Michigan State football: Key takeaways from Spartans' spring exhibition
Michigan State coach Mel Tucker said this year’s Spartans spring game would consist of more drills and exercises, looking less like an actual game and more like an open practice.
And he was right.
Saturday’s offering wasn’t exactly super exciting entertainment, but it was football — or close to it — in spring, so it’s probably best not to complain.
With that said, the Spartans opened the first “half” of their spring game by running drills, mostly featuring QBs throwing to wide receivers. Returning star Jayden Reed had several nice grabs during that segment of the spring game, leaving little doubt that he’ll be the No. 1 target this fall for returning starting QB Payton Thorne.
But Reed’s best catch of the afternoon was a 49-yard, 1-handed snag thrown by backup Noah Kim.
There was also a thrilling few moments of hand-offs to running backs — so much fun to watch (sarcasm).
OK, so enough of the tongue-in-cheek, trying-to-be-funny commentary. Actually, there were a few valuable nuggets to take away from Saturday’s spring session. The starting QB looked good and there were a few positives to draw from other offensive drills — so take a couple of minutes to read this review of Michigan State’s spring exhibition … you might learn something.
Payton Thorne
In 2021, Thorne set an MSU single-season record with 27 passing touchdowns. During limited drills Saturday, the incumbent starter looked smooth and accurate, lacing several long balls with relative ease. Of course, it’s probably a lot easier to let a pretty one fly without the threat of rabid pass-rushers … but he still threw well during his time on the field.
It was only a spring game, but Saturday proved that there is no doubting that Thorne will be among the Big Ten’s best quarterbacks during the 2022 season. He’s smooth, accurate and will be the top option for what looks to be a potent offense.
Who runs it?
Davion Primm, a redshirt freshman, has been one of the most-mentioned players during spring practices. Former Oak Park (Mich.) star was a top-50 RB in the 2021 class, per 247Sports. Live action was sparse on TV, but he was talked about quite a bit and should be among the Spartans’ top options in the backfield this fall.
Jalen Berger also had a couple of nice runs Saturday and is in the mix to start this season.
Berger played in 7 games as a backup with Wisconsin in 2020-2021. He rushed 84 times for 389 yards and 3 TDs. Berger was a 4-star recruit in the 2020 class and ranked the No. 15 running back in his class.
Catchy nickname
Angelo Grose, AKA “Sugar Weasel,” will be a familiar name this fall for the Spartans. The 6-foot, 180-pound senior has played in 20 games during the past 2 seasons, starting in 17, and stands to be a major part of an MSU secondary that was dead-last when it came to opponent passing yardage in 2021.
Position switch
“It runs in the family,” said Darius Snow when asked about his switch from DB to linebacker. His uncle, college football Hall of Famer Percy Snow, is arguably one of the greatest linebackers in college football history, so the switch was somewhat natural. Darius’ father, Eric Snow, was part of one of the greatest backcourts in Big Ten history, so the desire to be a star in East Lansing runs deep within Darius’ veins.
In 2021, Darius Snow was one of MSU’s top defensive players, registering 87 tackles — the second-most on the team — and a pick and 2 pass deflections. Sure, those aren’t knock-out stats, but they’re enough to project Snow as being a larger part of MSU’s defense this fall. At 6-1 and 200 pounds, he has the speed and athleticism necessary to be a successful run-stopper as a linebacker.