Michigan State Football releases 2021 preseason roster

With Michigan State head coach Mel Tucker and three players (Drew Beesley, Xavier Henderson and Jalen Nailor) speaking at Big Ten Media Days in Indianapolis on Friday, MSU Athletics has released its 2021 preseason/fall camp football roster.

Here are some interesting notes:

• Angelo Grose is listed as safety after playing the position in spring. He played mostly cornerback/nickelback as a freshman in 2020.
• All 19 of Michigan State’s transfer additions (between both walk-ons and scholarship players), including those who enrolled in January, are now on the roster.
• All 18 players who signed in Michigan State’s 2021 recruiting class are now on the roster as well, including the four early enrollees.
• Two new surprise walk-ons were added to MSU’s roster. Freshman safety Khalil Majeed from Moorestown, New Jersey (played at Suffield Academy in Connecticut), and junior kicker Evan Johnson, who transferred from Division III Hope College and is originally from nearby Okemos. Additionally, Long snapper Michael Donovan is the other walk-on, as was expected after he announced his commitment to MSU in April.
• Maliq Carr is officially listed as a tight end, as expected, after playing wide receiver for Purdue before transferring to Michigan State.
• Wide receiver Ricky White, who many had speculated left the team for undisclosed reasons in the offseason, is listed on the roster. Freshman defensive back Michael Gravely, who also did not participate in the spring game for undisclosed reasons after enrolling early, is also on the roster.
• Transfer defense end Drew Jordan is down to 255 pounds after being listed at a playing weight of 270 pounds for Duke last year. This will likely make him quicker off of the edge. Defensive tackle Dashaun Mallory also dropped a lot of weight. He went from 345 pounds in 2020, to 300 pounds in the spring, and is currently listed at 285 pounds.
• Offensive lineman Luke Campbell, who missed the 2020 season due to injury, has appeared to add weight, up to 290 pounds after previously being listed as 285 pounds.
• In fact, a lot of offensive linemen have beefed up.

• Some early enrollee freshmen have also added weight.

• Quarterbacks Payton Thorne and Anthony Russo have both dropped five pounds since the spring. Thorne was previously listed at 215 pounds and is now at 210 pounds, while Russo goes from 245 pounds to 240 pounds.
• Freshmen Keon Coleman (wide receiver) and Charles Brantley (cornerback) will be the first MSU players to wear number “0.” Jayden Reed also changed his number from “5” to “1” in the spring. Alabama transfer cornerback Ronald Williams will also wear “1” on his jersey.
• The roster currently includes 118 players overall.

Do you notice anything else interesting about the new roster? Let us know in the comments.