To say these are unprecedented times in college football would be an understatement.
For the players at Michigan State, the Big Ten’s announcement this week that it was postponing football in the fall with eyes toward making a spring season work brings plenty of uncertainty, especially for those with NFL aspirations.
If a spring season goes off, it likely will collide with the NFL calendar, overlapping the draft in April and creating potential issues heading into an NFL offseason and training camp that starts in early August. It could lead to some players opting to sit out a spring college season and focus solely on preparing for the NFL Draft.
For the Spartans, that means seniors like Antjuan Simmons and Naquan Jones might have played their last snaps at MSU. But it also could mean some players three years out of high school — juniors and redshirt sophomores — make a similar choice.
It’s not clear yet if defensive end Jacub Panasiuk and right tackle Jordan Reid — two seniors who opted out of playing in the fall and said they’d be back in 2021 — would play in the spring. But here are some other Spartans to consider when contemplating whether they’d actually be on the field in the spring.
► Elijah Collins, running back, redshirt sophomore
After playing in just three games as a true freshman, Collins quickly emerged last season, running for 192 yards in his first start against Western Michigan before leading Michigan State with 988 rushing yards on 222 carries on the season. Collins earned honorable mention All-Big Ten honors and was projected to almost certainly improve on that status in 2020.
► Xavier Henderson, safety, junior
After appearing in all 13 games as a true freshman in 2018, Henderson took over as a starter last season, filling in for Khari Willis, who is off to the NFL with the Indianapolis Colts. His 83 tackles last season were good for second on the team and many were expecting a huge jump for Henderson this season. If he sticks around, that could still happen, but the NFL might be projecting a similar jump regardless of how things play out.
► Kevin Jarvis, offensive lineman, redshirt junior
An injury limited Jarvis to just three games last season, but that season started with Jarvis moved out to left tackle after playing the previous two seasons at right guard. As a true freshman in 2017, Jarvis was named honorable mention All-Big Ten before battling injuries and missing four games in 2018. His versatility, however, could lead to a jump to the NFL next spring.
► Naquan Jones, defensive tackle, fifth-year senior
There might not be a player on MSU’s roster that was more looking forward to the 2020 season than Jones. One of the most reliable backups in the Big Ten, Jones hasn’t missed a game in the last three seasons as he’s been in the middle of the defensive tackle rotation, spelling Raequan Williams and Mike Panasiuk. This was going to be his year to shine as the starter, and that has now apparently been lost. With this being his fifth year in the program, opting to prepare for the NFL Draft doesn’t seem far-fetched.
► Jalen Nailor, receiver, redshirt sophomore
Injuries have hampered Nailor through his first two seasons and limited him to just four games last season, allowing him to take a redshirt season. Avoiding a fifth game to keep that option open would seem to indicate he would be unlikely to leave, but he’s shown the game-breaking speed and explosiveness that could appeal to the next level.
► Jayden Reed, receiver, redshirt sophomore
This one falls in the long-shot category considering Reed has yet to play a down at Michigan State, sitting out the 2019 season after transferring from Western Michigan. In one season with the Broncos, however, Reed earned Freshman All-American honors by starting 12 of 13 games and catching 56 passes for 797 yards with eight touchdowns. He had four 100-yard games and tied a WMU record with four touchdown receptions in one game.
► Antjuan Simmons, linebacker, senior
Ever since Michigan State’s season ended last December at the Pinstripe Bowl, Simmons has taken over as the team leader and has continued in that role throughout an uncertain offseason. Losing that piece would be tough for the Spartans, but after leading the team with 90 tackles last season and earning honorable mention All-Big Ten honors, the bigger hole would be on the field. Entering 2020, Simmons was named to the watch list for the Chuck Bednarik Award and the Lott IMPACT Trophy while earning preseason All-Big Ten honors from Phil Steele.
mcharboneau@detroitnews.com
Twitter: @mattcharboneau
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