Can young Michigan State wide receivers continue to cash in on big-play potential?
East Lansing, Mich. – Dropped balls on offense and missed tackles on defense are two of the areas that typically improve between the first and second week of the football season. Michigan State did not have many of either in Week 1. And the players that failed to corral balls against CMU are pass-catchers have been reliably sure handed for the Spartans.
“If a guy like Tre Mosley is dropping the ball, I think we are going to be fine,” said junior quarterback Noah Kim with a smirk after practice earlier this week.
Mosley, who has made habit of routinely securing catchable balls since breaking into the Michigan State rotation at wide receiver as a true freshman in 2019, was not fine with his first-half drop that put the brakes on a potential scoring drive.
“Dropped passes are the worst feeling as a receiver,” said Mosley, who has 101 career receptions for 1,215 yards and eight touchdowns as Spartan. “I feel bad about myself for doing that. Something I really take pride in is catching the ball. That’s like the worst thing for me because I hate drops, but I know that I am going to learn from it.”
Mosley was, however, grateful to see big-bodied junior Christian Fitzpatrick and the sophomore duo of Jaron Glover and Tyrell Henry pick up the slack. The trio of Fitzpatrick, Glover, and Henry had five catches for 22 receiving yards between them going into the season. Last weekend, they combined for seven catches, 170 receiving yards, and a touchdown.
“I knew those guys were capable of being big-time playmakers, or they wouldn’t have been recruited to play here,” Mosley said. “They were just patiently waiting for their opportunity. They got it, and they were able to show that they are good enough to be at Michigan State. They are going to continue to grow as well and I am looking forward to see the whole room continue to elevate.”
The next step for Michigan State’s young receivers is to continue building upon the success they had in the season opener in what looks to be a favorable match-up against FCS opponent Richmond this weekend. The Spiders do not have as many proven players in the secondary as CMU did last weekend, but Richmond does have a handful of the playmakers on the d-line, so Spartans wideouts need to be ready to make plays for Kim when he’s flushed from the pocket.
For his part, Fitzpatrick, now in his third as a Spartan after beginning his college career at Louisville, is hoping that his breakout performance in Week 1 is a taste of things to come.
“There is a lot more to get,” Fitzpatrick said. “Finally, it is coming. It was definitely a proud feeling. I am proud of myself, and my family is proud of me. They know what I came here to do, and it is time for it, so that is a great feeling.”
Whereas Fitzpatrick and Glover both made explosive gains on downfield passes last weekend, Henry delivered the most impressive catch in Week 1 with a one-handed touchdown grab through pass interference. The explosive potential that has Henry displayed in the opener has his teammates excited about the future of the wide receiver position at Michigan State.
“I was very excited to see him on the field because I know the type of player he is,” Mosley said. “I’ve seen him play in high school. He is very electric when he gets the ball. He got opportunities (against CMU) and made something happen with it.”
Mosley believes that emerging Michigan wide receivers have more to give.
“We are just scratching the surface,” Mosley said. “We are going to continue to get better every week. We’ve got to learn from our mistakes so we don’t make them again and continue to grow.”
By making critical plays in the season opener and validating the trust that Kim has in them collectively, emerging wide receivers like Henry, Fitzpatrick, and Glover have set themselves up for continued success. Few things build confidence in a wide receiver like making plays on 50/50 balls in games, and several catches from that trio were better than 50/50 balls.
“It’s great for their confidence,” Mosley said. “When guys make plays like that on the sideline or in the endzone it boosts their confidence, and they continue to make more plays like that because they know they are capable of doing it.”
And with the way that Kim spread the ball around in Week 1, completing passes to five different receivers, two tight ends, and two running backs, Michigan State receivers have confidence that they will have an opportunity to make plays if they run good routes and get open.
“He is a great player, a leader, and he is very confident in his skillset,” said Mosley of his starting quarterback. “You are going to see that this season as he continues to grow and elevate each week.”
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