Michigan State football: Christian Fitzpatrick could be a surprise in 2022

Christian Fitzpatrick is a name that seems to fly under the radar when talking about Michigan State football pass-catchers.

The last time a Michigan State football receiver suited up in the No. 16, he ended up being a pretty great player.

Aaron Burbridge is one of the best receivers Michigan State has had over the past decade and he even won the Big Ten Receiver of the Year award and helped lead the program to its first-ever College Football Playoff.

The Spartans are hoping the luck from that number will rub off on the new No. 16, Christian Fitzpatrick. The Louisville transfer came in with the 2021 class and played sparingly last year, but with the opportunity to play meaningful snaps in front of him, he may just surprise everyone and seize it.

The first names that come to mind when talking about the receiving corps are Jayden Reed, Tre Mosley, and Keon Coleman, followed by star freshman Germie Bernard, but Fitzpatrick is a name that Mel Tucker has mentioned during preseason camp and I think he’ll surprise some people.

I’ll admit it, I expected more production from Fitzpatrick, the younger brother of Dez, but he had just two catches for three yards. But there also wasn’t a huge need for him to step up.

Now, he’s going to be tasked with adding depth to the receiving corps and replacing targets lost with Jalen Nailor and Connor Heyward gone. He’s good enough to be the backup to that big three trio in the starting lineup and play a healthy role all season long.

Plus, he has great size. He’s 6-foot-4 and 210 pounds and could be the perfect red-zone threat.

While I think Coleman, Reed, and Mosley are all going to have impressive seasons, Fitzpatrick is the guy who gets lost in the mix and is going to be a huge surprise.

Don’t be shocked if he finishes with 20-30 catches for 300-400 yards and a few touchdowns.