Michigan State Football Preseason Camp Preview

►SPARTAN FOOTBALL NEWS AND NOTES
• Michigan State head coach Jonathan Smith enters his second season in East Lansing as the Spartans will open preseason camp on Tuesday, July 29 in preparation for the season opener on Friday, Aug. 29 against Western Michigan in Spartan Stadium.

• Named the 2022 Pac-12 Co-Coach of the Year, Smith built Oregon State into one of the top teams in the conference during his six seasons (2018-23) as the head coach in Corvallis. He led the Beavers to a 25-13 record and three bowl consecutive berths (2021-23) his final three seasons at OSU, including a No. 17 ranking in 2022 and a win over Florida in the Las Vegas Bowl. He also has experience coaching in the College Football Playoff as an offensive coordinator at Washington in 2016.

• The Spartans are returning 34 letterwinners from last season's team, including 21 on defense, 10 on offense and three on special teams. In addition, MSU has 20 position players returning with starting experience wearing the Green and White, including 10 on offense and 10 on defense.

►CHILES, MARSH HEADLINE RETURNING PRODUCTION
• Junior quarterback Aidan Chiles started all 12 games for the Spartans as a true sophomore in 2024. He finished ninth in the Big Ten in total offense (220.0 ypg; 2,640 yards) and became the sixth Spartan sophomore QB in program history to throw for 2,000-plus yards in a season.

• Sophomore wide receiver Nick Marsh was one of the top freshmen in the nation last season and set Michigan State true freshman records for most receiving yards (649) and receptions (41) in a single-season. He ranked eighth in the Big Ten in yards per catch (15.8) and 13th in receiving yards per game (59.0 ypg), marks which also ranked second among Big Ten freshmen.

• Senior tight end Jack Velling, who was named to the Mackey Award Watch List last season, caught a career-high 36 passes for 411 yards and one TD in his first season as a Spartan after transferring from Oregon State.

• Defensively, senior defensive back Nikai Martinez ranked third on the team in 2024 with 51 tackles and also had two interceptions, two pass break-ups, and 2.5 tackles for loss while starting all 12 games at safety. He enters his second season in East Lansing after playing his first two years (2022-23) at UCF.

• Fellow senior defensive back Malik Spencer started the first nine games at safety last season before missing the last three games due to an injury; he ranked sixth on the team with 44 stops and recorded two pass break-ups and one interception.

• Redshirt junior punter Ryan Eckley, a Ray Guy Award candidate and preseason All-American, led the Big Ten in punting in 2024 with his 47.9-yard average and was a second-team all-conference selection.

►SPARTANS WELCOME 24 TRANSFERS IN 2025
• The Spartans are welcoming 24 transfers to the 2025 roster. Sixteen transfers joined the team in January and participated in spring practice, while eight transfers arrived to campus over the summer.

Here's a breakdown of the incoming transfers by position:

OFFENSE (10)
»WR (4): R-So. Evan Boyd (Central Michigan), Gr.-5 Rodney Bullard Jr. (Valdosta State), Sr. Omari Kelly (Middle Tennessee State), R-Jr. Chrishon McCray (Kent State)

»OL (4): Gr.-5 Caleb Carter (Western Carolina), Gr.-5 Matt Gulbin (Wake Forest), R-Jr. Conner Moore (Montana State), R-Jr. Luka Vincic (Oregon State)

»TE (1): R-Jr. Kai Rios (Indiana State)

»RB (1): Sr.-5 Elijah Tau-Tolliver (Sacramento State)

DEFENSE (14)
»DL (1): Sr.-5 Grady Kelly (Florida State)

»EDGE (4): R-Fr. Anelu Lafaele (Wisconsin), R-So. David Santiago (Air Force) Gr.-5 Isaac Smith (Texas Tech), Gr.-6 Cam Williams (Georgia State)

»LB (1): R-Jr. Aisea Moa (BYU)

»DB (8): Gr.-5 Malcolm Bell (UConn), Sr. NiJhay Burt (Eastern Illinois), Sr.-6 Devynn Cromwell (Texas Tech), Gr.-6 Joshua Eaton (Texas State), Gr.-5 Dontavius Nash (East Carolina), R-Jr. Anthony Pinnace III (UTSA), R-So. Tracy Revels (Bowling Green), R-Fr. Elisha West (Merrimack)

Additional Transfer Breakdown
By Class:
• Seniors (Graduate/Sixth-Year/Fifth-Year/Fourth-Year): 13
• Redshirt Juniors: 6
• Redshirt Sophomores: 3
• Redshirt Freshmen: 2

►QUICK LOOK AT THE 2025 SCHEDULE
• Michigan State opens the 2025 season with three straight nonconference games in Spartan Stadium, beginning with Western Michigan on Friday, Aug. 29 at 7 p.m. on FS1. MSU will also host Boston College on Sept. 6 at 7:30 p.m. on NBC and Youngstown State on Sept. 13 at 3:30 p.m. on BTN.

• The Spartans will begin conference play with two road games, starting Sept. 20 at USC, followed by Oct. 4 at Nebraska after a bye week.

• MSU returns to East Lansing to face UCLA for Homecoming on Oct. 11 in the first match-up between the two schools since 1974.

• Michigan State then travels to Indiana on Oct. 18 before hosting Michigan on Oct. 25.

• In November, the Spartans head to Minnesota on Nov. 1, then take a week off on Nov. 8 for their second bye week. MSU's final three games include a home game against Penn State on Nov. 15, a trip to Iowa on Nov. 22, and the regular-season finale vs. Maryland on Nov. 29 at Ford Field in Detroit.

►SPARTAN COACHING STAFF
• Jonathan Smith, who led Oregon State to new heights during his tenure over six seasons (2018-23), was named Michigan State University's 26th head football coach on Nov. 25, 2023. Smith enters his second season leading the Spartans in 2025 after laying a strong foundation for the program during his first year in 2024.

• Named the 2022 Pac-12 Co-Coach of the Year, Smith built Oregon State into one of the top teams in the conference. He led the Beavers, who were ranked as high as 11th in the College Football Playoff rankings in 2023, to an 8-4 record in the regular season and their third straight bowl appearance, a first for the program since 2006-09. OSU went 25-13 in 2021-23 under Smith, including a No. 17 ranking in 2022 and a win over Florida in the Las Vegas Bowl.

• Known for developing talent, the 46-year-old Smith has coached 10 All-Americans, 20 NFL Draft picks and more than 100 all-conference selections in his career, while also coaching in 10 bowl games, including the 2016 College Football Playoff as an offensive coordinator at Washington.

• Six of Smith's assistants at Oregon State joined him in East Lansing in 2024 and are in their second season at MSU: secondary coach Blue Adams, assistant head coach/running backs coach/co-special teams coordinator Keith Bhonapha, offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach Brian Lindgren, offensive line coach/run game coordinator Jim Michalczik, defensive line coach Legi Suiaunoa and tight ends coach/recruiting coordinator Brian Wozniak.

• Jon Boyer, who was a quality control coach at Oregon State under Smith from 2019-23, was named quarterbacks coach in January 2025.

• Joe Rossi, a 2024 Broyles Award nominee, begins his second year as the program's defensive coordinator/linebackers coach.

• Co-special teams coordinator/rush ends Chad Wilt also enters his second year on staff in 2025.

• Former Spartan great Courtney Hawkins is in his sixth season as the wide receivers coach at MSU.

• In addition, James Adams was named the program's safeties coach in January 2025 after spending the previous three seasons at Wake Forest.

►SPARTANS EARN PRESEASON HONORS
Several Michigan State Spartans have earned preseason honors entering the 2025 season.

• P Ryan Eckley (Preseason All-American: Walter Camp, second team; Phil Steele, third team; Athlon Sports, fourth team; Preseason All-Big Ten: Phil Steele, first team; USA TODAY, first team; Athlon Sports, second team)
• LB Jordan Hall (AFCA Good Works Team nominee)
• WR Nick Marsh (Preseason All-Big Ten: The Athletic, second team; Athlon Sports, third team)
• TE Jack Velling (Preseason All-Big Ten: The Athletic, second team; Phil Steele and Athlon Sports, third team)

Players Mentioned

Malcolm Bell

Evan Boyd

Rodney Bullard Jr.

NiJhay Burt

Caleb Carter

Aidan Chiles

Devynn Cromwell

Joshua Eaton

Ryan Eckley

Matt Gulbin

Jordan Hall

Grady Kelly

Omari Kelly

Anelu Lafaele

Nick Marsh

Nikai Martinez

Chrishon McCray

Aisea Moa

Conner Moore

Dontavius Nash

Anthony Pinnace III

Tracy Revels

Kai Rios

David Santiago

Isaac Smith

Malik Spencer

Elijah Tau-Tolliver

Jack Velling

Luka Vincic

Elisha West

Cam Williams

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