7 Michigan State football players who could rise and shine in 2023
After enduring a major backslide in 2022 with a 5-7 record, Michigan State football needs another revival. The Free Press examines the emerging contributors and potential rising stars who may spark it this fall:
LB Aaron Brule
After transferring from Mississippi State before last season, it took a while for Brule to find his footing with the Spartans. But when he did, he made a measurable impact. During MSU’s final four games, he recorded three sacks and demonstrated his versatility both as an off-ball linebacker and a pass rusher from the edge. Brule began to emerge around the time defensive coordinator Scottie Hazelton switched from a nickel base to a 4-3 look in a mid-October victory over Wisconsin.
“We saw Aaron Brule start to come on towards the latter part of the season,” head coach Mel Tucker said at the dawn of spring practice. “We’ve seen what his skillset brings to the table so we’re going to emphasize what he does well.”
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The question is whether they can disguise his weaknesses, or he can improve his greatest deficiencies to the point that he can play on a down-to-down basis. Brule was a subpar run defender, with an alarming 32% missed tackle rate. If Brule can make strides with his fundamentals in his sixth year, he could become a force within MSU’s front seven.
FS Jaden Mangham
By the fifth week of his freshman season, Mangham was elevated to a starting role. A leg injury suffered by team captain Xavier Henderson in the opener provided the impetus for the move, which led to Mangham’s baptism by fire. The sudden promotion was tantamount to a leap of faith by the coaching staff, but it proved to be worth the gamble.
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After all, Mangham showed he could play at this level and gained significant game experience to boot. That bodes well for the future. With his length and athleticism, the 6-foot-2 sophomore from Birmingham Groves has physical traits that suggest he could develop into a quality player. But he needs to beef up his 175-pound frame to withstand the rigors of Big Ten football. A violent collision with Ohio State running back TreVeyon Henderson in Mangham’s second start knocked him out of the game, and a month went by before he began playing on a consistent basis again. If he can increase his durability, Mangham has a chance to make his mark and improve a secondary that collected only two interceptions — the fewest in the Football Bowl Subdivision last fall.
RB Nathan Carter
Can lightning strike twice for Michigan State two years after the meteoric rise of Kenneth Walker III?
Tucker hopes so after Carter became the latest transfer running back to hit campus this offseason.
Of the ball carriers Tucker has brought in from other college programs since Walker’s departure, Carter is perhaps the most intriguing.
He also bears the closest resemblance to Walker, the game-breaker who created his own running lanes en route to rushing for 1,636 yards and 18 touchdowns. During his two seasons at UConn, Carter averaged 5.2 yards per carry and was also productive as a receiver. How he will be deployed in MSU’s crowded backfield remains a question. Jaren Mangham, Jaden’s brother, recently joined the fold as a transfer from South Florida. There is also incumbent starter Jalen Berger, an import from Wisconsin who injected some life into a dormant ground attack during the final month of the ’22 regular season. Carter, however, seems the most dynamic of the bunch. Before a shoulder injury sidelined him for the remainder of last fall, he forced 19 missed tackles in four games — one fewer than Berger’s total in 12 appearances.
It’s why his teammates are optimistic he can revive a running game ranked among the worst in the Big Ten in 2022.
TE Maliq Carr
Since he arrived from Purdue prior to the 2021 season, the 6-5, 255-pound tight end has been billed as a future star. But he has yet to meet expectations. As a Spartan, he has produced only 24 catches and reached the end zone twice.
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Many assumed Carr would have been a key cog by now after he was given his only career start in MSU’s Peach Bowl victory over Pittsburgh almost 19 months ago. Yet Carr was pushed back down the depth chart in favor of Tyler Hunt and Daniel Barker, a grad transfer from Illinois. Carr’s shortcomings as a blocker have worked against him. But now Hunt and Barker are gone, and it stands to reason that MSU will rely heavily on Carr this season. The unexpected departure of budding receiver Keon Coleman left the Spartans with a significant void in the passing game, and Carr could help fill it. He produced the Spartans’ longest play from scrimmage last season, a 72-yard catch against Wisconsin. He is also considered a matchup nightmare — bigger than safeties and faster than linebackers. If he can put it all together this fall, Carr can finally live up to the hype.
Other names to watch …
DL Tunmise Adeleye: The Texas A&M transfer was a top-100 recruit in the 2021 class and there is hope he can make an instant impact after a slow start to his college career. With three seasons of remaining eligibility, the 6-4, 290-pound redshirt sophomore should get plenty of opportunities to tap into his potential.
LB Jordan Hall: Inside the program, Hall has been generating a lot of positive buzz. The freshman from IMG Academy looks and sounds like a natural leader, and it only seems a matter of time before he forces his way on the field.
WR Montorie Foster: Coleman’s sudden exit should give Foster some more targets. As a reserve, the senior has shown some big-play ability. In 2021, six of his 12 receptions resulted in a first down or a score.
Contact Rainer Sabin at rsabin@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @RainerSabin.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: 7 Michigan State football players who could grab the spotlight in 2023
