After hearing about how good the tight end room was all fall camp long, Michigan State's tight ends accounted for just three receptions for 25 yards in the season opener against Western Michigan.
It was a rather disappointing output for a group that's led by one of the best tight ends in the Big Ten and a John Mackey Award watch list member. Jack Velling had just one catch for three yards and didn't seem to get any real looks from Aidan Chiles. He wasn't on the same page as his quarterback again, which was a common theme last year.
Michael Masunas, on the other hand, had two catches for 22 yards and looked like the TE1 in the opener. He may be the backup, but he out-played Velling.
Was it concerning? It shouldn't be, especially if you listen to what Masunas had to say on Tuesday afternoon to the media when talking about the talent in the tight end room.
Michael Masunas: “I think we have one of the best tight end groups in the nation. Not just Jack (Velling) and I, but BP (Brennan Parachek), Kai (Rios), Jayden (Savoury), some of the younger guys coming in.”
— Emmett Matasovsky (@E_Matasovsky57) September 2, 2025
"I think we have one of the best tight end groups in the nation," Masunas said.
That confidence is only going to help this group rebound from a quiet opener, and I'd be shocked if Velling was held in check like this moving forward. Having three legit starting-caliber weapons at tight end in Masunas, Velling, and Brennan Parachek is a good sign, but he's hinting that this group hasn't even scratched the surface.
I do agree that Michigan State has one of the best tight end groups in college football this year, but it just has to get on the same page as Chiles. Masunas is, but now it's time for Velling to work out the kinks.
We'll see one of the nation's best tight end rooms trying to live up to the hype against Boston College.