Here we are Spartan Nation. The 2022 class is reporting to campus, and June OV season has kicked off. Before we discuss, what’s to come let’s discuss portal season and roster turnover to date.
Portal Season 2022
In December, I posted this about potential needs for MSU in 22-
“IMO our remaining needs are (6 spots): OT (2), OG (1), DE (1), S or DB (1), and best available (RB, DB, WR ala the recruitment of Jameson Williams last cycle). I’m confident that the staff will fill these needs methodically. With that said folks, strap in for the insanity that will be the 2021-2022 Portal Cycle.”
To say the least, the portal has been interesting to watch. In 2021, we had a ton of spots so it seemed like the staff was uber aggressive. The staff tried to land both impact starting-level players as well as guys to build out the concept of functional depth given the roster Tucker inherited in Spring 2020. This time around with limited spots things were quieter and more strategic. The focus was solely on players that could be starting level players at position of needs. To be honest, it was a very NFL free agency approach without the salary cap 😊.
The transfer class started with a bang when they were able to land Aaron Brule and Jacoby Windmon. I did not expect MSU to be in the market for LB’s. I’d heard rumblings of the disconnect between the staff and Crouch, but I didn’t think they would move on from their current LB depth. This move signaled that the staff knew the D needed to get better by any means necessary. Clearly, they felt that they needed to get bigger, faster, and more scheme-sound at the LB spot. From early returns, it seems like they knocked this need out of the park. We have great depth at LB now with Brule, Windmon, Ma’a, BVS, Halladay, and Darius Snow. I may be biased, but I think Windmon has the potential to be an all Big-Ten caliber linebacker. The tape on both of these cats is just different.
Aaron Brule-
Jacoby Windmon-
Both kids are from NOLA, and hell Aaron Brule used to train with Brandon Jordan prior to coming to MSU. For those folks that have criticized Tucker for expanding his recruiting reach, I ask you this- do you think we land either guy if this staff hadn’t spent time increasing their presence in NOLA or hired coaches with ties to this region? Spoiler alert- the answer is a RESOUNDING NO!!!! Simply put, you go where the talent is. One thing I’ve learned from following Tucker’s recruiting is that NOLA is a fertile recruiting ground that Northern schools have rarely tapped in. I am ecstatic that Tucker and team have been able to close Brule, Windmon, Coleman, and Kimbrough from this region over the last 2 years.
Another quiet move was the staff pulling in Khris Bogle. I knew that we needed to get more explosive, experienced and bigger at DE. On the surface, Bogle checked all the boxes as a SEC LB/DL transfer with playing experience. We were able to hold off Kentucky, and close Bogle in a recruitment that seemed to go either way down the stretch. I haven’t been this excited about a DE prospect since MSU landed guys like Malik McDowell, Craig Evans, and Montez Sweat. Will Bogle be an All-American or even all-Big Ten? I have no idea. I just know that he has the most pure athletic ability off the edge since guys like Shilique Calhoun and Montez Sweat. This staff also was able to pull in Jalen Berger given K9’s tremendous season, and Berger’s connections to former Wisconsin staffers now at MSU. The thing I like about Berger’s tape is that he is always fighting to get yards with no wasted steps. Berger won’t be K9, but he will be a solid starter level RB.
Jalen Berger Highlights- ().
Overall, all of these were quiet moves that happened in November/December ala when they added K9, Kendall Brooks, Harold Joiner, and Anthony Russo early last season. It felt like we snuck these kids in while teams were still focused on their seasons. It just goes to show how Tucker runs his operation on/off the field- nothing turns off and there is always a plan in motion. Given how aggressive LSU, UF, and USC were in the portal after coaching changes, I’m really not sure that we could have landed these 4 guys in peak portal season February-April 2022.
Fast forward to post-season portal action, the staff continued to fill needs by bringing in Ameer Speed, Brian Greene, Daniel barker, and Jarek Broussard. Speed and Greene filled needs that I mentioned back in my December post. I love both of these adds and can’t wait to see what they both bring to the table. Speed’s size intrigued me on the surface. After I saw him blanket Jayden Reed in 1 on 1 coverage on a seam route during the G-W game, I was sold on him being an impact dude in a secondary seeking an identity. I’m thrilled to have two starting corners over 6’2 that can run in coverage. Although Greene is just arriving now, he gives you another experienced OL that can be a 1a/1b depth -starter level player for an OL in dire need of functional depth. He’s a very important piece to our season IMO.
We know what we saw last year- maybe the greatest single season by a MSU back ever not named Duckett. Likewise, we saw what happened when K9 was dinged or had to sub out. The staff wants this thing to hum like the SEC teams with multiple starter level backs. As a result, they looked to the portal to find another starter level RB. I always thought the second back would be Lew Nichols, but he never entered the portal. Wild considering his own coach thought he would end up at MSU- https://www.cbssports.com/college-f...y-have-turned-transfer-portal-into-wild-west/). The staff was familiar with Broussard from their time at Colorado so this one made a lot of sense. I worry about his injury history, but he seems like a nice piece with college-level production. Plus, he’s a built kid for being a smaller back (). I’d love to see Berger and Broussard both rush for north of 700-800 yards on the season with a combo of Primm/Joiner spelling them. We need our backs to be fresh. If we can develop a stable of backs and we get good blocking, this could be really fun to watch.
Jarek Broussard highlights-
On the flip side, I honestly was surprised by the addition of Daniel Barker. I expected the staff to give Carr the keys to the kingdom, and ride with it. This move showed me that the staff practices what they preach- nothing is given, its earned. Maliq Carr is a specimen that I expect Jay Johnson to unleash by getting him the ball in a multitude of ways. By adding Barker, you bring in a vet that has proven production.
Daniel Barker highlights-
Further, it takes pressure off of Carr to be ready to be the guy this year. Hell, the group of Barker, Carr, and Tyler Hunt may allow MSU to RS both Nickel and Masunas (something that I did not think possible 6 months ago). After seeing Barker’s highlights, I again was left thinking how the hell did we land this guy at a position of need.
Work Left to do
In hindsight, this team still desperately needs 1 or more OL for depth purposes. Sadly, the portal entries post-spring ball were largely underwhelming. Georgia’s Amarius Mims was one of the few big timers that entered, but he returned to school (https://www.cbssports.com/college-f...dogs-after-testing-waters-in-transfer-portal/). Many of the guys that entered were interior guys. We are in June, and camp is about to start so this needs to get resolved ASAP. I expect us to have plus depth on the interior with Duplain, Samac, Greene, Fincher, VanderMark, Carrick, and Wigenton.
OT is the one aspect of this team that should keep every MSU fan up at night. Spencer Brown played very well in the Peach Bowl because has never been the guy at OT. I think that he will be ready for this opportunity as long as he stays healthy. Horst is back. I just hope that he stays healthy (mentally and physically) and has a great year. Beyond that, we are in no one’s land. If Brown or Horst go down, you have to depend on Ethan Boyd, Brandon Baldwin or Braden Miller. If we go into the season depending on 3-4 FR or RS-FR to fill the two-deep on the OL, the OL situation could turn our season in a dumpster fire within seconds. Last year, it was the defense. I feel like they’ve made the necessary moves via the portal and the 22 class to be significantly improved. OL is very much so a wait-and-see. The last area to watch out for is Special Temas. Matt Coughlin recently graduated after an up and down career. We have K Jack Stone coming in from HS. If he is not ready for the bright lights, I fear that the kicking game could cost us 1-2 close games. Time will tell on all of these fronts.
IMO I think that the staff would have gone after more transfers if they knew there would be no cap on signees for the next two seasons (https://footballscoop.com/news/ncaa-eliminates-25-man-intitial-counter-rule).
Here’s a list of guys that I think they would have pursued harder if this was the case:
Overall, the portal season was even crazier than anticipated. We really saw the impact of NIL in portal recruitments especially with all things USC.
(Caleb Williams- https://www.si.com/college/usc/football/caleb-williams-third-nil-deal, Jordan Addison- https://www.si.com/college/pittsburgh/recruiting/pittsburgh-panthers-know-jordan-addison-transfer)
Last year, we all talked about who won the portal. Given K9’s success and the team’s record, it is hard to debate that MSU didn’t wear that crown in 2021. However, I expect the story to be completely different in 2022 now that the portal has played out. Instead of 1 undisputed winner, I expect to see multiple teams translate transfer talent influx into on-field success. In part, I think this is because coaches adopted aspects of Mel Tucker’s portal strategy.
Predictions
USC, Ole Miss, Bama, Arkansas and Miami will reap big time rewards from the portal. This may sound insane, but I think Bama May end up with 3 players in New York at the end of the year. I fully expect Mario Cristobal to run over Dabo in the ACC, which could make the natives even more restless there given his inability to adapt to this new era of college football (https://saturdayblitz.com/2022/04/13/dabo-swinneys-regressive-nil-stance-comes-up-again/).
I expect the Brian Kelly experiment to get off to a rough start. I see them having a 8-4 season especially if he goes with Jayden Daniels as his QB. I am not at all sold on him as a high-level QB in the SEC. Further, Kelly landed a lot of players in the portal with many hailing from NOLA. It will be very interesting to watch this unfold if a) NOLA players are riding the pine and b) LSU is dropping winnable games. It could get ugly fast. Kelly has won at every stop, but this version of the SEC is different than anything he has faced previously IMO. Plus, LSU fans get tired of 9-3 quickly. Plus, LSU fans get tired of 9-3 quickly. I also can't get with this dance trolling act- https://www.si.com/extra-mustard/20...zarre-video-dancing-with-lsu-tight-end-commit
I actually think South Carolina could have a decent year given how weak their schedule is outside of Clemson, Georgia, and Texas A&M (no, I am not buying stock in Will Leavis and Kentucky).
The team I refuse to make a projection on is Nebraska. I actually like a lot of the moves Frost made this offseason (Casey Thompson, Trey Palmer, Ochaun Mathis). After the last few seasons, I just can’t trust them to do what they are capable of.
Ok folks- this concludes Part 1. Now I’ll begin work on Part 2 that will focus on What the hell this tsunami is called MSU Football recruiting in 2022.
@Macklinjb @Floyd170 @haydenv8 @Noah Sprunger
Portal Season 2022
In December, I posted this about potential needs for MSU in 22-
“IMO our remaining needs are (6 spots): OT (2), OG (1), DE (1), S or DB (1), and best available (RB, DB, WR ala the recruitment of Jameson Williams last cycle). I’m confident that the staff will fill these needs methodically. With that said folks, strap in for the insanity that will be the 2021-2022 Portal Cycle.”
To say the least, the portal has been interesting to watch. In 2021, we had a ton of spots so it seemed like the staff was uber aggressive. The staff tried to land both impact starting-level players as well as guys to build out the concept of functional depth given the roster Tucker inherited in Spring 2020. This time around with limited spots things were quieter and more strategic. The focus was solely on players that could be starting level players at position of needs. To be honest, it was a very NFL free agency approach without the salary cap 😊.
The transfer class started with a bang when they were able to land Aaron Brule and Jacoby Windmon. I did not expect MSU to be in the market for LB’s. I’d heard rumblings of the disconnect between the staff and Crouch, but I didn’t think they would move on from their current LB depth. This move signaled that the staff knew the D needed to get better by any means necessary. Clearly, they felt that they needed to get bigger, faster, and more scheme-sound at the LB spot. From early returns, it seems like they knocked this need out of the park. We have great depth at LB now with Brule, Windmon, Ma’a, BVS, Halladay, and Darius Snow. I may be biased, but I think Windmon has the potential to be an all Big-Ten caliber linebacker. The tape on both of these cats is just different.
Aaron Brule-
Jacoby Windmon-
Both kids are from NOLA, and hell Aaron Brule used to train with Brandon Jordan prior to coming to MSU. For those folks that have criticized Tucker for expanding his recruiting reach, I ask you this- do you think we land either guy if this staff hadn’t spent time increasing their presence in NOLA or hired coaches with ties to this region? Spoiler alert- the answer is a RESOUNDING NO!!!! Simply put, you go where the talent is. One thing I’ve learned from following Tucker’s recruiting is that NOLA is a fertile recruiting ground that Northern schools have rarely tapped in. I am ecstatic that Tucker and team have been able to close Brule, Windmon, Coleman, and Kimbrough from this region over the last 2 years.
Another quiet move was the staff pulling in Khris Bogle. I knew that we needed to get more explosive, experienced and bigger at DE. On the surface, Bogle checked all the boxes as a SEC LB/DL transfer with playing experience. We were able to hold off Kentucky, and close Bogle in a recruitment that seemed to go either way down the stretch. I haven’t been this excited about a DE prospect since MSU landed guys like Malik McDowell, Craig Evans, and Montez Sweat. Will Bogle be an All-American or even all-Big Ten? I have no idea. I just know that he has the most pure athletic ability off the edge since guys like Shilique Calhoun and Montez Sweat. This staff also was able to pull in Jalen Berger given K9’s tremendous season, and Berger’s connections to former Wisconsin staffers now at MSU. The thing I like about Berger’s tape is that he is always fighting to get yards with no wasted steps. Berger won’t be K9, but he will be a solid starter level RB.
Jalen Berger Highlights- ().
Overall, all of these were quiet moves that happened in November/December ala when they added K9, Kendall Brooks, Harold Joiner, and Anthony Russo early last season. It felt like we snuck these kids in while teams were still focused on their seasons. It just goes to show how Tucker runs his operation on/off the field- nothing turns off and there is always a plan in motion. Given how aggressive LSU, UF, and USC were in the portal after coaching changes, I’m really not sure that we could have landed these 4 guys in peak portal season February-April 2022.
Fast forward to post-season portal action, the staff continued to fill needs by bringing in Ameer Speed, Brian Greene, Daniel barker, and Jarek Broussard. Speed and Greene filled needs that I mentioned back in my December post. I love both of these adds and can’t wait to see what they both bring to the table. Speed’s size intrigued me on the surface. After I saw him blanket Jayden Reed in 1 on 1 coverage on a seam route during the G-W game, I was sold on him being an impact dude in a secondary seeking an identity. I’m thrilled to have two starting corners over 6’2 that can run in coverage. Although Greene is just arriving now, he gives you another experienced OL that can be a 1a/1b depth -starter level player for an OL in dire need of functional depth. He’s a very important piece to our season IMO.
We know what we saw last year- maybe the greatest single season by a MSU back ever not named Duckett. Likewise, we saw what happened when K9 was dinged or had to sub out. The staff wants this thing to hum like the SEC teams with multiple starter level backs. As a result, they looked to the portal to find another starter level RB. I always thought the second back would be Lew Nichols, but he never entered the portal. Wild considering his own coach thought he would end up at MSU- https://www.cbssports.com/college-f...y-have-turned-transfer-portal-into-wild-west/). The staff was familiar with Broussard from their time at Colorado so this one made a lot of sense. I worry about his injury history, but he seems like a nice piece with college-level production. Plus, he’s a built kid for being a smaller back (). I’d love to see Berger and Broussard both rush for north of 700-800 yards on the season with a combo of Primm/Joiner spelling them. We need our backs to be fresh. If we can develop a stable of backs and we get good blocking, this could be really fun to watch.
Jarek Broussard highlights-
On the flip side, I honestly was surprised by the addition of Daniel Barker. I expected the staff to give Carr the keys to the kingdom, and ride with it. This move showed me that the staff practices what they preach- nothing is given, its earned. Maliq Carr is a specimen that I expect Jay Johnson to unleash by getting him the ball in a multitude of ways. By adding Barker, you bring in a vet that has proven production.
Daniel Barker highlights-
Further, it takes pressure off of Carr to be ready to be the guy this year. Hell, the group of Barker, Carr, and Tyler Hunt may allow MSU to RS both Nickel and Masunas (something that I did not think possible 6 months ago). After seeing Barker’s highlights, I again was left thinking how the hell did we land this guy at a position of need.
Work Left to do
In hindsight, this team still desperately needs 1 or more OL for depth purposes. Sadly, the portal entries post-spring ball were largely underwhelming. Georgia’s Amarius Mims was one of the few big timers that entered, but he returned to school (https://www.cbssports.com/college-f...dogs-after-testing-waters-in-transfer-portal/). Many of the guys that entered were interior guys. We are in June, and camp is about to start so this needs to get resolved ASAP. I expect us to have plus depth on the interior with Duplain, Samac, Greene, Fincher, VanderMark, Carrick, and Wigenton.
OT is the one aspect of this team that should keep every MSU fan up at night. Spencer Brown played very well in the Peach Bowl because has never been the guy at OT. I think that he will be ready for this opportunity as long as he stays healthy. Horst is back. I just hope that he stays healthy (mentally and physically) and has a great year. Beyond that, we are in no one’s land. If Brown or Horst go down, you have to depend on Ethan Boyd, Brandon Baldwin or Braden Miller. If we go into the season depending on 3-4 FR or RS-FR to fill the two-deep on the OL, the OL situation could turn our season in a dumpster fire within seconds. Last year, it was the defense. I feel like they’ve made the necessary moves via the portal and the 22 class to be significantly improved. OL is very much so a wait-and-see. The last area to watch out for is Special Temas. Matt Coughlin recently graduated after an up and down career. We have K Jack Stone coming in from HS. If he is not ready for the bright lights, I fear that the kicking game could cost us 1-2 close games. Time will tell on all of these fronts.
IMO I think that the staff would have gone after more transfers if they knew there would be no cap on signees for the next two seasons (https://footballscoop.com/news/ncaa-eliminates-25-man-intitial-counter-rule).
Here’s a list of guys that I think they would have pursued harder if this was the case:
- Jared Verse- DE (ended up at FSU, and will be a stud there. I think he has a similar upside to a player I wanted us to land badly last year- Jermaine Johnson)
- Bobby Haskins- OT (ended up at USC, hurt most of the spring, but expected to play a decent bit)
- Mac Hollensteiner- OL (ended up at UVA)
- Hunter Norzad- OL (ended up at PSU)
- D’Mitri Emmanuel- OL (ended up at FSU)
- Christian Beal Smith- RB (ended up at South Carolina)
- Devonni Reed- S (ended up at South Carolina)
Overall, the portal season was even crazier than anticipated. We really saw the impact of NIL in portal recruitments especially with all things USC.
(Caleb Williams- https://www.si.com/college/usc/football/caleb-williams-third-nil-deal, Jordan Addison- https://www.si.com/college/pittsburgh/recruiting/pittsburgh-panthers-know-jordan-addison-transfer)
Last year, we all talked about who won the portal. Given K9’s success and the team’s record, it is hard to debate that MSU didn’t wear that crown in 2021. However, I expect the story to be completely different in 2022 now that the portal has played out. Instead of 1 undisputed winner, I expect to see multiple teams translate transfer talent influx into on-field success. In part, I think this is because coaches adopted aspects of Mel Tucker’s portal strategy.
Predictions
USC, Ole Miss, Bama, Arkansas and Miami will reap big time rewards from the portal. This may sound insane, but I think Bama May end up with 3 players in New York at the end of the year. I fully expect Mario Cristobal to run over Dabo in the ACC, which could make the natives even more restless there given his inability to adapt to this new era of college football (https://saturdayblitz.com/2022/04/13/dabo-swinneys-regressive-nil-stance-comes-up-again/).
I expect the Brian Kelly experiment to get off to a rough start. I see them having a 8-4 season especially if he goes with Jayden Daniels as his QB. I am not at all sold on him as a high-level QB in the SEC. Further, Kelly landed a lot of players in the portal with many hailing from NOLA. It will be very interesting to watch this unfold if a) NOLA players are riding the pine and b) LSU is dropping winnable games. It could get ugly fast. Kelly has won at every stop, but this version of the SEC is different than anything he has faced previously IMO. Plus, LSU fans get tired of 9-3 quickly. Plus, LSU fans get tired of 9-3 quickly. I also can't get with this dance trolling act- https://www.si.com/extra-mustard/20...zarre-video-dancing-with-lsu-tight-end-commit
I actually think South Carolina could have a decent year given how weak their schedule is outside of Clemson, Georgia, and Texas A&M (no, I am not buying stock in Will Leavis and Kentucky).
The team I refuse to make a projection on is Nebraska. I actually like a lot of the moves Frost made this offseason (Casey Thompson, Trey Palmer, Ochaun Mathis). After the last few seasons, I just can’t trust them to do what they are capable of.
Ok folks- this concludes Part 1. Now I’ll begin work on Part 2 that will focus on What the hell this tsunami is called MSU Football recruiting in 2022.
@Macklinjb @Floyd170 @haydenv8 @Noah Sprunger
