It's NFL Draft day which means that Michigan State football fans will sit down and hope for a Spartan to be called for a fourth straight year and in 84 of the past 85 drafts.
Unfortunately, it may take a while for a Spartan to have their name called.
There's actually a chance that Michigan State might not have a single player drafted for the first time since 2021 and the second time in the past 85 years. That would be heartbreaking, but I'm going to stay positive here and assume we hear at least one Spartan name called this weekend in Green Bay.
There are only a few options to choose from, but NFL teams could take chances on some Spartans who I believe have very high ceilings but poor situations in East Lansing held them back.
So will Michigan State have a player drafted? Here are the guys who have the best shot.
Luke Newman, OL
There's a chance that Luke Newman goes undrafted, but he's received plenty of interest and local fans probably love the fact that the Lions had him in for a visit. He graded out really well in the pre-draft process and he's been rising up some boards lately. If there's only one Spartan selected, I'd bet that it's the Holy Cross transfer.
Nate Carter, RB
Based on potential alone, I think Nate Carter is an NFL running back. He is a strong, compact runner with elusiveness, power, and speed that NFL teams should take a look at despite his numbers at Michigan State not being where they should've been. In two years in East Lansing, he had 1,297 yards and nine touchdowns on 4.3 yards per carry behind some really, really bad offensive lines. That needs to be taken into consideration.
Jonathan Kim, K
Not many kickers in college football were as effective as Jonathan Kim over the past two seasons. He was solid in 2023 in his first year with the Spartans as well as his first as a full-time kicker. Kim was 13-for-18 on field goals in 2023 and 7-fot-12 on kicks longer than 40 yards. He improved on that in 2024, converting on 19-of-21 field goals and 11-of-12 from 40-plus yards. Oh, and he has a career long of 58 yards. Kim has an NFL leg easily.
Khris Bogle, EDGE
Khris Bogle just never quite lived up to his potential at the collegiate level, but he ended his career in 2024 with his best numbers and gave himself a fighting chance to make an NFL roster. He finished with 37 tackles, eight tackles for loss, and four sacks, capping off his career on a high note. With his athletic 6-foot-4, 242-pound frame, I could see him making a roster based on potential much like Ameer Speed did (albeit at a different position) in New England.
Honorable Mention: Derrick Harmon, DL (transferred to Oregon)
No, this won't count for Michigan State, but this goes to show that Michigan State does land elite talent every now and then. Derrick Harmon started his career at Michigan State and played three seasons, totaling 71 tackles, seven tackles for loss, and 3.5 sacks. He transferred to Oregon to give himself the best chance to succeed and compete for a national title in 2024 and he recorded a career-best 45 tackles, 11 tackles for loss, five sacks, four pass breakups, and two forced fumbles. He won't be going pro as a Spartan, but he could become a Detroit Lion and come back home.