MSU's Velling's Ceiling, in the Words of His Position Coach

Originally posted on Michigan State Spartans on SI
By Aidan Champion | Last updated Apr 21, 2025 4:00 PM ET

Michigan State was expected to have one of the best tight ends in all of college football when former Oregon State tight end Jack Velling followed Jonathan Smith and Co. over from Corvallis.

Frankly, that didn't turn out to be the case, and while that can be attributed to a number of factors, there's no more excuses going into next season.

Velling has one more chance to display his best year of college football, and the Spartans will be better for it if that happens.

Velling's position coach, Brian Wozniak, one of Smith's assistant coaches from Oregon State who has coached the veteran tight end since he entered college football, wants to see Velling utilize his range, beyond his ability as a receiving threat.

"What do I think his [Velling's] ceiling is? Well, yeah, I think that's up to him," Wozniak said last week. "And that's what we hit on [with] those guys. And really, all those guys? One of the quotes we have in that tight room is: 'Argue for your limitations and they're yours.' And so, the things that we have as our quote-unquote weaknesses right now, let's build them into our strengths.

"So for him, it's being a full, all-around versatile tight end. It's not just about the pass game. For a guy like Mike [Michael Masunas], it's not just about the run game. How can he be that all-around tight end?Be the threat not only in the run, in the pass.

"That's going to make it harder on defenses. It's our job to make it harder on the D-coordinators calling the play, calling the personnel. Are they going to focus in on us? Great, let's get one-on-one matchups outside to the Nick Marshes and Omari Kellys of the world.

"And if they're not, they're going to spread it out a little bit, let's attack those zones."

Velling totaled 411 yards on a career-best 36 receptions last season. He only recorded one touchdown while playing in all 12 games.

The rising senior spent his first two collegiate seasons at Oregon State before making the transfer to Michigan State in the winter of 2024.

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This article first appeared on Michigan State Spartans on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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