Michigan State week one availability report: Western Michigan
EAST LANSING, Mich. – Michigan State will take the field against Western Michigan without six players, at least.
The Spartans listed the following players as “out” for Friday’s game on their weekly availability report: safety Nikai Martinez, cornerback Andrew Brinson, kickers Martin Connington and Tarik Ahmetbasic, long snapper Kaden Schickel, tight end Brennan Parachek and defensive tackle Jalen Satchell.
Michigan State listed zero players as “questionable.”
The Spartans will be limited on special teams without Connington, Ahmetbasic and Schickel. Connington was expected to miss Friday’s game as he recovers from a groin injury. Michigan State head coach Jonathan Smith called Ahmetbasic a game-time decision earlier this week, but the availability report confirmed that he will miss Friday’s game.
Blake Sislo, a walk-on transfer from Davenport, will kick in place of Connington and Ahmetbasic. Sislo recieved a bulk of the reps at kicker during fall camp as Connington and Ahmetbasic recovered from groin injuries. Friday will mark Sislo’s first time kicking in three years as a collegiate player.
True freshman Jack Wills will fill in for Schickel. Smith said on Monday that Wills will be “totally ready to go” if he had to play against Western Michigan. He will now look to prove that in his first collegiate game.
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Smith also called Martinez a game-time decision earlier this week. He will miss Friday’s game while recovering from an upper body injury. SpartanMag projects one of Armorion Smith, the honorary captain for Friday’s game, or Justin Denson to fill in for Martinez and start alongside Malik Spencer in the Michigan State secondary.
Michigan State will rely even more on Jack Velling and Michael Masunas, its top two tight end options, with Parachek out.
The Spartans are plenty deep at cornerback and tight end, so the losses of Brinson and Satchell should not be felt as significantly. Neither were projected by SpartanMag to start at their respective positions. Josh Eaton, Chance Rucker, Aydan West and Malcolm Bell should see considerable time at cornerback, while Alex VanSumeren, Grady Kelly, Ben Roberts and Ru’Quan Buckley are the names to watch at defensive tackle.
