January 4th, 2022 at 5:23 PM ^
Good receiver, but he is going to have to pick up a ton of slack for the guys that aren't returning. Add to that some regression to the mean on the luck scale, and Sparty has their work cut out for them. There is so much churn in CFB these days that there are very few single players that will make or break a team's season.
January 4th, 2022 at 5:30 PM ^
They'll be a different offense next year. Losing Walker is huge, can't replace him. They have a trifecta of backs that are "meh" - Simmons, Collins and Joiner. They do have Jalen Berger coming in though as a transfer from Wisconsin...he might be automatic starter and has talent, but not clear how he'll perform.
Their passing attack should be very good though. Reed is an excellent receiver and Mosley is really solid as well. They then have some young guys (Coleman, Foster, etc.) and a good young TE in Carr. Thorne also was a little inconsistent this year, but he's a very solid QB and still has three years of eligiblity left.
O line might be a big issue though if their LT is no longer there.
January 4th, 2022 at 6:56 PM ^
They still haven't finished shopping the transfer portal and spring practice isn't over when the second-largest influx of transfers hit the portal. There's going to be a RB wanting to be the next Kareem Walker or looking at a Top 10-20 team with no real defined starter.
January 4th, 2022 at 7:11 PM ^
I hope all their RBs are as successful as Kareem Walker
January 4th, 2022 at 7:46 PM ^
Not a ton of RBs wanting to be the next Kareem Walker.
January 5th, 2022 at 3:52 AM ^
Top 10….no.
January 4th, 2022 at 7:29 PM ^
Sparty luck is running out? Uh huh. Wake me when that happens. In the meantime Tucker will rebuild from the portal and bring an awesome team next year.
January 4th, 2022 at 8:45 PM ^
I can think of 3-9 reasons why Tucker will not have an awesome team next year.
January 4th, 2022 at 8:28 PM ^
Lol, how long has “sparty just been lucky?” Going on 12 years now? Give it a fucking rest
January 4th, 2022 at 9:05 PM ^
14-15 years of luck according to the blog. Luckiest team in the universe.
Sparty can reach in and take whatever portal guy they want as ANY credit transfers including those of UNLV the esteemed institution. They have taken 2 starter level LBs to already rebuild their LB core in the portal. Blog is so infatuated with the STARZ like Walker and not realizing Tucker rebuilds his depth and floor every year with the transfers. Hey we really suck at XYZ position. Guess what - we will at least be competent if not special there. Because portal.
Meanwhile we will be laughing at their 9 win season next year while half the commentators here on their 14th year will say "guaranteed win" v MSU in their season predictions. Walker was worth 8 wins! Now just watch while Thorne throws 350 a game hahah those idiots at MSU! It's at home - gonna rock them like they have never seen!!! 42-7 UM!! WATCH!
Reed is an elite college WR not too far from Dotson and great at kick returns as well. Thorne just throws it within 7 yards of the guy and he goes and gets it vs 9 of the teams they play next year. Big win for them. Hopefully they lose out on transfers elsewhere.
I know I know worst pass defense EVAH! 11 wins despite that. Just imagine if they have a paltry pass defense next year. Which Tucker will transfer in 5 new starters on 22 positions next year.
January 4th, 2022 at 9:12 PM ^
Wow, dude.
January 4th, 2022 at 9:52 PM ^
42-7? C'mon dude. Michigan will definitely win, but the score will be more like 49-17.
January 4th, 2022 at 9:16 PM ^
Well, statistically they were actually way above the mean in luck this year. So unless Tucker is a sorcerer or made a deal with the devil, it’s reasonable to think they will be less lucky next year. I didn’t say they would be bad, but they also won’t be able to play like a 7-5 team and come out with a 10-2 regular season record (and play most of their bowl game against a third string QB).
January 4th, 2022 at 5:38 PM ^
Dumb decision, but it won't matter. MSU is going nowhere without Walker. That offensive line and secondary is going to be horrific.
January 4th, 2022 at 5:41 PM ^
O line not gonna be better than mediocre, but I actually could see their secondary improve quit a bit. Brantley is a solid young CB that got hurt and Ronald Williams looked decent. Kimbrough isn't good at all though.
One of the issues was a lack of a pass rush and they did a solid job of that with their three defensive transfers in (DE Bogle, LBs Windmon and Brule).
January 4th, 2022 at 5:57 PM ^
The funny thing is MSU could improve quite a bit in the secondary and still be ranked 90th in the country in pass defense.
January 4th, 2022 at 7:29 PM ^
OL could be a train wreck for them especially if Horst does not return at LT.
They just lost Jarvis a year early who was probably their best lineman and graduate starters Allen, C and Acuri RT, and Campbell their 1st tackle off the bench. Depth is going to be an issue.
Reed is their best WR. I’m surprised he is coming back. Being best buds with the QB means something.
January 4th, 2022 at 8:19 PM ^
Have to imagine MSU picks up a couple portal offensive linemen.
January 4th, 2022 at 9:58 PM ^
If you are trying to build an OL through the portal you are swimming upstream. Sure holes can be plugged but more often than not you don’t change your teams fortunes.
Typically those guys in the portal are transferring because they are getting beat. Like Berger for example. He was not only beat but sideways with the staff.
Portal work is full of problems. Sure you can find a diamond in the rough but you aren’t finding four guys for you OL and if you did you have bigger problems.
January 4th, 2022 at 10:18 PM ^
Yep, I'd be stunned if MSU had a net positive oline next year. Takes awhile to build up a line.
I do think that Windmon kid might be a stud for MSU next year at LB.
FWIW - latest rumblings seem to suggest that Horst is coming back, but nothing official.
January 4th, 2022 at 9:12 PM ^
Stop with the transfers that improved their team. They will win 4 games per Mgo. It was all Walker.
January 4th, 2022 at 10:39 PM ^
6 of their top 10 tacklers this year were guys Dantonio recruited and other than Crouch at LB (who had his moments) I wasn't too impressed with their defensive pickups. Kimbrough and Williams were overmatched at corner and sort of showed why they left Florida and Bama. Brantley got hurt but I get there being some potential there, though his ceiling feels like "smaller Vincent Gray".
As for the guys transferring in...the jury is a bit out. Bogle and Brule had chances 3-4 years to emerge on not-great teams (Florida, Miss St) and didn't distinguish themselves. Feels not unlike Kimbough and Williams being decent players but the types of guys who get buried at the end of top-end P5 rosters and then strike out for greener pastures elsewhere. Sometimes it works out, sometimes it doesn't, but I wouldn't assume they'll suddenly morph from bench players on meh defenses to studs at MSU. Windmon had a good final year at UNLV but sometimes the jump in competition can be significant and guys get lost in the shuffle.
I think Tucker did a good job with the portal last year and he's recruited some athletes in the secondary but they also really struggled against good offenses and that was with a lot of returning talent in Slade and Panisiuk (I'm not looking up how to spell that) and I'm not sure if he's got the horses behind them. We'll see.
January 4th, 2022 at 5:42 PM ^
Makes no sense at all for him.
January 4th, 2022 at 5:54 PM ^
Regarding his decision-making ability, he also decided to go to MSU. So there's that as an indicator.
January 4th, 2022 at 8:08 PM ^
I WANNA SEE A SUPERVISOR!!!
January 4th, 2022 at 6:54 PM ^
Did you know he played middle & high school football with his MSU teammate QB Payton Thorne?
January 4th, 2022 at 7:14 PM ^
Was it at the same school as Stafford and Kershaw played at?
January 4th, 2022 at 7:30 PM ^
Wait wait.... Stafford and Kershaw grew up together? How am I just hearing about this???
January 4th, 2022 at 9:14 PM ^
I need you to sit down. We need to talk about the Keith Jackson situation.
January 4th, 2022 at 8:00 PM ^
Meh. Who cares?
January 4th, 2022 at 8:18 PM ^
Probably Michigan coaches since they'll be squaring off against him next year. He's very good.
January 4th, 2022 at 9:15 PM ^
Mel Tucker who is 2-0 against Harabaugh. But no worries. It was 2 years of luck and once Walker goes they win 3 games.
January 4th, 2022 at 10:07 PM ^
He's won those 2 games by a combined 7 points. It's absolutely possible for a team to win 2 close games and be the superior team but it's also very possible that said team just got lucky.
January 4th, 2022 at 10:40 PM ^
You were waiting until after the playoff game to rep Mel Tucker and Sparty. The playoffs, for the uninitiated, are where one of the Top 4 teams play. It is notable that Michigan, Big Ten Champions and "Champions of the East" were among these teams. Compellingly, Michigan State and Coach Mel Tucker (whose water you are carrying) did not play in the playoffs.
January 4th, 2022 at 8:04 PM ^
Terrible decision.
Makes no sense really.
January 4th, 2022 at 9:14 PM ^
eh, they'll be pretty good either way. somehow, they always are, esp. in their super bowl game.
January 4th, 2022 at 9:14 PM ^
Is Conner Heyward finally out of eligibility? I can't stand that dude. Every game he makes 2-3 plays that a guy who looks like me shouldn't make.
January 4th, 2022 at 9:14 PM ^
We are doomed. Should not even play the game. We’re screwed.
January 4th, 2022 at 10:36 PM ^
Do you think RCMB has threads that say: "Alll B1G talent Ronnie Bell returning to Michigan in 2022"?
Not scurred.
January 5th, 2022 at 8:13 AM ^
If Bell had played this season (as well as Reed), and then surprisingly decided to return, yes they certainly would. These are called blogs/message boards, and that is what people talk about.