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Michigan State Football: 3 implications of undefeated first half of 2021 season

By Connor Muldowney

Oct 2, 2021; East Lansing, Michigan, USA; Michigan State Spartans head coach Mel Tucker looks on during the fourth quarter against the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers at Spartan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Raj Mehta-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 2, 2021; East Lansing, Michigan, USA; Michigan State Spartans head coach Mel Tucker looks on during the fourth quarter against the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers at Spartan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Raj Mehta-USA TODAY Sports /
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Michigan State head coach Mel Tucker lets the student section know he appreciates them supporting the team after the Spartans beat Western Kentucky on Saturday, Oct. 2, 2021, at Spartan Stadium in East Lansing.211002 Msu Wku Fb 220a
Michigan State head coach Mel Tucker lets the student section know he appreciates them supporting the team after the Spartans beat Western Kentucky on Saturday, Oct. 2, 2021, at Spartan Stadium in East Lansing.211002 Msu Wku Fb 220a /

2. Mel Tucker’s heavy presence in transfer portal works

Michigan State limped to a 2-5 record a season ago and it just looked like the Spartans didn’t have the dogs to keep up with the rest of the Big Ten. Mel Tucker went out and changed that.

Tucker hit the portal and completely flipped the roster. Between the portal and his recruiting class, Michigan State added 41 new players to the roster with over a dozen players leaving the program as well. Some people were very skeptical about the roster turnover of this proportion, but Tucker has proven through six games that it works.

Kenneth Walker III has taken over in the backfield and looks like the best running back in the country, Jarrett Horst has been a solid addition to the line, Ronald Williams and Chester Kimbrough have been decent at cornerback, Quavaris Crouch has been a solid linebacker, and the depth has been a major difference from last season.

You don’t go from 2-5 to 6-0 without some good fortune and Tucker is showing that you can turn things around quickly with a heavy hand in the portal although Mark Dantonio did leave some quality pieces behind who have grown tremendously this year: Payton Thorne, Jayden Reed, Tre Mosley, Jailen Nailor, Xavier Henderson, Jacub Panasiuk, Drew Beesley, Angelo Grose, and Cal Haladay.

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