Ad Disclosure
What Mel Tucker said following Michigan State’s spring game
Published:
Spring “game” is a loose term for Saturday’s event in East Lansing. Although Michigan State did hold a short scrimmage inside Spartan Stadium, the final day of spring practice for the program was mostly devoted to individual and position drills.
Still, Saturday’s practice and scrimmage put a bow on the spring season for Mel Tucker and his squad, which is looking to continue its successful run after an 11-2 campaign in 2021.
It’s hard to find many takeaways from Saturday’s game, but new linebacker Jacoby Windmon looked like a great transfer addition and defensive back Darius Snow had some big hits.
Leading receiver Jayden Reed had a spectacular one-handed grab offensively and we caught our first glimpse of former Wisconsin running back Jalen Berger wearing the green and white.
After the game, Tucker met with reporters to talk about the spring season at Michigan State. Here’s what he had to say:
Tucker on redshirt freshman QB Hamp Fay: "You can tell that he's getting command of our offense. His confidence is high."
— Chris Solari (@chrissolari) April 16, 2022
Tucker: "Our culture is our foundation. That's how we live and behave every day." Says he feels the Spartans "get the most" out of every practice "because of how we handle our business."
— Chris Solari (@chrissolari) April 16, 2022
After finishing the 15 practices this spring, Tucker says he feels MSU "has been working hard to become more of a player-led team as opposed to a coach-led team. That's been a huge point of emphasis to us, to hold each other accountable and confront and demand."
— Chris Solari (@chrissolari) April 16, 2022
Tucker said it was big for recruits to see how MSU runs it practices. Has had them meeting with academic staff, sit in on team meetings. Says recruits – "a lot of good players here this weekend" – and families "really like our culture."
— Chris Solari (@chrissolari) April 16, 2022
Tucker: "It's big to be able to recruit in the state first" and says MSU needs to start building classes in Michigan with "the best players in the state. The football is strong here."
— Chris Solari (@chrissolari) April 16, 2022
Tucker on Brule: "Brule's a good player. He's had a really good spring. He's played a lot of football. He has a high motor, he's very consistent. I mean, he plays hard. He can rush, he can cover…and he loves the game of football."
— Chris Solari (@chrissolari) April 16, 2022
Tucker on QB Noah Kim: "He's got a lot of arm talent. He's growing tremendously since he's been here." Adds the QB spot is competitive with Kim, Fay and Katin Houser.
— Chris Solari (@chrissolari) April 16, 2022
Tucker on Gaoteote: "He got a taste of what it's like to play Power 5 level." Said he did not have to do much convincing to get him to withdraw his name from the portal. "He knows we want him here, and he knows he can get better here." Says the LB "has made tremendous strides."
— Chris Solari (@chrissolari) April 16, 2022
Tucker says he "feels good" as MSU heads into the offseason and summer work, though he admits he has to try and project players who were out today and who will arrive next month. "We're coming together as a team. We have really good energy and a really good connection."
— Chris Solari (@chrissolari) April 16, 2022
Dustin grew up in the heart of Big Ten country and has been in sports media since 2010. He has been covering Big Ten football since 2014. You can follow him on Twitter: @SchutteCFB