Can Morris give Michigan State the run blocking that is so badly needed at tight end?
East Lansing, Mich. – Sometimes all you really need is the belief that you can be a better version of yourself if just given the chance. Meet Michigan State senior tight end Evan Morris, a kid from a small town with big dreams.
Morris, who hails from Elsie, MI, a small town about 45 minutes outside of Lansing, population under 1,000, attended a high school, Ovid-Elsie, that serves just 433 students.
Yet Morris, who played football for the Marauders as a tight end, defensive end and kicker, and walked on as a kicker at Michigan State, thought he was capable of something more, much more.
“I think it was more of a what do I have to lose sort of situation,” Morris said. “I talked with my family first and then I came up to (tight ends) coach (Ted) Gilmore because coming in here, I came in at about 190 pounds, but I thought I had some athleticism and if I’m actually good at tight end and I enjoy it then I could actually do well.
“At the time, it was actually kind of difficult because there were some practices when I’d come in and they’d be like, ‘are you a kicker, are you a tight end?’ So transitioning was kind of hard (at first) but it was a really good experience.’’
And much like another former small-town walk-on, Tyler Hunt, who oddly enough also came to Michigan State as a kicker from Gobles before making the transition to tight end, Morris wanted and thought he was capable of a larger role.
And it looks like Morris, who was roommates with Hunt last season, is going to get the chance to prove it.
“You have Evan Morris, who’s put himself in position to help us in the run game a little bit,” fourth-year tight ends coach Ted Gilmore said. “Evan might be the toughest guy in the room.”
More than a feel-good story for Michigan State
Morris moved to tight end in 2020 after originally making the team as a kickoff specialist as a freshman in 2019. In that special teams role, Morris averaged nearly 60 yards per kickoff in 11 opportunities before he was shut down to preserve his redshirt.
Now, the 6-foot-5, 245-pound two-year letterwinner is hoping to prove that his progression is not just a feel-good story. He wants to be more than the toughest guy in the tight end room for the Spartans. Morris wants to be a well-rounded contributor for Michigan State.
Blocking has set Morris apart from the other the tight ends in the Spartan program. Blocking also happens to be the biggest weakness of the tight end position group as a whole at Michigan State.
“I’m definitely a better blocker,” Morris said. “Coach Gilmore always says find your niche and work at that and then try to sharpen up your skills in other areas of your game. So that’s what I’ve always tried to do, but I definitely think the best part of my game has been blocking.”
While it may not be the strength of his skillset, Morris has worked hard to become a functional pass-catcher.
“It’s not like I’m not catching the ball. It’s just those little things that might sharpen up a route or keeping your eyes to the top whenever you’re catching the ball,’’ Morris said. “So, the biggest thing with me was I had the work, but I didn’t have much technique, so working after practice, working on getting your hands inside, working on using your feet and getting your head out of stuff and really driving that’s been the biggest part.”
Expanding his game, earning respect
Although he came to Michigan State as a walk-on kicker, Morris possesses athleticism comparable to most of the scholarship tight ends in the Spartan program.
“None of the other tight ends are worse athletes or are much better athletes than me,” Morris said. “The biggest thing that separates you and another person, especially in the run game, is the technique, and the same thing goes for goes for pass catching. Footwork is a huge thing. But sharpening up your (pass catching) skills, those are the things that you can kind of gain in practice, but you really have to work on outside of practice.’’
That approach and the extra 15 minutes after each practice that Morris devotes to improving his skillset has earned him the respect of his teammates, including Wisconsin transfer Jaylan Franklin.
“Coming from Wisconsin, which they like to call Walk On U, I definitely can see how he fits in and the work that he puts in,” said Franklin, a sixth-year senior tight end. “I think it’s becoming evident to everybody that all the work that he’s put in is paying off and that he’s gonna get his fair share (of work) this year as well.
“For a guy to be a kicker and then move on to one of the hardest positions in football, how can we not admire that? How can you not appreciate and respect that game? So, I’m super excited for him and to see what he does this year and see how he performs.”
How Morris fits at TE for Michigan State
If you think Morris is satisfied with an opportunity to play on Saturdays at tight end, you would be as wrong as you were about his chances to even make the team when he showed up for walk-on tryouts back in 2019.
Morris has lofty goals, and why not? Most FBS teams have upwards of 30 walk-ons rostered each year. A handful of those walk-ons see the field on game day. The ones that do typically play on special teams.
Morris is determined not to be just a good practice player.
Morris has already earned two letters at Michigan State. To this point in his career, however, most of his snaps in 18 career games have been on special teams. He did, however, take a handful of snaps at tight end as a junior in 2022.
As a senior, Morris wants to be a reliable part of a tight end rotation headlined by Maliq Carr, with several potential contributors including Franklin from an abnormally large group of tight ends currently in the Michigan State program.
“Well, my (original) goals moving to tight end was something like scoring a touchdown or playing in a game, playing one step of the game and I’ve done that (but) I think this year, other players and coaches are relying on me in a lot more different aspects,” Morris said. “So, a goal of mine would be looked at as just being a reliable player, as far as tight end.”
Michigan State utilized two tight-end sets on the opening drives of four different games last season. Given the emphasis that was placed on the need for improved run blocking at the tight end position throughout training camp, it seems plausible that Morris is a leading candidate to play the role of second tight end opposite Carr.
Morris has worked hard at becoming a better receiver, and that should serve him well in his role as a blocker at tight end, as he is no longer a non-factor as a pass-catching threat. Run-blocking, which is the biggest strength in his game, aligns perfectly with the program’s biggest need.
“Touchdowns are always fun, but it’s the little things first that I need to focus on; getting the plays down, using my technique and stuff like (footwork),’’ Morris said. “So, just being a reliable player and seeing my other players score. The thing with me that I always dream of is making a really good block and having somebody come off my buttons and score a touchdown. That’s a dream of mine. It’s just helping another player score and being a part of something bigger than myself.’’
That dream is shared by Mel Tucker and his entire offensive coaching staff at Michigan State.
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