Jonathan Smith got busy in the transfer portal this offseason, landing plenty of talent and he especially focused on the receiving corps. The second-year Michigan State football coach picked up four transfer receivers from the portal and each one should make a solid impact in 2025.
First, he landed Omari Kelly from Middle Tennessee. Then it was Chrishon McCray from Kent State followed by Evan Boyd from Central Michigan and Rodney Bullard Jr. from Valdosta State.
As if that's not enough, the Spartans return record-breaking freshman Nick Marsh who had himself a huge first season in East Lansing along with Alante Brown. That gives Michigan State a six-deep receiving corps which should be one of the best in the Big Ten.
Yet somehow the Spartans aren't receiving enough love, especially for a unit led by one of the best receivers coaches out there in Courtney Hawkins.
So when someone posted a "hot take" that Michigan State has a better receiver room than Michigan on Monday, it was met with a lot of "duh" responses from Spartan fans. Yet there were opposing fans who laughed at it and called the take wrong.
After my evaluation of WR Rooms, people aren't going to like this...but Michigan State has a better WR room than Michigan. pic.twitter.com/mh44MxY9XI
— Rico Rico (@Ricoknowstiktok) June 9, 2025
How could anyone even look at this as a hot take? Yes, Michigan has some talent at receiver but it almost always goes underutilized (I do expect that to change this season) and Michigan State has experienced and proven wideouts from all over the country, led by the best wideout on either team.
Marsh broke Michigan State's freshman receiving records and he's considered one of the best wideouts in college football as just a sophomore.
Then there's Kelly who had 869 yards and four touchdowns on 53 catches with Middle Tennessee last year. McCray had 81 catches for 1,315 yards and 13 touchdowns over two seasons with one of the worst teams in the country (imagine what he can do with Aidan Chiles). And Boyd had 21 catches for 302 yards and two touchdowns as a freshman with CMU and he earned some praise this spring from the coaches.
Even Bullard from Valdosta State had 42 catches for 1,001 yards and 12 touchdowns last season as a sophomore. That's why he was able to make the leap to the FBS and he's only expected to be Michigan State's fifth or sixth receiver.
Don't overlook this receiving room because the talent is definitely there.
This will be MSU's best receiving corps since Jayden Reed, Keon Coleman, and Jalen Nailor were still in town.