Michigan State Depth Chart, Injury Report vs. Purdue: High School Gets Even Thinner

The season began with Michigan State losing its starting lineup to injury, and the attrition will continue into the late fall.

Cornerback Charles Brantley and cornerback Malik Spencer are unlikely to play again this season, coach Jonathan Smith said. Both were injured in a loss to Indiana on Nov. 2 and were unable to participate in last week’s 38-16 loss to Illinois.

The Spartans (4-6, 2-5 Big Ten), who have lost six of their last seven, need to win their final two games to qualify for the bowl, and they’ll try to do that with a thin secondary now bigger relying on youth. . Brantley was the team’s best defender all season and led the team with three interceptions and seven pass breakups. Spencer is a two-year starter with 44 tackles and a pick this fall.

The injuries to Brantley and Spencer come after the Spartans lost versatile guard Dillon Tatum and cornerback Chance Rucker in the first two games of the season. Neither is likely to play again this fall.

Additionally, offensive linemen Christian Phillips and Gavin Brochies, tight end Michael Masunas, safety Khalil Majeed, cornerback Avery Dunn and long snapper Kaden Schickel have already suffered season-ending injuries.

Linebacker Wayne Matthews and defensive end Jalen Satchell did not play against the Fighting Illini, and defensive end Armorion Smith has missed the last two games. It’s unclear whether either will be available when the Spartans host Purdue (1-9, 0-7) on Friday (8 p.m., FOX).

Here’s Michigan State’s depth chart projection against the Boilermakers:

Defender

Starter: Aidan Chiles

Backup: Tommy Schuster

Other notable ones: Alessio Milivojevic, Ryland Jesse

Chiles was nearly the only source of offense for the Spartans last week, throwing for 256 yards and two touchdowns and leading the team in rushing with 40 yards. It would have been 71 yards on the ground if not for Chiles being sacked five times while under constant pressure for the second straight game.

running back

Starter: Nathan Carter OR Kay’Ron Lynch-Adams

Backups: Brandon Tallis, Mahi Fraser

Other notable ones: Joseph Martinez

Carter and Lynch-Adams combined for just 45 yards on 14 carries at Illinois, and the Spartans need more from their veteran rushers. Carter also had five catches for 29 yards and a touchdown.

defender

Starter: Jay Coyne

Backup: Tynil Hopper

Coyne played one offensive snap last week.

Wide Receiver

Starters: Montori Foster, Nick Marsh, Jaron Glover

Backups: Asia Johnson, Alante Brown, Jaylen Smith

Other notable ones: Jack Janaczyk, Zach Gillespie

Although Glover returned from injury last week, he played sparingly and Johnson made his third start, making three catches for 70 yards, including a 52-yard touchdown. Foster and Marsh combined for 10 catches for 134 yards.

tight end

Starters: Jack Welling, Brennan Paracheck

Backups: Ademola Faley, Tynil Hopper

Other notable ones: Jackson Wilson

Welling and Paracheck combined for two receptions for five yards at Illinois. Michigan State still doesn’t have a single touchdown by the end of this year.

Offensive line

Starters: LT Stanton Ramil, LG Luke Newman, C Tanner Miller, RG Brandon Baldwin, RT Ashton Lepo

Backups: Rakeem Johnson, Rustin Young, Dallas Fincher, Cooper Terpstra

It was another subpar outing for the top five in both run and pass protection. Johnson, a true freshman, split snaps with Lepo at right tackle and will take his redshirt for the season if he plays in one more game.

Defensive tackle

Starters: D’Quan Dawes, Alex Van Sumeren

Backups: Maverick Hansen, Jalen Satchell, Ben Roberts, Ru’Quan Buckley

Other notable ones: Mikeshun Beeler, Ben Nelson

The Spartans were pushed at times, and Josh McCray rushed for 61 yards and three touchdowns on just nine carries.

Defensive end

Starters: Chris Bogle, Jalen Thompson

Backups: Anthony Jones, Ken Talley, Quindarius Dunnigan

Other notable ones: James Schott, Kekai Burnett

Jalen Thompson posted a season-high four tackles last week, but the Spartans surprisingly went six straight games without a sack. Talley dressed but did not play against the Fighting Illini.

Midfielder

Starters: Cal Haladay, Jordan Turner

Backups: Jordan Hall, Darius Snow, Wayne Matthews

Other notable ones: Aaron Alexander, Marcellius Pulliam, Brady Pretzlaff, Sam Edwards

Snow made a season-high seven pit stops while Turner fought back for the loss.

Cornerback

Starters: Ed Woods and Caleb Coley or Ade Willie

Backups: Jeremiah Hughes, Leyonde Cavazos

Other notable ones: Andrew Brinson

With Brantley out, Cowley made his second career start and lost for a touchdown. He split time with Willey while Hughes made 19 defensive tackles.

Safety/Nickel Feedback

Starters: Nikai Martinez, Angelo Grose, Jalen Thompson

Backups: Justin Denson, Armorion Smith

Other notable ones: Avon Grose, Brandon Lewis

Spencer’s injury led to true freshman Jaylen Thompson making his first career start, recording five tackles. Grose fumbled early in coverage while being led in for a 57-yard touchdown by Pat Bryant in the first quarter.

Special teams

PC/KO: Jonathan Kim

P: Ryan Ackley

PM: Jack Carson Wentz or Sam Edwards

PR: Montori Foster

KR: Alante Brown

Illinois’ special teams were a mess. Kim missed the extra point that followed Michigan State’s first touchdown, and Ackley was unable to get the hang time the staff expected, contributing to Hank Beatty’s 74-yard punt return. The punt team also had an illegal formation flag and a catch interference signal.

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