Michigan State football: Makeup of the WR room is still intriguing

It’s been quite the offseason thus far for Michigan State football. The Spartans have lost their director of recruiting, head nutrition specialist, pass rush specialist, promising young receiver Germie Bernard, two-year starting quarterback Payton Thorne, and star wide receiver Keon Coleman all to the transfer portal.

A struggling offense lost two of its projected top weapons for 2023.

On top of that, Jayden Reed is off to the NFL after being selected in the second round of the draft by the Green Bay Packers. He was the highest draft pick of any Spartan receiver since Devin Thomas back in the early days of Mark Dantonio.

So that means three of the team’s top receivers are gone and the top two portal targets at the position, Tyler Harrell and Jahdae Walker, have committed elsewhere.

But the makeup of the receiver room is still intriguing.

Michigan State football’s young receivers could shock everyone

While Coleman was a really tough loss because he had the potential to be the Spartans’ next 1,000-yard receiver and Bernard had star potential, I think the receiving corps is going to surprise in 2023.

Don’t believe me? Just look at the athletes that are in the receiver room.

Tyrell Henry, Antonio Gates Jr., Jaron Glover, Tre Mosley, Montorie Foster Jr., and Christian Fitzpatrick. Not a ton of proven talent there, but it is just that: talent.

We also can’t forget the incoming freshmen, Aziah Johnson and Jaelen Smith. These guys could add some depth to that receiver room and they could see the field early on.

Henry should be the team’s punt returning and he’s an electric athlete who many believe will have a breakout year, Gates Jr. has the frame and the potential to be a star, Glover is a speedy athlete, Mosley is a proven veteran wideout, Foster Jr. has plenty of untapped potential, and Fitzpatrick has been waiting for his opportunity as well and now that he’s finally healthy, he’ll get it.

If Coleman did decide to come back somehow, this room would be even better, but right now, it has a solid makeup and it’s going to prove some people wrong this year.