After scoring 38 points in its previous two games combined, Michigan State was hoping to carry that sudden offensive momentum into UCLA on Saturday, but that just didn’t happen with true freshman Kayd Coffman getting the start at quarterback and Michigan State missing several key starters.
Not missing any key starters but also really failing to live up to some preseason hype was the receiving corps. Hours after Michigan State was dominated by No. 9 UCLA, 28-10, a former Spartan wide receiver commit — Tyren Hornes — led his team to an upset over the No. 2 team in the country.
After a fourth lackluster offensive performance in six Big Ten games, watching Hornes (formerly known as Wortham) dominate the No. 2 team in the country was like pouring salt into a freshly-opened wound.
He went off for 137 yards on six receptions in his first true breakout game of the year.
True freshman UCF WR Tyren Hornes is balling against No. 2 BYU.
— Zach Blostein (@ZBlostein247) October 24, 2026
247Sports had him as a 4-star prospect and the No. 172 overall player in the 2026 class.
137 yards on 6 receptions for the Sarasota (Fla.) Booker product. pic.twitter.com/hDs4qfCowh
Putting up those types of numbers on a national stage in one of the biggest upsets of the year just shows Michigan State that it could have had a budding star at receiver, but the string of poor seasons probably changed his mind.
Rod Bullard has hit a wall, Fredrick Moore has been quiet lately, Chrishon McCray can’t seem to get on the same page with his quarterbacks (he looked good vs. UCLA, though), and KK Smith has been in and out of the rotation all year. Some of the young guys like Bryson Williams and Samson Gash are showing signs of life, but the receiving corps could have used a budding star like Hornes.
Unfortunately, the former Spartan commit and No. 172 recruit in the 2026 class is doing damage to top-10 teams at a different school.
Keon Coleman, Germie Bernard, Nick Marsh, Tyren Hornes. Michigan State has had one of the most elite “what could have been” receiving corps of all time.
Tyren Hornes’ recruitment was a wild ride
Hornes originally committed to Michigan State in somewhat surprising fashion back in June of 2025 after visiting Jonathan Smith and the Spartans two days earlier. What’s even crazier is the fact that he flipped his commitment at the time from UCF to Michigan State. But even before his flip, he was receiving interest from Georgia and Smith somehow beat the Bulldogs out for the four-star wideout’s services.
Michigan State unfortunately couldn’t hold onto him.
After committing to Michigan State, he received interest from programs like Florida State and Auburn and then he decommitted in October when the season really started to take a turn for the worst. He received a couple more offers from Big Ten foes Washington and Penn State before finally making the decision to re-commit to UCF in January.
Scott Frost was able to win the recruitment when it ultimately looked like Wortham was going to end up at a bigger program like Penn State, Washington, FSU, or Auburn.
Michigan State’s poor on-field product has had a visible effect on recruiting that only a fresh coaching staff and some money to spend in the portal can fix. Fortunately, it feels like Pat Fitzgerald will have the resources to improve the roster in the offseason.
Who knows, maybe Hornes will get that itch to return to Michigan State.
Kidding — nothing good can happen to Spartan fans anymore.
Add us as a preferred source on Google