As Courtney Hawkins appeared in front of the media on Monday afternoon, he knew he would be questioned about the depth he has at receiver and who is standing out in the room.
Difficult questions always seem to arise during fall camp interviews, but Hawkins handled the media nicely, and it helped that he leads arguably the most talented position group on the team. He has 6-7 guys (his words, not mine) who could be part of that regular receiver rotation, and he spoke highly of his top two options, Nick Marsh and Omari Kelly.
Hawkins also said that the room has had to follow a mindset that he put into place. He said that there's a sign in his office that says "no block, no rock". That means if they're not willing to help block downfield and help create explosive runs, they're not going to be on the field.
Hawkins: “I have a sign in my office that says ‘no block, no rock’ so if you’re not blocking and getting down field to create big runs you’re going to be standing by me a lot.”
— SpartanMag.com (@TheSpartanMag) August 18, 2025
In the glory days under Mark Dantonio, the receivers were all willing to block. You'd see guys like Bennie Fowler or BJ Cunningham throw big blocks to open up big runs. Heck, Tony Lippett is known for a massive block on a blocked kick against Baylor that helped RJ Williamson break off a huge return that set up the game-winning score in the Cotton Bowl.
Hawkins knows that if the offense wants the run game to return to prominence, it's going to need the help of the receivers who will have to throw some key blocks down the field.
The "no block, no rock" motto is perfect because the receivers know the way to the field, and that's helping out in the run game when they're not even getting the ball. If they throw some big blocks down the field to free big runs, they're going to get more opportunities to catch passes themselves.
This receiver room is going to help get the run game back to where it should be.