The 2021 Michigan State Spartans football team represented Michigan State University during the 2021 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Spartans competed as members of the East Division of the Big Ten Conference and played their home games at Spartan Stadium in East Lansing, Michigan. This was the program's second season under head coach Mel Tucker.
The Spartans became bowl-eligible by starting the season 6–0. The team finished the season 11–2, 7–2 in Big Ten play to finish in third place in the East division, and ranked No. 10 in the College Football Playoff rankings. MSU was selected to participate in the Peach Bowl on December 30, the school's first New Year's Six bowl game since 2015. The Spartans defeated Pittsburgh 31–21 in the Peach Bowl.
Running back Kenneth Walker III was a consensus All-American and became the first Spartan to win the Walter Camp and Doak Walker awards. Walker led the Spartans and was second in the country with 1,636 rushing yards. MSU had the nation's worst passing defense, allowing 337.7 yards per game.
On November 24, the school announced that they had signed Tucker to a 10-year, $95 million contract extension, allegedly all through donor money, amid speculations of Tucker being sought after for other college and NFL coaching positions.
Offseason
2021 NFL draft For the first time since 1940, Michigan State failed to have a player drafted in the NFL draft. The 80-year streak was the second longest active streak.
Several players did sign free agent contracts following the draft:
Shakur Brown, cornerback, Pittsburgh Steelers Naquan Jones, defensive tackle, Tennessee Titans
Coaching changes On January 27, 2021, safeties coach Mike Tressel, who had been on staff with MSU for 14 years, left the school to take the defensive coordinator position with Cincinnati. On January 28, the school announced that Travares Tillman, who had spent the previous year as a senior defensive assistant, had been promoted to cornerbacks coach.
Transfers As a result of the limited season in 2020 due to COVID-19, the NCAA granted a waiver to allow athletes to transfer to another school and be eligible immediately without having to sit out a season. In April 2021, the NCAA further made one-time transfers for all college athletes to be eligible immediately. As a result, transfers were much more common this year than in prior years.
Outgoing Kalon GervinCBKansasRocky LombardiQBNorthern IllinoisJulian BarnettWR/CBMemphisDevontae DobbsOLMemphisAnthony Williams JrRBAkronMax RosenthalRB/TEIllinoisAndre WelchRB/WRJude PedrozoLSJeslord BoatengLBAkronLuke FeltonLBKentuckyChris JacksonCBWashington StateTre'Von MorganWRKentuckyCharles WillekesLBMarcel LewisLBCentral MichiganDavion WilliamsCBWestern KentuckyJavez AlexanderWRDomnique LongSJustin StevensOL South AlabamaJack OlsenK NorthwesternJack BouwmeesterPDamon KaylorOLBryce EimerLSChris MayfieldDTDeAri ToddDTTommy GuajardoTEDevin HightowerLBCincinnatiJasiyah RobinsonLB Source
Incoming As a result of the change in transfer rules, the Spartans welcomed many new transfers to the program. Harold Joiner IIIRBAuburnJarrett HorstOLArkansas StateDrew JordanDEDukeKenneth Walker IIIRBWake ForestKendell BrooksCBNorth GreenvilleChester KimbroughCBFloridaBen VanSumeranLBMichiganSamih BeydounLBArmyMarqui Lowry Jr.CBLouisvilleKhary CrumpCBArizonaItayvion BrownLBMinnesotaChristian FitzpatrickWRLouisvilleMaliq CarrWR/TEPurdueQuavaris CrouchLBTennesseeRonald WilliamsCBAlabamaPowers WarrenTEMississippi StateCody WaddellPLincolnAnthony RussoQBTemple Source
Recruiting
Preseason
Preseason Big Ten poll Although the Big Ten Conference has not held an official preseason poll since 2010, Cleveland.com has polled sports journalists representing all member schools as a de facto preseason media poll since 2011. For the 2021 poll, Michigan State was projected to finish in last place in the East Division.
Personnel
Players
Coaching staff Mel Tucker Head coach 2nd Chris Kapilovic Assistant head coach/offensive line/run game coordinator 2nd Jay Johnson Offensive coordinator/quarterbacks 2nd Scottie Hazelton Defensive coordinator 2nd Ted Gilmore Tight ends 2nd Courtney Hawkins Wide receivers 2nd William Pegler Running backs 2nd Ron Burton Defensive line 8th Harlon Barnett Secondary 13th Ross Els Special Teams/linebackers coach 2nd Travares Tillman Cornerbacks 1st
Schedule
Rankings
Awards and honors
Mel Tucker Mel Tucker was named the conference's Hayes-Schembechler Coach of the Year (coaches vote) and Dave McClain Coach of the Year (media vote). Tucker was also named Region 3 coach of the year by the American Football Coaches Association.
Kenneth Walker III Running back Kenneth Walker III was named the winner Walter Camp Award as the college football player of the year as decided by a group of coaches and sports information directors. He was also named the winner of the Doak Walker Award as the nation's top running back. Walker became the first player to win the Camp Award while not being named a finalist for the Heisman Trophy. Walker is the only player to win either award in Michigan State history.
Walker received the award for Running Back of the Year and All-Big Ten first team (coaches and media).
Other awards Wide receiver Jayden Reed was named to the All-Big Ten third team (coaches and media).
Defensive lineman Jacub Panasiuk was named to the All-Big Ten second team (coaches and media). Safety Xavier Henderson was named to the media third team. Punter Bryce Baringer was second team special teams (coaches and media) and Jayden Reed was named to the second team for a return specialist (coaches and media).
Game summaries Northwestern
In the first game of the season, the Spartans visited Northwestern, one of only two teams MSU beat in the shortened 2020 season. MSU did not name a starting quarterback until shortly before the start of the game when head coach Mel Tucker announced Payton Thorne would start the game.
Transfer running back Kenneth Walker III made a big impact for the Spartans, scoring on the first offensive play, a 75-yard touchdown run to give MSU an early 7–0 lead. Northwestern responded by moving into Spartan territory, but a missed field goal that gave the Spartans the ball on their own 26 yard line. Walker scored his second touchdown of the game 10 plays later from three yards out to push MSU's lead to 14–0 with more than seven minutes remaining in the first quarter. The Wildcats again moved into Spartan territory, but on fourth down and seven, they passed up a field goal opportunity. The fourth down pass was incomplete and MSU again took over possession. Each team then punted twice before MSU took over on their own 34. Five plays later, Thorne hit Jordon Simmons on a short pass that Simmons took 14 yards for the Spartans' third touchdown of the game. The teams exchanged punts again, but the Wildcats got on the board when NU quarterback Hunter Johnson hit Trey Pugh for a one-yard touchdown pass with less than a minute left to play in the half. MSU took the ball down the field, but was forced to attempt a 60-yard field goal which fell well short and teams went to the half with MSU leading 21–7.
In the third quarter, Northwestern again moved into MSU territory, but again missed a field goal. MSU took over and moved the ball to the Wildcat five-yard line where Walker scored his third touchdown of the game extending the Spartans lead to 28–7. Northwestern was able to add a touchdown early in the fourth quarter, but MSU added a Matt Coghlan 37-yard field goal to make the score 31–14. Following a punt by Northwestern, MSU turned the ball over on a Harold Joiner fumble giving Northwestern the ball at their own 37. NU capitalized, scoring a touchdown on a Stephon Robinson Jr. 14-yard catch from Johnson to narrow MSU's lead to 10 with less than three minutes remaining in the game. However, Walker scored his fourth touchdown of the game on a six-yard run to push MSU's lead to 17, 38–21. Northwestern could manage nothing further as MSU won the game easily.
Walker, who scored four touchdowns in the game, eclipsed the total touchdown runs by Spartan running backs the prior season (0) on his first run of the game and ran for more yards in the game (264) than any Spartan did all of the prior season. It was the most rushing touchdowns scored in a game by a player for the Spartans since 2010 and first time since 2012 that a Spartan ran for more than 200 yards in a game. Thorne played well, not turning the ball over and completing 60% of his passes.
The win moved MSU to 1–0 on the season.
Youngstown State
MSU returned home to face Youngstown State for their first home game with fans since November 30, 2019.
MSU again started well, scoring on the first play from scrimmage for the second consecutive game as Payton Thorne threw a 75-yard touchdown pass to Jayden Reed on a flea flicker. The Penguins went three-and-out on their first possession and MSU also punted on their next possession. YSU failed to gain a first down again on their next possession and MSU moved down the field quickly scoring on a Thorne 10-yard run to move MSU's lead to 14–0. YSU moved to midfield, but was forced to punt on a third down sack by MSU's Jeff Pietrowski. After two first downs, MSU's next drive stalled and they were forced to punt from their own 47. The Penguins blocked the ensuing punt and took over at the Spartan 46-yard line. YSU moved to MSU's 29 before Xavier Henderson made a spectacular one-handed interception at the MSU two-yard line to give the Spartans the ball back. Three plays later Thorne hit Reed again on an 85-yard touchdown pass to give MSU a 21-point lead. Following a three-and-out for Youngstown State, MSU pushed the lead to 28–0 on an Elijah Collins 10-yard screen pass from Thorne. YSU answered on their next possession, scoring on a quarterback run of six yards to return the lead to 21 points. With just over four minutes remaining in the half, the Spartans moved the ball down the field quickly and scored on a Walker six-yard touchdown run to give MSU a 35–7 lead at the half.
In the second half, YSU took the opening kickoff and moved down the field, scoring on a 26-yard touchdown run to make the score 35–14. MSU missed a 50-yard field goal attempt on the next possession, but YSU went three-and-out on their second possession of the half. The Spartans scored again with less than five minutes remaining in the third quarter when Thorne hit Jalen Nailor for a 16-yard touchdown. With a 42–14 lead, MSU began to substitute heavily and Anthony Russo replaced Thorne at quarterback. MSU threatened to score again early in the fourth quarter, but Russo fumbled the ball on a run at the YSU one-yard line, giving the Penguins the ball with five minutes remaining. YSU would hold the ball for the remainder of the game, but could not score as MSU won easily 42–14.
Thorne threw for four touchdowns in the less than three quarters of action. Walker, who had four touchdowns on 23 carries against Northwestern, shared the load, only carrying the ball seven times, but notched 58 yards and touchdown. Jordon Simmons took the bulk of the rushes for MSU, carrying the ball 16 times for 123 yards. MSU put up 275 yards rushing and over 300 yards through the air in the blowout.
The win moved MSU to 2–0 on the season.
Miami
The Spartans next traveled to face No. 24-ranked Miami at Hard Rock Stadium. The meeting was only the fifth all-time between the schools with MSU failing to win any of the four prior games.