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EAST LANSING — Aidan Chiles joined Michigan State football a little over a year ago and immediately found a football brother in Nick Marsh. The two quickly formed a bond on and off the field, and the Spartans’ passing game appeared headed toward big things.LING
Until opponents caught on to their connection.
That, along with attrition via transfers, required Jonathan Smith and his staff to go out and bring in more pass-catching weapons to offset the additional attention being paid to Marsh.
MSU added an influx of transfer receivers in the offseason — Omari Kelly, Chrishon McCray, Evan Boyd and Rodney Bullard Jr. The hope: That those experienced veterans help bring along Marsh and a group of younger wideouts to maximize the potential of Chiles and the passing attack this fall.
“We watch a lot of film together, so the chemistry is building,” Marsh said Tuesday. “But these guys, they're animals. They're in the film room every day, they're grinding. … You can just see how much detail they're putting into the work and craft.
“I think the chemistry of the room is getting better day in and out.”
RELATED: Couch: Tre Holloman's transfer portal move was jarring, because it felt like a crack in something MSU basketball has so far avoided
In a breakout debut season, Marsh led the Spartans in catches (41) and receiving yards (649), both program records for true freshmen. He also tied for the team lead in touchdown catches.
“I think we need to come out and just do what we want to do, what we know we can do,” Chiles said of his chemistry with Marsh. “Nick has a lot of ability, and I feel like we can use that and we can grow from what we did last year. He's gonna be a great target this year for sure.”
But Marsh’s sudden production in 2024 — starting with an eight-catch, 194-yard breakout performance at Maryland, in his second collegiate game — soon after made the 6-foot-3, 201-pounder a focal point for defensive coordinators. After an eight-catch, 113-yard game against Iowa, Marsh managed just 17 catches over the final five games (though he did have two of his three TDs) as the Spartans finished 5-7 and without a bowl appearance for the third straight season.
“Nick had a great year,” MSU offensive coordinator Brian Lindgren said Tuesday. “But I still think there's a lot to his game that he can take to the next level, as far as detail of routes, technique things that I think he's working on.”
The same goes for now-junior Jack Velling, who transferred to MSU with Chiles from Oregon State with high expectations. The 6-5, 246-pound tight end — a 2024 preseason candidate for the John Mackey Award — set a career high with 36 catches for 411 yards, but he also produced career lows with 11.4 yards per catch and just one touchdown (which came in the final game of the season, a loss to Rutgers).
Like Marsh on the outside, Velling struggled to find room to work the middle of the field as opponents bracketed him with double-teams and had extra defenders spying him on passing routes.
“Just from Game 1 against (Florida Atlantic), we could tell they were gonna have a guy over the top of me all game, and it kind of carried,” Velling said Thursday. “I had trouble winning against man last year, and that was (a) big focus for me this offseason.”
That is where the Spartans hope the transfers help.
MSU saw four receivers leave through the portal. Jaron Glover (Mississippi State), Aziah Johnson (North Carolina), Jaelen Smith (UTSA) and Antonio Gates Jr. (Delaware State) combined for 36 catches, 533 yards and four scores in 2024. The bigger loss via graduation is Montorie Foster Jr. , MSU's second-leading receiver at 46 catches, 588 yards and three TDs.
Sixth-year senior Alante Brown (two catches, 20 yards in 2024) is the only other returning receiver from a year ago. The newcomers will work to bolster Chiles’ downfield ability after MSU finished 79th in passing a year ago (218.1 yards per game) but just 110th in total offense (333.4 yards) and 123rd out of 133 Football Bowl Subdivision programs in scoring (19.3 points).
Among the arrivals, the 6-foot, 187-pound Kelly, who began his college career at Auburn, was first-team All-Conference USA last season (53 catches, 869 yards, four touchdowns) in his only year at Middle Tennessee State. The 5-10, 168-pound McCray was a two-time All-MAC receiver (40 catches, 705 yards, nine TDs) at Kent State. Boyd, an East Lansing native, has a bigger 6-3, 210-pound frame and had 21 catches, 302 yards and two TDs in eight games last season at Central Michigan. And the 6-foot, 180-pound Bullard (42 catches, 1,001 yards, 12 TDs) helped Valdosta State reach the Division II national title game (a loss to Ferris State) with his 23.8 yards-per-catch average.
“It's really fun to see guys be able to spread the field and get match ups that we like all across the board,” Velling said. “Now we'll have guys out there who might attract different attention or whatnot, so it might take even a little attention off us (tight ends), which definitely is helpful.”
Said Brown, a one-time Nebraska transfer who missed all but four games last season with injury: “Whether it's speed, whether it's route-running, whether it's taking them deep, whether it's stepping them off. I definitely like the room in the way that we're headed right now.”
The Spartans also have three early enrollees — Braylon Collier, Charles Taplin and Nick Hardy — trying to do what Marsh did last season, making an impact in the spring and learning the playbook heading into preseason camp.
“With our size, speed, quickness, and then maybe a little bit of length, you want to be able to blend that,” Smith said Thursday of the receiver additions. “Obviously, we're asking them to also be physical, whatever their physical attributes are. We've got some of that.”
As for Marsh, he wants to become a leader and captain this season to “help this team take another step to being great.”
“It's built my character. I'm learning a lot of new things about myself that I may have not known before,” Marsh said. “It's just been one heck of a process so far. I'm looking forward to where this journey takes me.”
Brown sees that growth already in Marsh in his second spring: “He's not a little freshman no more.”
Contact Chris Solari: [email protected]. Follow him @chrissolari.
Subscribe to the "Spartan Speak" podcast for new episodes weekly on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or anywhere you listen to podcasts. And catch all of our podcasts and daily voice briefing at freep.com/podcasts.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Michigan State football: WRs seeking to draw attention from Nick Marsh
Continue reading...
Until opponents caught on to their connection.
That, along with attrition via transfers, required Jonathan Smith and his staff to go out and bring in more pass-catching weapons to offset the additional attention being paid to Marsh.
MSU added an influx of transfer receivers in the offseason — Omari Kelly, Chrishon McCray, Evan Boyd and Rodney Bullard Jr. The hope: That those experienced veterans help bring along Marsh and a group of younger wideouts to maximize the potential of Chiles and the passing attack this fall.
“We watch a lot of film together, so the chemistry is building,” Marsh said Tuesday. “But these guys, they're animals. They're in the film room every day, they're grinding. … You can just see how much detail they're putting into the work and craft.
“I think the chemistry of the room is getting better day in and out.”
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RELATED: Couch: Tre Holloman's transfer portal move was jarring, because it felt like a crack in something MSU basketball has so far avoided
In a breakout debut season, Marsh led the Spartans in catches (41) and receiving yards (649), both program records for true freshmen. He also tied for the team lead in touchdown catches.
“I think we need to come out and just do what we want to do, what we know we can do,” Chiles said of his chemistry with Marsh. “Nick has a lot of ability, and I feel like we can use that and we can grow from what we did last year. He's gonna be a great target this year for sure.”
But Marsh’s sudden production in 2024 — starting with an eight-catch, 194-yard breakout performance at Maryland, in his second collegiate game — soon after made the 6-foot-3, 201-pounder a focal point for defensive coordinators. After an eight-catch, 113-yard game against Iowa, Marsh managed just 17 catches over the final five games (though he did have two of his three TDs) as the Spartans finished 5-7 and without a bowl appearance for the third straight season.
“Nick had a great year,” MSU offensive coordinator Brian Lindgren said Tuesday. “But I still think there's a lot to his game that he can take to the next level, as far as detail of routes, technique things that I think he's working on.”
The same goes for now-junior Jack Velling, who transferred to MSU with Chiles from Oregon State with high expectations. The 6-5, 246-pound tight end — a 2024 preseason candidate for the John Mackey Award — set a career high with 36 catches for 411 yards, but he also produced career lows with 11.4 yards per catch and just one touchdown (which came in the final game of the season, a loss to Rutgers).
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Like Marsh on the outside, Velling struggled to find room to work the middle of the field as opponents bracketed him with double-teams and had extra defenders spying him on passing routes.
“Just from Game 1 against (Florida Atlantic), we could tell they were gonna have a guy over the top of me all game, and it kind of carried,” Velling said Thursday. “I had trouble winning against man last year, and that was (a) big focus for me this offseason.”
That is where the Spartans hope the transfers help.
MSU saw four receivers leave through the portal. Jaron Glover (Mississippi State), Aziah Johnson (North Carolina), Jaelen Smith (UTSA) and Antonio Gates Jr. (Delaware State) combined for 36 catches, 533 yards and four scores in 2024. The bigger loss via graduation is Montorie Foster Jr. , MSU's second-leading receiver at 46 catches, 588 yards and three TDs.
Sixth-year senior Alante Brown (two catches, 20 yards in 2024) is the only other returning receiver from a year ago. The newcomers will work to bolster Chiles’ downfield ability after MSU finished 79th in passing a year ago (218.1 yards per game) but just 110th in total offense (333.4 yards) and 123rd out of 133 Football Bowl Subdivision programs in scoring (19.3 points).
Among the arrivals, the 6-foot, 187-pound Kelly, who began his college career at Auburn, was first-team All-Conference USA last season (53 catches, 869 yards, four touchdowns) in his only year at Middle Tennessee State. The 5-10, 168-pound McCray was a two-time All-MAC receiver (40 catches, 705 yards, nine TDs) at Kent State. Boyd, an East Lansing native, has a bigger 6-3, 210-pound frame and had 21 catches, 302 yards and two TDs in eight games last season at Central Michigan. And the 6-foot, 180-pound Bullard (42 catches, 1,001 yards, 12 TDs) helped Valdosta State reach the Division II national title game (a loss to Ferris State) with his 23.8 yards-per-catch average.
“It's really fun to see guys be able to spread the field and get match ups that we like all across the board,” Velling said. “Now we'll have guys out there who might attract different attention or whatnot, so it might take even a little attention off us (tight ends), which definitely is helpful.”
Said Brown, a one-time Nebraska transfer who missed all but four games last season with injury: “Whether it's speed, whether it's route-running, whether it's taking them deep, whether it's stepping them off. I definitely like the room in the way that we're headed right now.”
The Spartans also have three early enrollees — Braylon Collier, Charles Taplin and Nick Hardy — trying to do what Marsh did last season, making an impact in the spring and learning the playbook heading into preseason camp.
“With our size, speed, quickness, and then maybe a little bit of length, you want to be able to blend that,” Smith said Thursday of the receiver additions. “Obviously, we're asking them to also be physical, whatever their physical attributes are. We've got some of that.”
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As for Marsh, he wants to become a leader and captain this season to “help this team take another step to being great.”
“It's built my character. I'm learning a lot of new things about myself that I may have not known before,” Marsh said. “It's just been one heck of a process so far. I'm looking forward to where this journey takes me.”
Brown sees that growth already in Marsh in his second spring: “He's not a little freshman no more.”
Contact Chris Solari: [email protected]. Follow him @chrissolari.
Subscribe to the "Spartan Speak" podcast for new episodes weekly on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or anywhere you listen to podcasts. And catch all of our podcasts and daily voice briefing at freep.com/podcasts.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Michigan State football: WRs seeking to draw attention from Nick Marsh
Continue reading...
