year, he didn’t see the field much, and then he got in better shape with the new nutrition plan in place and Stewart took full advantage of the new strength and conditioning coach. He gained a ton of muscle and lost some body fat, leading to a leaner frame.

Stewart made his way back to the receiver position this spring and he’s working hard to crack that regular rotation. On Saturday, he made a couple of nice highlight grabs and was one of a couple of receivers to truly stand out.

Stewart may have been picking on a depleted secondary which will be bolstered when some of the incoming freshmen and transfers get to campus, but he looked great.

Jayden Reed and Jalen Nailor are likely options No. 1 and 2 in the receiving corps, but there could be a battle for the third spot and Stewart made a nice leap on Saturday.