Michigan State announces all-senior captains for final home game versus Indiana

Michigan State football has announced its captains for this weekend’s home game against Indiana. Unsurprisingly, all of the players selected are seniors for MSU’s final home game of the 2022 season.

Wide receiver Jayden Reed will lead the offense this week. The redshirt senior has 548 receiving yards and five touchdowns this season. News recently broke that Reed will forgo his extra year of eligibility (due to COVID-19) and play in the upcoming Senior Bowl.

Safety, and unquestioned team leader, Xavier Henderson will be one of the captains on defense this weekend. He has two forced fumbles, along with 22 tackles (two for loss), in five games this season. Joining Henderson will be defensive tackle Jacob Slade, who has 11 tackles in six games this season. Slade’s impact often doesn’t show up on the stat sheet, but having him and Henderson healthy has done wonders for MSU’s defense.

Punter Bryce Baringer has been named captain as well, as he is currently one of the frontrunners to win the Ray Guy Award, honoring the best punter in FBS. Baringer is averaging 49.6 yards per punt, the highest mark in the country.

Michigan State is 5-5 overall on the season (3-4 in the Big Ten) and has a chance to become bowl eligible with a victory against Indiana at home on Saturday.

Indiana, meanwhile, won its first three non-conference games, but is now on a seven-game slide. Last week, the Hoosiers lost 56-14 against Ohio State.