In 2021, MSU's streak of having a player drafted ended at 80 years. We've course-corrected the last two drafts with a handful of picks. Our new streak continued this year with Nick Samac drafted by Baltimore in the 7th round. We have a long way to go to make our streak respectful again, but I like our chances of keeping it going. Here are a few players on the roster to keep an eye on.
Aidan Chiles - Only a true sophomore; he needs to play this year and next to be eligible. After two years at MSU, there is a chance he is NFL-ready and a true dual-threat QB that teams will pounce for. Maybe he stays for 3 years. Either way, he has NFL upside.
Nate Carter - Going into his 4th year in college, and after a few injuries, Carter is likely looking to make the jump to the NFL ASAP. He has good height and weight, and ok speed. But a lot of tape and decent production so far. Carter is coming off a year with 185 carries, almost 800 yards, a 4.3 Y/C, and 4 TD. To go along with 22 receptions. The production decreased as the year went on as he couldn't shoulder being a one-man show in a bad offense. This year, I expect him to be more consistent this season as he will be splitting reps with another capable RB, and it will be a better offense (and team) overall. So just think longer drive, better field position, more redzone opportunities, etc. I don't think 1,000 yards and 7-10 TDs is unrealistic, plus another ~25 receptions. That might be enough for a team to use a late-round pick on him next year.
Nick Marsh - I know this is very early, hear me out. Marsh will be bouncing between W2-4 this year (my guess is ~30 receptions), but in 2025 and 2026 he's likely WR1. Two years as WR1 with Aidan Chiles, with the rest of the roster improving, is an insane opportunity for pass volume and good game film. So this pick is me being optimistic that Marsh is a special talent, and knowing the WR room is totally up for grabs, so whoever can get into the featured role is in prime position.
Jack Velling - At 6-4 / 240, he is the prototypical NFL TE. In his 18 starts (23 games total) across two seasons at OSU, he racked up 45 receptions, 700 yards, and 11 TDs. He's well on his way to delivering to production teams are looking for at the next level. Jack earned second-team All-Pac 12 honors as a sophomore, following up being named Honorable Mention pick for the College Football News Freshman All-American team as a Freshman.
Jaylen Thompson & Jordan Hall - Two players who saw significant playing time as Freshman in 2023, both are locked in for starting roles for the rest of their time at MSU. Both have good size, leadership qualities, and early production that set them up for a bright future. They both need two more years in college to be NFL draft-eligible, so they have plenty of time to take the steps needed to hear their names called.
Dillon Tatum, Jaden Mangham, and Malik Spencer—All three return as starters for their junior year. The trio have each started 8-11 games, played 17-21 games, played over 600 snaps, and logged 60+ tackles. So, all three have early productivity and great experience. I expect a breakout season for all three in various roles across the secondary, mostly safety and nickel. Tatum could get some CB reps in. It wouldn't shock me if one from this group were able to go pro after this season, and the other two play their way into the mix after their senior year.
By my count, ~9 players have NFL potential as of today. Hopefully, a few more will break out to get on this list by the end of the season. One thing coaches say is that you need 3+ differencemakers on either side of the ball. These are players that win their matchup in every game. While not everyone on this list is there now, a few could be soon. We need to see the talent pool continue to increase and find our blue-chip players to lean on each game. The above list is a good start.
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