Michigan State Takes On Eighth-Ranked Washington Saturday in Spartan Stadium in Matchup of Undefeated Teams

Game 3: Michigan State (2-0) vs. No. 8/8 Washington (2-0)

►THE BASICS
Date: Saturday, Sept. 16
Kickoff: 5:06 p.m. ET
Location: East Lansing, Mich.
Stadium: Spartan Stadium (74,866)
Surface: Natural Grass

►GAME DAY INFORMATION
Game Day Information (Parking/Tailgating/Timeline): msuspartans.com/gameday
Please note that beginning this season, Michigan State University is introducing walk-through metal detectors at Spartan Stadium. This new addition adds to the university's already-existing expansive safety and security portfolio. Guests are encouraged to arrive at Spartan Stadium early to expedite their entry. When entering the stadium, guests will not have to initially remove items from their pockets unless the metal detector alarms. In this case, guests will be checked individually with a security wand. For more information, please visit dpps.msu.edu

Parking: Lots open at 7 a.m.

Game Day Updates: Fans can sign up to receive game day updates from MSU Police and Public Safety this season by texting SPARTANFB23 to 888777. Updates will include safety information, potential game delays, traffic suggestions, etc.

►BROADCAST INFORMATION
TV/Streaming: Peacock
Mobile: Peacock TV app
Announcers: Brendan Burke (play-by-play), Chris Simms (analyst), Caroline Pineda (analyst)
Live Stats: msuspartans.com | Live Stats

Radio: Spartan Media Network | Affiliate Listings
Play-by-Play: George Blaha
Analyst: Jason Strayhorn
Sidelines: Jehuu Caulcrick
Broadcast Host: Will Tieman
Website/Mobile: msuspartans.com/MSU Spartans app/Tune In radio
Flagship Stations: Lansing: WMMQ (94.9 FM)/WJIM (1240 AM); Detroit: WJR (760 AM); Grand Rapids: WBFX (101.3 FM)
Affiliates: 24 affiliates listed at msuspartans.com
Satellite: Sirius/XM (Ch. 111/204), SiriusXM app (Ch. 957)
Pregame Show: Begins at 3:30 p.m.

►SERIES INFORMATION
All-Time Series: Washington leads, 3-1
Series in East Lansing: MSU leads, 1-0
Last Meeting: UW 39, MSU 28 (2022 in Seattle)

►HEAD COACHES
MSU Acting Head Coach: Harlon Barnett
MSU Record: 0-0 (first year)
Overall Record: 0-0 (first year)
Record vs. Washington: First meeting

Washington Head Coach: Kalen DeBoer
UW Record: 13-2 (second year)
Overall Record: 92-11 (ninth year)
Record vs. MSU: 1-0

►FIRST-AND-10
• Michigan State hosts No. 8/8 Washington Saturday at 5 p.m. in Spartan Stadium in a matchup of undefeated teams. The Spartans won their first two games at home with victories over Central Michigan (31-7) and Richmond (45-14), while the Huskies also claimed two wins on their home field against Boise State (56-19) and Tulsa (43-10). The game will be streamed live on Peacock with Brendan Burke (play-by-play), Chris Simms (analyst) and Caroline Pineda (sidelines) on the call.

• Saturday's game marks the fifth meeting between Washington and Michigan State. The Huskies own a 3-1 series advantage, including a 39-28 win in Seattle last season. The Spartans only win in the series was a 27-11 victory in the first-ever meeting on Sept. 20, 1969, in East Lansing.

• Secondary coach Harlon Barnett, who is in his 15th year overall on the Spartan coaching staff, was named acting head coach by MSU Vice President/Director of Athletics Alan Haller on Sunday, Sept. 10. Barnett came back to East Lansing in 2020 after spending two seasons (2018-19) as the defensive coordinator at Florida State. He previously spent 11 seasons (2007-17) as the secondary coach at Michigan State, including three seasons as the co-defensive coordinator (2015-17) and one as the associate head coach (2017), before departing for FSU. Barnett has coached in four New Year's Six/BCS bowl games with the Spartans (2014 Rose, 2014 Cotton, 2015 CFP Semifinal, 2021 Peach) and has been on staff for three Big Ten Championship teams (2010, 2013, 2015).

• Haller also announced on Sept. 10 that former MSU head coach Mark Dantonio, the winningest head coach in school history, will return to the Spartan staff as an associate head coach. After a storied 13 seasons as head coach of the Michigan State football program, Dantonio announced his retirement on Feb. 4, 2020. He finished his career with a record of 114-57 in East Lansing, 132-74 in 16 seasons overall. During his time at the helm of the Spartan program, Dantonio compiled an impressive list of accomplishments including three Big Ten Championships, two victories in the Big Ten Championship Game, victories in the 2014 Rose Bowl and the 2015 Cotton Bowl, and an appearance in the 2015 College Football Playoff, finishing his career as the winningest football coach in Michigan State history.

• Redshirt junior quarterback Noah Kim was named the Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week following his performance in the win over Richmond. Kim was 18-of-22 passing for a career-high 292 yards and three touchdowns against the Spiders, and completed a school-record 15 straight passes to close the game. Kim is 36-of-53 passing for 571 yards and five TDs in his first two starts. He leads the Big Ten in passing (285.5 ypg), is tied for first in passing TDs (5), and ranks second in passing efficiency (189.6 rating).

• Michigan State will celebrate the 10-year reunion of the 2013 Big Ten Champion and 2014 Rose Bowl Champion team on Saturday against Washington. Led by head coach Mark Dantonio, Michigan State had a record-setting season in 2013, winning a school-record 13 games, defeating No. 5 Stanford in the 100th Rose Bowl Game, beating No. 2 Ohio State in the Big Ten Championship Game for the school's eighth Big Ten title, and finishing No. 3 in both national polls, the highest ranking for the Spartans since 1966. Michigan State (13-1) became just the third team in Big Ten history to win 13 games in a season. Dantonio returned to the Spartans as an associate head coach, beginning on Sept. 10.

• Washington is the first AP Top 10 nonconference opponent to visit Spartan Stadium since No. 7 Oregon in 2015, a 31-28 victory for the Spartans over the Ducks.

• Redshirt sophomore running back Nathan Carter is tied for first in the Big Ten and fourth in the FBS with four rushing touchdowns and ranks third in the league with 112.0 rushing yards per game. Carter became the first Spartan since Jehuu Caulcrick in 2007 to score three touchdowns in a single quarter after running for three scores (2 yards, 44 yards, 6 yards) in the third quarter of the 45-14 win over Richmond in Week 2. The UConn transfer has rushed for 100 yards in his first two games wearing the Green and White (113 yards on 18 carries vs. Central Michigan in Week 1; 111 yards on 19 carries vs. Richmond in Week 2).

• Michigan State's defense ranks among the FBS leaders in third-down conversions (second at .148), sacks (second with 5.0 per game), total defense (fifth with 206.0 ypg), passing defense (fifth with 107.0 ypg) and scoring defense (16th with 10.5 ppg) through the first two weeks of the season. The Spartans allowed just 219 total yards and seven points in the season opener against Central Michigan, while Richmond compiled just 193 yards and 14 points. Both of the Spiders' touchdowns came on Spartan turnovers, and the defense allowed only one touchdown.

• Redshirt junior linebacker Cal Haladay, who led the Big Ten in tackles per game (10.0) last season, ranks first on the team through two games with 15 tackles, including two for losses. Haladay posted his 12th career double-figure tackle game with 10 stops in the season opener against Central Michigan, and had five tackles and one TFL vs. Richmond. Haladay has 231 tackles, including 18 for losses, during his 31-game Spartan career.

Nathan Carter vs Richmond — **Nathan Carter ran for 111 yards and three touchdowns in the win over Richmond in Week 2.**

LAST TIME OUT: MSU 45, RICHMOND 14

►SERIES
• In the first-ever matchup between Michigan State and Richmond, the Spartans defeated the Spiders, 45-14, last Saturday afternoon in Spartan Stadium.

►OFFENSE
• Redshirt junior quarterback Noah Kim was 18-for-22 passing for 292 yards and three TDs, completing a school-record 15 straight passes after starting 0-for-3 and was 3-for-7 after the first quarter, following his last incomplete pass on the Spartans' final drive of the opening stanza . . . Kim then completed his next 15 passes the rest of the game, going 5-for-5 with one TD in the second quarter, 7-for-7 without a TD in the third quarter and 3-for-3 with one TD in the fourth frame, before the reserves took over . . . the 15 consecutive completions set a new school record and tied for the sixth-longest single-game streak in Big Ten history . . . Kim also had 313 yards of total offense, as he rushed for 21 yards and three first downs.

• Redshirt sophomore running back Nathan Carter rushed for his second consecutive 100-yard game with 111 yards on 19 carries with a career-high three TDs . . . in his MSU debut vs. Central Michigan, Carter rushed 18 times for 113 yards . . . Carter scored all three of his TDs in the third quarter, becoming the first Spartan to score three rushing TDs in a quarter since Jehuu Caulcrick had three in the first quarter vs. UAB on Sept. 1, 2007, on runs of 5, 1 and 42 yards.

• Graduate senior wide receiver Tre Mosley had five catches for a career-high 84 yards and one TD . . . the 84 receiving yards topped Mosley's previous career-best of 73 yards in his freshman season vs. Maryland (11/30/19) . . . Mosley's five receptions was his fifth career game with five or more catches, as well as his fourth game in a row with three or more receptions . . . Mosley now has at least one catch in 19 straight games and in 36 of 38 career games . . . Mosley's TD catch was MSU's first score of the game, on an 11-yard TD reception in the first quarter . . . it was Mosley's first TD of the season and ninth of his career, as part of his eighth career game with a TD.

• Graduate senior tight end Tyneil Hopper snared not only the first catch but also the first TD of his Spartan career with a 13-yard catch from Kim in the second quarter . . . Hopper is in his first season at MSU after transferring from Boise State . . . it was Hopper's third career TD catch, but his shortest scoring reception . . . the TD catch Saturday was Hopper's first since Oct. 20, 2021, at Colorado State on a 51-yard TD catch, and his only other scoring reception was a 23-yard scoring catch on Sept. 10, 2021 at UTEP.

• Redshirt freshman wide receiver Antonio Gates Jr. also caught his first Spartan catch and TD reception with a 45-yard catch from Kim in the fourth quarter for MSU's 45th point on its final score to give the Spartans a 45-7 lead.

►DEFENSE
• Michigan State's defense registered 7.0 sacks and 13.0 tackles for loss against the Spiders.

• The Spartan defense only yielded one offensive touchdown, coming with 5:16 left in the game against MSU's reserves.
• MSU held Richmond to just 193 yards of total offense, after allowing only 219 yards of total offense in Week 1 vs. Central Michigan.

• The Spartan defense also stymied Richmond's third-down conversions, limiting the Spiders to just 1-of-12, and Richmond didn't convert on a third-down until the fourth quarter on its drive that started with 11:33 to go.

• Senior defensive back Angelo Grose led the MSU defense with seven tackles, adding 0.5 sack and one pass break-up . . . Grose has posted six or more stops in both games this season after six tackles in last week's season opener vs. Central Michigan . . . the pass break-up was Grose's third PBU of the season after two last week, and his 16th of his career.

• Redshirt junior linebacker Cal Haladay logged five stops, including 1.0 tackle for loss and one QB hurry . . . the 1.0 TFL gives Haladay at least 0.5 TFL in his last six games played and in 14 of his 25 career games started.

• Haladay now leads the MSU defense with 15 tackles on the season . . . the five tackles Saturday gives Haladay 231 for his career, cracking into MSU's career top 50 tackles list.

• Graduate senior linebacker Aaron Brule posted 1.5 tackles for loss and 1.0 sack as part of five total tackles . . . Brule now has 26.5 career tackles for loss, cracking into the top-three spots on the career TFL assists list among active FBS players and the Top 25 for career total TFL among active FBS players.

• Sophomore defensive lineman Zion Young recorded a career-high 2.0 tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks, finishing with five total tackles . . . Young had 1.0 TFL last week vs. Central Michigan to tie his career-best for the second time, as he now has 4.0 career TFLs in just nine games played.

►SPECIAL TEAMS
• Graduate senior placekicker Jonathan Kim's 52-yard field goal in the second quarter was not only his new career-long in as many games, but it also gives MSU two 50-plus yard field goals in its last three games, dating back to the 2022 season-finale when Jack Stone had a 51-yarder vs. Penn State on Nov. 26, 2022 . . . the 52-yarder was also the longest by a Spartan placekicker since Oct. 29, 2016, matching Michael Geiger's 52-yard field goal vs. Michigan.

• Kim is now 2-for-2 on field goals this season after his first career field goal came last week vs. Central Michigan with a 47-yarder and is now 2-of-3 for his career . . . Kim is also 7-of-7 on PATs this season and 10-of-10 for his career, after transferring to MSU from North Carolina . . . additionally, Kim had a season-high four touchbacks as part of his six kickoffs..

►STAT LEADERS
Michigan State:
Rushing – R-So. Nathan Carter (37 carries for 224 yards, 6.1 avg., 4 TDs)
Passing – R-Jr. Noah Kim (36-of-53, .679, 571 yards, 5 TDs, 0 INTs)
Receiving – Gr.-5 Tre Mosley (8 catches for 123 yards, 15.4 avg., 1 TD)
Tackles – R-Jr. LB Cal Haladay (15 tackles, 2 TFLs for 2 yards, 1 INT)

Washington:
Rushing – R-So. Will Nixon (12 carries for 78 yards, 6.5 avg., 0 TDs)
Passing – Gr.-6 Michael Penix Jr. (57-of-78, .731, 859 yards, 8 TDs, 1 INT)
Receiving – R-Jr. Jalen McMillan (16 catches for 215 yards, 13.4 avg., 3 TDs)
Tackles – Gr.-6 LB Edefuan Ulofoshio (14 tackles, 1 TFL for 3 yards, 1 sack for 3 yards, 1 PBU)

►A QUICK GLANCE AT NO. 8/8 WASHINGTON (2-0, 0-0 PAC-12)
• The No. 8/8 Huskies tote a 2-0 mark into East Lansing for Saturday's showdown with the Spartans in UW's first road game of the season. Washington is coming off a pair of home games with a 43-10 trouncing of Tulsa, after blasting Boise State, 56-19, in the season opener.

• In the win over Tulsa, senior quarterback Michael Penix Jr. was 28-for-38 passing for 409 yards, for his second straight 400-plus yard passing outing and was the No. 9 highest single-game passing yards in school history, after throwing for 450 yards against Boise State, for the new No. 4 mark. Penix now has five of the Huskies' top 10 marks on their single-season passing yards list.

• UW had 563 yards of total offense, with 454 passing and 109 rushing. The Washington defense yielded 318 yards of total offense to Tulsa, with 150 yards passing and 168 yards rushing. UW's defense also held Tulsa to 7-of-17 on third-down conversions and had one takeaway on an interception.

• Penix threw for three TDs Saturday, giving him eight already for the season and 39 TDs passing in just his second season at UW, moving up to sole possession of No. 6 on Washington's career passing TD list, passing Damon Huard (1992-95). Penix also had two rushes for 11 yards, and was intercepted once by Tulsa's defense but didn't get sacked.

• Penix completed at least one pass to 10 different receivers, including three with five or more catches, led by junior wideout Jalen McMillan with eight catches for 120 yards, including 82 YAC, and had one TD, a 9-yard scoring catch in the second quarter. Fellow junior wideout Rome Odunze joined McMillan in going over 100-yards receiving with 107 yards on seven catches and one TD, a 2-yard catch for UW's first TD of the day on its opening drive of the game. Odunze added one rush for a 14-yard TD in the third quarter. Michigan State transfer sophomore wideout Germie Bernard had two catches for 43 yards, including a 7-yard TD in the third stanza.

• Sophomore running back Will Nixon led the Huskies' rushing attack with six carries for 30 yards, while sophomore wide receiver Ja'Lynn Polk had one carry for 27 yards and a TD.
• Senior linebacker Edefuan Ulofoshio led the Husky defense with eight tackles and one pass break-up, while senior Husky position Dominique Hampton added six stops. Fellow Husky position junior Kamren Fabiculanan snared UW's lone interception and added a pass break-up.

• Washington didn't punt in the game. Sophomore placekicker Grady Gross missed his lone field goal attempt, a 33-yarder in the fourth quarter. Gross was also 6-for-6 on PATs and had seven kickoffs for a 62.7 ypk average with four touchbacks.

• On the season, Washington leads the FBS in passing offense at 472.0 ypg, along with ranking sixth in total offense (565.5 ypg), despite ranking 113th out of 131 teams in rushing offense (93.5 ypg).

• UW also ranks eighth in the country in scoring offense (49.5 ppg) and 13th in passing yards per completion (15.5). Washington is also eighth in sacks allowed (0.5/game) with only one sack in two games.

• Defensively, the Huskies are yielding 360.0 ypg total offense, with 207.0 ypg passing and 153.0 ypg rushing, but have just allowed three TDs, with two through the air and one on the ground.

• Washington's defense has 7.0 tackles for loss, 3.0 sacks, three interceptions for 33 INT return yards and 11 pass break-ups.

• Penix tops the FBS in total offense (434.0 ypg), while also ranking second in the country in passing yards per game (429.5), fourth in completions per game (28.5), passing yards (859) and passing TDs (8), along with eighth in passing efficiency (196.9) and 18th in completion percentage (.731). He is 57-of-78 for 859 yards with eight TDs and one INT.

• McMillan is seventh in the country in receiving TDs (3) and eighth in the nation in receptions per game (8.0), while Odunze is 18th in the FBS in receptions/game (7.0) and 31st in TD catches (2). Odunze is also eighth in receiving yards per game (119.5) and ninth in the nation in receiving yards (239).

• Overall, McMillan has 16 catches for 215 yards (13.4 ypc/107.5 ypg) with three TDs, while Odunze has 14 receptions for 239 yards (119.5 ypg/17.1 ypc) with two TDs.

• Nixon leads the rushing attack with 12 carris on 78 yards (6.5 ypc/39.0 ypg).

• Ulofoshio spearheads the Husky defense with 14 total tackles, 1.0 TFL and 1.0 sack, adding one pass break-up. Hampton is right behind with 13 stops. Senior safety Asa Turns leads UW with 2.0 tackles for loss.

• Sophomore cornerback Davon Banks has four pass break-ups, ranking fourth in the FBS in passes defended per game (2.0). Fabiculanan has two interceptions, ranking third in the nation in INT/game (1.0.

• Bernard is the Huskies' primary kick returner, with four returns for a 22.0 ypr average with a long of 51-yards. McMillan is UW's punt returner, with three returns for a 4.0 ypr average with 6-yard return his longest of the season.

• Despite not punting Saturday against Tulsa, sophomore punter Jack McCallister has five punts for a 41.8 ypp average with a long of 48 yards, with three inside the 20.

• Gross is 13-of-13 on PATs and 0-1 on FGs. He also has 16 kickoffs for a 62.5 ypk average with seven touchbacks.

• Washington head coach Kalen DeBoer is in his second season at the leash of the Huskies' program, posting a 13-2 record at UW. He is 92-11 in his 15th season as a collegiate head coach.

►MSU/WASHINGTON SERIES NOTES
• Saturday's game marks the fifth meeting between Washington and Michigan State. The Huskies own a 3-1 series advantage, including a 39-28 win in Seattle last season. The Spartans only win in the series was a 27-11 victory in the first-ever meeting on Sept. 20, 1969, in East Lansing.

►COACHING STAFF
• Secondary coach Harlon Barnett, who is in his 15th year overall on the Spartan coaching staff, was appointed acting head coach by MSU Vice President/Director of Athletics Alan Haller on Sunday, Sept. 10.

• Barnett came back to East Lansing in 2020 after spending two seasons (2018-19) as the defensive coordinator at Florida State. He previously spent 11 seasons (2007-17) as the secondary coach at Michigan State, including three seasons as the co-defensive coordinator (2015-17) and one as the associate head coach (2017), before departing for FSU. Barnett has coached in four New Year's Six/BCS bowl games with the Spartans (2014 Rose, 2014 Cotton, 2015 CFP Semifinal, 2021 Peach) and has been on staff for three Big Ten Championship teams (2010, 2013, 2015).

• Barnett has coached 11 Spartan defensive backs that have been selected in the NFL Draft, including two first-rounders (Darqueze Dennard, No. 24, Cincinnati Bengals, 2014; Trae Waynes, No. 11, Minnesota Vikings, 2015), and 15 have been invited to the NFL Scouting Combine. In 2015, Michigan State became just the sixth school to have cornerbacks selected in the first round of the NFL Draft in consecutive years, joining Alabama (2012-13), LSU (2011-12), Miami-Florida (2005-06), Ohio State (1999-2001) and Notre Dame (1993-94). In addition to Dennard and Waynes, Jeremy Ware (2010, Oakland, seventh round), Chris L. Rucker (2011, Indianapolis, sixth round), Trenton Robinson (2012, San Francisco, sixth round), Tony Lippett (2015, Miami, fifth round), Montae Nicholson (2017, Washington, fourth round), Justin Layne (2019, Pittsburgh, third round), Khari Willis (2019, Indianapolis, fourth round), Josiah Scott (2020, Jacksonville, fourth round) and Ameer Speed (2023, New England, sixth round) have been chosen in the NFL Draft.

• In addition to the four All-Americans, Barnett has coached three Thorpe Award semifinalists (Dennard, Waynes, Otis Wiley) at MSU. A unanimous All-American, Dennard became the first Spartan to win the Thorpe Award, given to the nation's best defensive back, in 2013.

• Barnett's players have earned All-Big Ten honors 31 times as secondary coach at MSU, including nine different first-team players (Wiley in 2008; Robinson in 2011; CB Johnny Adams in 2011-12; Dennard in 2011-12, S Isaiah Lewis in 2013; Drummond in 2013-14; Waynes in 2014; S David Dowell in 2017; Brown in 2020). All four of MSU's starters in the secondary garnered All-Big Ten recognition during the 2010, 2011 and 2013 seasons, and Barnett has coached two Big Ten Defensive Backs of the Year (Dennard in 2013, Drummond in 2014).

• Haller also announced on Sept. 10 that former MSU head coach Mark Dantonio, the winningest head coach in school history, will return to the Spartan staff as an associate head coach. After a storied 13 seasons as head coach of the Michigan State football program, Dantonio announced his retirement on Feb. 4, 2020. He finished his career with a record of 114-57 in East Lansing, 132-74 in 16 seasons overall. During his time at the helm of the Spartan program, Dantonio compiled an impressive list of accomplishments including three Big Ten Championships, two victories in the Big Ten Championship Game, victories in the 2014 Rose Bowl and the 2015 Cotton Bowl, and an appearance in the 2015 College Football Playoff, finishing his career as the winningest football coach in Michigan State history.

• Michigan State has two new assistant coaches for the 2023 season. Diron Reynolds joined the Spartan staff in January as the program's defensive line coach. Reynolds, who has more than 25 years of coaching experience both at the NFL and Power 5 levels, previously spent the past seven seasons (2016-22) as the defensive line coach at Stanford. He has coached on multiple championship teams, including winning a Super Bowl ring with the Colts, and has worked with numerous All-Americans, NFL Draft picks and All-Pro players. During his time at Stanford, Reynolds coached four NFL Draft picks on the defensive line, including Solomon Thomas, who was the highest defensive player drafted in school history at No. 3 overall in 2017 by the San Francisco 49ers.

• Jim Salgado was named the program's cornerbacks coach on March 16. Salgado, who has nearly 30 years of coaching experience, spent the past six seasons with the Buffalo Bills (2017-22). He arrived in Buffalo in 2017 and spent his first three seasons as a defensive assistant. Salgado was promoted to nickelbacks coach in 2020 and was the team's safeties coach in 2022. While he was in Buffalo, Salgado coached multiple Pro Bowl players as the Bills won three consecutive AFC East titles (2020-22). The Bills' defense regularly finished among the best in the NFL during his tenure, ranking second in total defense in 2018, third in 2019, No. 1 in 2021 and No. 6 in 2022. In addition, the Bills were the top-ranked pass defense in the NFL in 2021 and ranked third in the league with 19 interceptions. Prior to coaching in the NFL, Salgado spent 23 seasons in the collegiate ranks.

• Chris Kapilovic, who enters his fourth season as the offensive line coach and run game coordinator at Michigan State, was promoted to assistant head coach in January 2021. Kapilovic, 54, joined MSU's staff in East Lansing in February 2020 after spending the 2019 season as the offensive line coach and run game coordinator in Colorado. Kapilovic has more than 30 years of coaching experience, including roles as an offensive coordinator and/or run game coordinator at Southern Mississippi (2008-11), North Carolina (2012-18) and Colorado (2019). He has coached multiple NFL players, first-round draft picks and record-setting offenses during his career. In 2021, the Spartan offensive line was named one of 13 semifinalists for the Joe Moore Award, which is given annually to the nation's top offensive line.

• Jay Johnson, a 2021 Broyles Award nominee for the nation's top assistant coach, begins his fourth season as the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Michigan State. Johnson, 53, is a veteran coach and administrator of 28 seasons, including 13 as an offensive coordinator at five FBS schools (Michigan State, Colorado, Minnesota, Louisiana, Southern Mississippi) in addition to coaching quarterbacks, running backs and tight ends as a position coach. Johnson arrived to East Lansing after serving as the offensive coordinator at Colorado for one season (2019).

• A 27-year coaching veteran with stints at all levels of collegiate football and the NFL, Scottie Hazelton is in his fourth season as the Secchia Family Defensive Coordinator. Hazelton arrived in East Lansing after spending one season as the defensive coordinator and linebackers coach at Kansas State in 2019. He also serves as the program's linebackers coach.

• Ted Gilmore coaches the tight ends for the Spartans. Gilmore, who has coached 28 years, has experience at the FBS and NFL ranks and has developed numerous NFL players, draft picks and All-Americans during his career. He was named the 2011 FootballScoop Wide Receivers Coach of the Year after mentoring consensus All-American Robert Woods and 2011 Freshman All-American Marqise Lee at USC. Gilmore, 56, previously spent five seasons (2015-19) as the wide receivers coach at Wisconsin.

• Former Spartan great Courtney Hawkins is in his fourth season as the wide receivers coach. Hawkins helped develop back-to-back NFL Draft selections the past two years in Jalen Nailor (2022, sixth round, Minnesota Vikings) and Jayden Reed (2023, second round, Green Bay Packers).

• With more than three decades of coaching experience, Ross Els is in his fourth season as the program's special teams coordinator. In addition, after coaching the linebackers his first two seasons in East Lansing, Els helped assist the nickelbacks in 2022. Els, 56, has previous experience in the Big Ten, serving as the defensive coordinator at Purdue in 2016 and four seasons at Nebraska under Coach Bo Pelini from 2011-14.

• Effrem Reed, who served as an offensive analyst in 2020-21, was promoted to running backs coach in January 2022 and returns for his second season on the full-time offensive staff.

Noah Kim vs Richmond — **Noah Kim was named the Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week after throwing for a career-high 292 yards and three touchdowns in the win over Richmond.**

A LOOK AT THE SPARTAN OFFENSE

►QUARTERBACKS

Players who have seen game action in 2023:
• #12 Katin Houser (R-Fr., 6-3, 215, Anaheim, Calif./St. John Bosco)
(2 games, 1-of-2 passing (.500), 11 yards)

• #10 Noah Kim (1L, R-Jr., 6-2, 185, Centreville, Va./Westfield)
(2 games/2 starts, 36-of-53 passing (.679), 571 yards, 5 TDs, 0 INTs)

• Redshirt junior quarterback Noah Kim was named the Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week following his performance in the win over Richmond. Kim was 18-of-22 passing for a career-high 292 yards and three touchdowns against the Spiders, and completed a school-record 15 straight passes to close the game.

• Kim is 36-of-53 passing for 571 yards and five TDs in his first two starts. He leads the Big Ten in passing (285.5 ypg), is tied for first in passing TDs (5), and ranks second in passing efficiency (189.6 rating) and total offense (296.0 ypg).

• Making his first career start at quarterback, Kim was 18-of-31 passing for 279 yards and two touchdowns against Central Michigan. After a slow start in the first quarter, Kim was 9-of-16 passing for 147 yards in the second quarter, and was 8-of-10 for 134 yards and two TDs in the second half. After redshirting in 2020 and not seeing game action in 2021, Kim was 14-of-19 passing for 174 yards and three TDs last season.

• In four games of action off the bench last season, Kim was very efficient, completing 74 percent of his passes (14-of-19) for 174 yards and three touchdowns. During his two Big Ten games, Kim was 6-of-7 passing for 70 yards against Minnesota, including a 27-yard touchdown, and was 6-of-10 for 82 yards and a 25-yard TD vs. Ohio State. He has also shown the ability to move the chains with his legs, bringing an added dimension to the Spartan offense.

• Redshirt freshman Katin Houser, a highly touted four-star quarterback and Elite 11 finalist who enrolled early in January 2022, has also impressed the coaching staff with his arm talent over the past year. He took reps with the offense during practices last season, but still preserved his redshirt season after making just one appearance in Week 2 in his collegiate debut vs. Akron.

• The Spartans also welcomed in four-star quarterback Sam Leavitt, the 2022 Oregon Gatorade Player of the Year, to the program this summer after he signed a National Letter of Intent in December. Leavitt threw 82 career touchdown passes in high school and closed his prep career by passing for 36 TDs and 3,065 yards in addition to rushing for 693 yards and eight scores as a senior.

• Offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Jay Johnson is in his fourth season with the Spartans.

►RUNNING BACKS

Players who have seen game action in 2023:
• #8 Jalen Berger (1L, R-Jr., 6-1, 215, Newark, N.J./Wisconsin)
(2 games, 10 carries, 31 yards, 3.1 avg., 1 TD; 4 receptions, 30 yards)

• #5 Nathan Carter (R-So., 5-10, 200, Rochester, N.Y./Connecticut)
(2 games/2 starts, 37 carries, 224 yards, 6.1 avg., 112.0 ypg, 4 TDs; 3 receptions, 35 yards)

• #25 Joseph Martinez (R-Jr., 5-9, 200, Holt, Mich./Holt)
(2 games, 5 carries, 8 yards, 1.2 avg.)

• #24 Davion Primm (R-So., 6-0, 205, Detroit, Mich./Oak Park)
(1 game, 4 carries, 17 yards, 4.3 avg.)

• #22 Jordon Simmons (3L, Sr., 5-11, 195, Marietta, Ga./McEachern)
(2 games, 2 carries, 0 yards, 0.0 avg.)

• Redshirt sophomore running back Nathan Carter is tied for first in the Big Ten and fourth in the FBS with four rushing touchdowns and ranks third in the league with 112.0 rushing yards per game.

• Carter became the first Spartan since Jehuu Caulcrick in 2007 to score three touchdowns in a single quarter after running for three scores (2 yards, 44 yards, 6 yards) in the third quarter of the 45-14 win over Richmond in Week 2. The UConn transfer has rushed for 100 yards in his first two games wearing the Green and White (113 yards on 18 carries vs. Central Michigan in Week 1; 111 yards on 19 carries vs. Richmond in Week 2.

• Making his Spartan debut, Carter rushed 18 times for 113 yards and one touchdown vs. Central Michigan. A transfer from UConn, Carter took his first carry as a Spartan on the first play from scrimmage and raced 31 yards for the longest rush of the game by any player. He scored his first TD in the Green and White on a 2-yard run late in the second quarter. Carter became the third consecutive Spartan transfer to start in the season opener and rush for more than 100 yards (Kenneth Walker III, 264 vs. Northwestern in 2021; Jalen Berger, 120 vs. Western Michigan in 2022).

• Carter still has three seasons of eligibility remaining after playing in only four games last season for the Huskies before suffering a season-ending injury. He rushed for 983 yards on 190 carries with three TDs in two seasons (2021-22) at UConn, including a team-leading 578 yards as a freshman in 2021. He was averaging more than 100 yards rushing a game last year (101.3 ypg), highlighted by a career-high 190 yards in the season opener vs. Utah State, before his injury in Week 4.

• Jalen Berger (R-Jr.), who posted career highs in rushing yards (683), carries (148) and rushing TDs (6) while starting 11 of 12 games last season after transferring from Wisconsin, has 31 yards on 10 carries in his first two games, although he left the Richmond game in Week 2 in the first half due to an injury. Berger rushed for more than 100 yards in his first two games wearing the Green and White in 2022 (career-high 120 vs. Western Michigan; 107 vs. Akron) and also had a Big Ten-best 119 yards vs. Indiana; in addition, he caught 19 passes out of the backfield for 128 yards.

• Jaren Mangham (Gr.-5), who joined the team in January and competed during spring practice, has not played in the first two games of the season due to an injury. Mangham, brother of current Spartan sophomore defensive back Jaden Mangham, played two years at Colorado (2019-20) and two at USF (2021-22) prior to arriving in East Lansing as a graduate transfer. He has collected 1,251 rushing yards and 23 rushing touchdowns in 32 collegiate games (16 at Colorado; 16 at USF). Mangham had a career-high 671 yards and 15 rushing TDs as a junior at USF in 2021 to lead the Bulls.

• Effrem Reed is in his second season as the running backs coach for MSU.

Jaron Glover vs Richmond — **Jaron Glover is averaging 27.0 yards per catch through the first two games (five catches for 135 yards).**

►WIDE RECEIVERS

Players who have seen game action in 2023:
• #0 Alante Brown (Sr., 5-11, 190, Chicago, Ill./Nebraska)
(1 game, 0 catches, 0 yards, 0.0 avg)

• #16 Christian Fitzpatrick (2L, R-Jr., 6-4, 220, Southfield, Mich./Louisville)
(2 games, 5 catches, 103 yards, 20.6 avg.)

• #83 Montorie Foster Jr. (2L, Sr., 6-0, 185, Cleveland, Ohio/St. Edward)
(2 games/2 starts, 3 catches, 30 yards, 10.0 avg.)

• #7 Antonio Gates Jr. (R-Fr., 6-2, 195, Detroit, Mich./Fordson)
(2 games, 1 catch, 45 yards, 45.0 avg., 1 TD)

• #15 Jaron Glover (R-Fr., 6-1, 205, Sarasota, Fla./Riverview)
(2 games/1 start, 3 catches, 135 yards, 27.0 avg.)

• #2 Tyrell Henry (So., 6-0, 175, Roseville, Mich./Roseville)
(2 games, 2 catches, 25 yards, 12.5 avg., 1 TD)

• #17 Tre Mosley (3L, Gr.-5, 6-2, 200, Pontiac, Mich./West Bloomfield)
(2 games/2 starts, 8 catches, 123 yards, 15.4 avg., 1 TD)

• Michigan State has a group of talented young wide receivers that will look to have increased roles in the offense in 2023, but the unit will be led by fifth-year graduate senior Tre Mosley, who has played in 38 games, including 23 starting assignments, over the past five seasons (2019-23). Mosley has given the Spartans steady production over the course of his time in East Lansing with 106 career receptions for 1,299 yards and nine touchdowns in his career. Last season, he matched his career high with 35 receptions for 359 yards and had a career-best four touchdown catches. In addition to his play on the field, Mosley's leadership will be counted on to mentor the wide receiver room.

• Mosley currently leads the Spartans with eight catches for 123 yards and one TD through two games.

• Senior Montorie Foster Jr. also has starting experience and will look to increase his production after battling an injury last season. A three-year letterwinner, Foster has played in 32 career games and has 22 receptions for 292 yards. He played in 13 games with three starts during the 2021 season and had a career-high 12 catches for 164 yards, including a 54-yard touchdown catch vs. Maryland.

• Two-year letterwinner Christian Fitzpatrick (R-Jr.), who missed the final seven games of last season due to an injury, is back for the Spartans after competing in spring practice. After playing in a reserve role the past two seasons, Fitzpatrick, a former Louisville transfer, will look to contribute more to the offense in his third season at MSU. He has five receptions for 103 yards through two games, including a season-long 72-yard reception in Week 1 vs. Central Michigan.

• Sophomore Tyrell Henry, who earned a letter as a true freshman returning kicks in 2022, will look to have an expanded role in the offense this fall, along with redshirt freshmen Antonio Gates Jr. and Jaron Glover. The young trio all showed promising signs during spring practice and continued to work on their development in preseason camp heading into the season. All three saw significant playing time in the season opener vs. Central Michigan, as Henry made a leaping one-handed grab for a touchdown in the fourth quarter, Glover had three catches for a team-high 75 yards, and Gates drew a key pass interference penalty that led to a Spartan TD. In Week 2, Glover had two catches for 60 yards, and overall for the season, he has five receptions for 135 yards (27.0 avg.). In addition, Gates caught his first collegiate pass for a 45-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter against Richmond.

• The Spartans also added transfer Alante Brown from Nebraska over the summer. Brown played three seasons (2020-22) with the Huskers, collecting 22 receptions for 262 yards in 30 games. He posted career highs in catches (16) and yards (191) last season while playing in all 12 games, including 10 starts. His speed and versatility will give the Spartans another option in the passing game in 2023.

• Former Spartan Courtney Hawkins is in his fourth year on the offensive staff as the wide receivers coach.

►OFFENSIVE LINE

Players who have seen game action in 2023:
• #53 Brandon Baldwin (1L, R-Jr., 6-7, 315, Detroit, Mich./Independence CC, 2 games/2 starts at LT)

• #54 Keyshawn Blackstock Sr. (Jr., 6-5, 310, Covington, Ga./Coffeyville CC, 2 games)

• #77 Ethan Boyd (1L, R-So., 6-7, 320, East Lansing, Mich./East Lansing, 2 games)

• #58 Spencer Brown (2L, Gr.-5, 6-6, 315, Canton, Mich./Walled Lake Western, 2 games/2 starts at RT)

• #57 Evan Brunning (1L, Gr.-5, 6-5, 305, Oxford, Mich./Oxford, 2 games)

• #67 J.D. Duplain (4L, Gr.-5, 6-4, 305, Strongsville, Ohio/Strongsville, 2 games/2 starts at LG)

• #72 Dallas Fincher (1L, R-Jr., 6-4, 305, Kentwood, Mich./East Kentwood, 2 games/1 start at C)

• #66 Ashton Lepo (R-Fr., 6-7, 310, Grand Haven, Mich./Grand Haven, 2 games)

• #64 Braden Miller (R-Fr., 6-6, 310, Aurora, Colo./Eaglecrest, 1 game)

• #71 Kristian Phillips (R-Fr., 6-4, 315, Conyers, Ga./Salem, 2 games)

• #59 Nick Samac (4L, Gr.-5, 6-4, 305, Mentor, Ohio/Mentor, 2 games/1 start at C)

• #74 Geno VanDeMark (1L, R-So., 6-5, 320, Lodi, N.J./St. Joseph, 2 games/2 starts at RG)

• #70 Kevin Wigenton II (1L, R-So., 6-5, 320, Colts Neck, N.J./The Hun School, 2 games)

• Michigan State returns five players with starting experience on the offensive line, led by multi-year fifth-year senior starters J.D. Duplain and Nick Samac, who are both using their extra year of eligibility in 2023.

• Duplain has been an anchor at left guard for the Spartans, starting 32 consecutive games at the position, and the four-year letterwinner has a started a total of 37 games in his career while playing in 44 overall. He has earned honorable mention All-Big Ten accolades the past two seasons and returns for another year as a leader on the offensive line in 2023.

• Samac, who was named to the Rimington Trophy Watch List, started all 12 games at center last fall and has 23 starts overall in his career while playing in a total 40 games the past four seasons. He played a career-high 803 snaps in 2022, most on the Spartan offense, and earned honorable mention All-Big Ten by the coaches and media. He started in Week 2 against Richmond after splitting time with Dallas Fincher in the season opener vs. Central Michigan.

• Graduate fifth-year senior Spencer Brown also started all 12 games last season at right tackle and has a streak of 15 consecutive starts at the position.

• Redshirt junior Brandon Baldwin took over the starting role at left tackle the final four games of the 2022 season and gained valuable experience while playing a total of 405 offensive snaps. It was Baldwin's first season playing at the FBS level after redshirting in 2021 following two years at Independence Community College. He has started at left tackle in the first two games to run his streak to five straight starts at the position.

• Redshirt sophomore Geno VanDeMark earned starting assignments at right guard the last two games of the season and will look to have an increased role on the offensive line heading into his third season in East Lansing. He has started both games at right guard this season and has a streak of four consecutive starts at the position.

• Redshirt sophomores Ethan Boyd and Kevin Wigenton II also earned their first letters as Spartans last year and will likely see time in the playing rotation.

• Keyshawn Blackstock Sr., who was ranked the top junior college interior offensive lineman in the nation, arrived to campus in January and will also see time in the rotation.

• Assistant head coach Chris Kapilovic is in his fourth season as MSU's offensive line coach and run game coordinator. Kapilovic's unit in 2021 was named a semifinalist for the Joe Moore Award, which is given annually to the nation's best offensive line.

►TIGHT ENDS

Players who have seen game action in 2023:
• #6 Maliq Carr (2L, R-Jr., 6-6, 260, Inkster, Mich./Purdue)
(2 games/2 starts, 2 catches, 30 yards, 15.0 avg., 1 TD)

• #92 Evan Morris (2L, R-Jr., 6-5, 245, Elsie, Mich./Ovid-Elsie)
(2 games/1 start, 1 catch, 4 yards, 4.0 avg.)

• #19 Jaylan Franklin (Gr.-6, 6-5, 240, Brownstown Township, Mich./Wisconsin)
(2 games, 2 catches, 9 yards, 4.5 avg.)

• #23 Tyneil Hopper (Gr.-6, 6-3, 245, Roswell, Ga./Boise State)
(2 games, 1 catch, 13 yards, 13.0 avg., 1 TD)

• Michigan State has a full tight end room under fourth-year coach Ted Gilmore with nine players at the position, including redshirt junior Maliq Carr, who is looking to have a breakout season in 2023 after showing his potential the past two seasons. Carr ranked second among the Spartan tight ends last season with career highs in receptions (16) and receiving yards (206) to go along with two touchdowns. After playing basketball during the winter of 2021-22, Carr had a full offseason with the team and should see his production increase following the graduated departures of last year's starters Daniel Barker and Tyler Hunt. Carr earned the start in the season opener vs. Central Michigan and had an 8-yard TD catch in the fourth quarter; he has two catches for 15 yards overall through the first two games.

• MSU also brought in three transfers at tight end in January who competed during spring practice: Ademola Faleye (Jr., Norfolk State), Jaylan Franklin (Gr.-6, Wisconsin) and Tyneil Hopper (Gr.-6, Boise State). Faleye has two seasons of eligibility remaining after playing in 20 games for Norfolk State in 2021-22, while Franklin and Hopper are graduate transfers in their final season of eligibility. Hopper's experience at the line of scrimmage (more than 1,100 snaps on offense in 45 games with the Broncos) should help the Spartans in the running game, and he also caught 22 passes for 259 yards and two TDs with the Broncos. Both Franklin and Hopper have played in the first two games.

• In addition, redshirt senior Evan Morris will be relied upon his blocking skills, and he earned a start in the season opener against the Chippewas while also recording his first career reception (4 yards).

Simeon Barrow vs Richmond — **Simeon Barrow Jr. helps lead a Spartan defense that ranks fifth in the FBS in total defense (206.0 ypg) through the first two games of the season.**

A LOOK AT THE SPARTAN DEFENSE

►DEFENSIVE LINE

Players who have seen game action in 2023:
• #52 Tunmise Adeleye (R-So., 6-4, 290, Katy, Texas/Texas A&M)
(2 games, 4 tackles, 2.0 TFLs for 7 yards, 1 sack for 4 yards)

• #8 Simeon Barrow Jr. (2L, R-Jr., 6-3, 290, Grovetown, Ga./Grovetown)
(2 games/2 starts, 3 tackles, 1.5 TFLs for 10 yards, 1.5 sacks for 10 yards)

• #2 Khris Bogle (1L, R-Sr., 6-4, 245, Fort Lauderdale, Fla./Florida)
(2 games/2 starts, 5 tackles, 1.0 TFL for 2 yards, 0.5 sacks for 1 yard)

• #45 Dre Butler (Gr.-5, 6-5, 300, Covington, Ga./Liberty)
(2 games, 6 tackles, 1.0 TFL for 1 yard)

• #98 Avery Dunn (1L, R-So., 6-4, 250, Shaker Heights, Ohio/Shaker Heights)
(2 games, 3 tackles)

• #97 Maverick Hansen (3L, R-Sr., 6-4, 300, Farmington Hills, Mich./Harrison)
(2 games/1 start, 3 tackles, 1 PBU)

• #41 Derrick Harmon (1L, R-So., 6-5, 320, Detroit, Mich./Loyola)
(2 games/1 start, 2 tackles, 1.0 TFL for 3 yards, 1 sack for 3 yards)

• #99 Jalen Sami (Gr.-6, 6-7, 330, Colorado Springs, Colo./Colorado)
(2 games, 1 tackle)

• #32 James Schott (R-Fr., 6-4, 235, Greenwood, Ind./Center Grove)
(2 games, 1 tackle)

• #44 Ken Talley (R-Fr., 6-3, 245, Philadelphia, Pa./Northeast)
(2 games)

• #55 Jalen Thompson (Fr., 6-3, 260, Detroit, Mich./Cass Tech)
(2 games, 2 tackles)

• #26 Brandon Wright (4L, R-Sr., 6-2, 250, Euclid, Ohio/Euclid)
(2 games, 3 tackles, 1 TFL for 5 yards, 1 sack for 5 yards)

• #9 Zion Young (1L, So., 6-6, 265, Atlanta, Ga./Westlake)
(2 games/2 starts, 9 tackles, 3 TFLs for 15 yards, 1.5 sacks for 5 yards)

• Michigan State returns plenty of depth and experience along the defensive line this season, in addition to welcoming in four highly touted transfers (Tunmise Adeleye from Texas A&M, Dre Butler from Liberty, Jarrett Jackson from Florida State and Jalen Sami from Colorado) and three top-200 recruits (Andrew Depaepe, Bai Jobe, Jalen Thompson).

• Diron Reynolds, who was named the program's defensive line coach in January, got his first on-field look at the position group during spring practice. Reynolds has more than 25 years of coaching experience both at the NFL and Power 5 levels and previously spent the past seven seasons (2016-22) as the defensive line coach at Stanford. He has coached on multiple championship teams, including winning a Super Bowl ring with the Colts, and has worked with numerous All-Americans, NFL Draft picks and All-Pro players.

• Along the interior, three Spartans return with starting experience, led by redshirt junior Simeon Barrow Jr. Barrow started 10 games at defensive tackle last season and earned honorable mention All-Big Ten accolades while recording career highs in tackles (40), tackles for loss (9.0 for 28 yards) and sacks (4.0 for 21 years). He also led the defense with 28 total quarterback pressures, according to Pro Football Focus, ranking fourth most in the Big Ten. Barrow has started 23 career games for the Spartans.

• Redshirt senior Maverick Hansen collected a career-high 41 tackles in 12 games last season, including two starting assignments, and has played in 33 career games. Redshirt sophomore Derrick Harmon started five games in 2022 and registered 30 stops, including three TFLs and two sacks; he also earned the start in the season opener.

• Incoming graduate transfers Dre Butler (Liberty), Jarrett Jackson (Florida State) and Nolan Sami (Colorado) will bolster the Spartan interior with 87 combined games at the FBS level. Butler, who originally enrolled at Independence Community College out of high school, played two seasons at Auburn (2020-21) and one at Liberty (2022) before graduating and attending MSU in January. Jackson is also a graduate transfer who joined the program in January after playing one season at Louisville (2018) and three at Florida State (2020-22). Sami arrived at MSU in the summer after playing in 40 career games for the Buffaloes, including 32 starting assignments at defensive tackle, the past four seasons (2019-22).

• Due to a rash of injuries, the Spartans started nine different players at defensive end last season. Four of those players – Khris Bogle (R-Sr.), Avery Dunn (R-Jr.), Brandon Wright (R-Sr.) and Zion Young (So.) – are back this season on the edge. Bogle, a Florida transfer and former top-100 recruit, only played in the first four games last season after suffering a season-ending injury vs. Minnesota in Week 4, but has started the first two games of the 2023 season. Dunn saw his playing time increase toward the end of last season with starts against Rutgers and Indiana, and he recorded career highs in tackles (28), tackles for loss (5.5) and sacks (3.0) to earn his first letter. In his second full season at defensive end after spending time as a running back his first two years in East Lansing, Wright played in eight games with two starts, including a career-high 14 tackles. Young appeared in eight games as a true freshman, including two starts, and posted 21 stops with two tackles for loss; he has started the first two games of the season and leads the team with three tackles for loss (15 yards) and 1.5 sacks (10 yards).

• Tunmise Adeleye, a top-40 recruit in the Class of 2021 out of Tompkins High School in Katy, Texas, enrolled in January after spending two seasons at Texas A&M and will look to make an immediate impact on the Spartan pass rush. Adeleye was named the No. 53 player in the transfer portal by The Athletic heading into the 2023 season. He has four tackles, 2.5 TFLs and one sack in his first two games.

• The Spartans also signed three highly ranked players at defensive end as part of their 2023 recruiting class. Bai Jobe, the No. 1 player in the state of Oklahoma, played in the All-American Bowl and was ranked the No. 54 overall player in the nation according to the 247 Sports composite rankings. Andrew Depaepe, a consensus top-150 recruit from Bettendorf, Iowa, also enrolled in January for the Spartans. Jalen Thompson, a four-star prospect from Detroit Cass Tech and the consensus No. 1 defensive end in the state of Michigan, joined the Spartans over the summer.

►LINEBACKERS

Players who have seen game action in 2023:
• #33 Aaron Alexander (R-Fr., 6-1, 225, Belleville, Mich./Massachusetts)
(2 games, 2 tackles)

• #7 Aaron Brule (1L, Gr.-6, 6-2, 240, New Orleans, La./Mississippi State)
(2 games, 8 tackles, 2.5 TFLs for 8 yards, 2 sacks for 6 yards)

• #35 Sam Edwards (1L, R-Jr., 6-1, 225, Williamston, Mich./Lansing Catholic)
(2 games)

• #27 Cal Haladay (2L, R-Jr., 6-1, 235, Elysburg, Pa./Southern Columbia)
(2 games/2 starts, 15 tackles, 2.0 TFLs for 2 yards, 1 INT for 2 yards)

• #5 Jordan Hall (Fr., 6-3, 235, Fredericksburg, Va./IMG Academy)
(2 games, 6 tackles, 1.5 TFLs for 3 yards)

• #4 Jacoby Windmon (1L, Sr.-5, 6-2, 250, New Orleans, La./UNLV)
(2 games/2 starts, 13 tackles, 2.0 TFLs for 8 yards, 1 sack for 8 yards)

• The linebackers, coached by fourth-year Secchia Family Defensive Coordinator Scottie Hazelton, are loaded with experience as Aaron Brule and Jacoby Windmon both elected to come back to Michigan State in 2023 to use their extra year of eligibility.

• Redshirt junior linebacker Cal Haladay, who led the Big Ten in tackles per game (10.0) last season, was back at it again in the season opener against Central Michigan, leading the Spartans with 10 tackles, including one for a 1-yard loss. He also recorded the third interception of his career with a pick in the third quarter. Haladay was named to preseason watch lists for the Butkus Award, the Bednarik Award and the Nagurski Trophy. He currently leads the team with 15 stops through the first two games, including 2.0 tackles for loss.

• Windmon, who transferred to MSU from UNLV in 2022, burst onto the scene with four sacks in his Spartan debut against Western Michigan to earn Big Ten and National Defensive Player of the Week honors. He became the first Spartan and just the sixth Big Ten player to earn Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week accolades three times in one season (vs. Western Michigan, Akron and Wisconsin), and he was also named the National Defensive Player of the Week in his first start at linebacker vs. Wisconsin in Week 7 after starting the first six games at defensive end. The New Orleans native, who led the team in TFLs (10.5) and sacks (5.5) and ranked first in the nation with six forced fumbles, returned to his natural position of linebacker in the spring and earned the start in Week 1 vs. Central Michigan. He has 13 tackles, two tackles for loss and one sack through the first two games.

• Brule, a graduate transfer from Mississippi State who also arrived on campus last year with Windmon, saw his playing time increase as the 2022 season progressed and he ended up ranking second on the team in sacks (4.0 for 32 yards) and third in tackles for loss (6.5 for 41 yards). He registered 30 tackles while playing all 12 games, including two starting assignments. Brule has eight tackles, including 2.5 TFLs and a team-leading two sacks through the first two games.

• Redshirt junior Darius Snow, who began last season at linebacker after playing in the secondary his first two seasons, unfortunately suffered a season-ending injury in Week 1 vs. Western Michigan. He will look to bounce back this season after a promising sophomore year in 2021 in which he ranked third on the team and 18th in the Big Ten with 87 tackles.

• Sixth-year senior Harold Joiner III, a converted running back, practiced at safety toward the end of last season and played exclusively at his new position in the spring. He moved to linebacker during the onset of preseason camp. Joiner has missed the first two games of the season with an injury.

• Incoming four-star freshman Jordan Hall, the only three-time captain in IMG Academy history, enrolled in January and made an early impact during spring practice for the Spartans. He had five tackles in Week 2 vs. Richmond and has six tackles overall.

►SECONDARY
Players who have seen game action in 2023:

• #0 Charles Brantley (2L, Jr., 6-0, 170, Sarasota, Fla./Venice)
(2 games/2 starts, 6 tackles, 1 TFL for 3 yards, 1 PBU)

• #15 Angelo Grose (3L, Sr., 5-10, 185, Mansfield, Ohio/Mansfield)
(2 games/2 starts, 13 tackles, 1.5 TFLs for 7 yards, 0.5 sack for 2 yards, 3 PBUs)

• #12 Chester Kimbrough (2L, R-Sr., 6-0, 185, New Orleans, La./Florida)
(2 games, 5 tackles)

• #29 Marqui Lowery Jr. (2L, R-Jr., 6-0, 175, Charlotte, N.C./Louisville)
(2 games, 1 tackle, 2 PBUs)

• #1 Jaden Mangham (1L, So., 6-2, 185, Beverly Hills, Mich./Wylie E. Groves)
(2 games/2 starts, 8 tackles)

• #25 Chance Rucker (Fr., 6-1, 180, Denton, Texas/Ryan)
(2 games, 1 tackle)

• #19 Armorion Smith (R-So., 6-1, 205, Detroit, Mich./Cincinnati)
(2 games, 2 tackles)

• #43 Malik Spencer (So., 6-1, 195, Buford, Ga./Buford)
(2 games/2 starts, 10 tackles, 1.0 TFL for 1 yards)

• #21 Dillon Tatum (So., 5-11, 200, Farmington Hills, Mich./West Bloomfield)
(2 games/2 starts, 9 tackles, 0.5 TFL for 2 yards, 1 PBU)

• #20 Ade Willie (1L, So., 6-1, 190, Sarasota, Fla./IMG Academy)
(2 games, 1 tackle)

• Former Spartan All-American and NFL veteran Harlon Barnett is in 15th year overall on the defensive coaching staff at Michigan State. He was named acting head coach on Sept. 10 and is the program's secondary coach.

• The Spartans feature a number of promising players in the secondary and also return starters with multiple years of experience in addition to bolstering their depth through the transfer portal.

• At cornerback, Charles Brantley (Jr.) took over a full-time starting role during his second season in East Lansing and led the team with six pass break-ups to go along with 48 tackles, 2.0 TFLs and one interception in 11 starts. The two-year letterwinner has started in 14 of his 21 collegiate games and has 11 pass break-ups and two interceptions in his career.

• Senior Angelo Grose has started games at both safety and nickelback the past three seasons and has played in 30 games overall since his arrival on campus in 2020, including 28 starts. The three-year letterwinner has 172 tackles with 6.5 tackles for loss, 16 pass break-ups and one interception during his collegiate career.

• Sophomores Dillon Tatum (12 games), Jaden Mangham (8 games), Ade Willie (6 games) and Malik Spencer (5 games) all gained valuable experience during their true freshmen season in 2022 and will look to have an even greater impact in the secondary in 2023. Tatum, Mangham and Spencer have started the first two games for the Spartans.

• Redshirt seniors Chester Kimbrough and Justin White each started games at nickelback for the Spartans last year and are back to compete for a starting role this season. Marqui Lowery Jr. (R-Jr.) also has starting experience at cornerback.

• MSU is also adding two transfers to the secondary in 2023, both with playing experience: Semar Melvin, a redshirt senior from Wisconsin, enrolled in January, while Armorion Smith (Cincinnati) joined the team in the summer. Melvin played in 23 games for the Badgers (2019-22) and Smith appeared in 12 games for the Bearcats last season.

• The Spartans signed four defensive backs to National Letters of Intent for the Class of 2023: Sean Brown, Philipp Davis, Eddie Pleasant III and Chance Rucker. Rucker has seen action in the first two games of the season, while Brown appeared in Week 2 vs. Richmond.

Jonathan Kim FG vs Richmond — **Jonathan Kim kicked a career-long 52-yard field goal in the Week 2 victory over Richmond.**

►SPECIAL TEAMS

Players who have seen game action in 2023:
Punters:
• #96 P Ryan Eckley (R-Fr., 6-2, 205, Lithia, Fla./Newsome, 1 game, 1 punt for 41 yards)
(2 games, 4 punts for 169 yards, 42.3 avg., 2 inside the 20, 1 touchback, 2 fair catches)

• #42 P Michael O'Shaughnessy (Gr.-5, 6-3, 210, New Albany, Ohio/Ohio State)
(2 games, 3 punts for 116 yards, 38.7 avg., 1 inside the 20, 1 touchback, 1 fair catch)

Long Snapper:
• #31 LS Hank Pepper (2L, Jr., 6-2, 210, Chandler, Ariz./Chandler, 2 games, 1 fumble recovery)

Placekickers:
• #97 K Jonathan Kim (Gr.-5, 6-0, 225, Fredericksburg, Va./North Carolina)
(2 games, 7-for-7 PATs, 2-for-2 FGs, 11 kickoffs for 674 yards, 61.3 avg., 7 touchbacks)

• #98 K Stephen Rusnak (R-So., 6-1, 190, Clarkston, Mich./Clarkston)
(2 games, 3-for-3 PATs, 3 kickoffs for 195 yards, 65.0 avg.)

• Michigan State will have a new look in the specialists room as the team will have a new starting kicker and punter for the 2023 season.

• First-team All-American Bryce Baringer, who set a school record with his 49.0-yard average and was drafted by the New England Patriots, is gone for the Spartans at punter. Redshirt freshman Ryan Eckley began the process to replace Baringer during spring practice, and he was joined by graduate transfer Michael O'Shaughnessy (Ohio State) in preseason camp.

• The Spartans, who used multiple placekickers in 2022, brought in graduate transfer Jonathan Kim from North Carolina over the summer. Redshirt sophomore Stephen Rusnak will also compete for the position and kicked for the Spartans during the spring. Rusnak earned a letter as a freshman in 2021 while converting 4-of-5 PATs and averaging 57.0 yards on kickoffs.

• Kim is off to a 2-for-2 start on field-goal attempts with a 47-yarder vs. Central Michigan and a 52-yarder vs. Richmond. He is also 7-for-7 on PATs.

• Junior Hank Pepper returns as the starting long snapper for the Spartans.

• Ross Els in his his fourth year as the program's special teams coordinator.