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The Michigan State Spartans are in desperate need of an improved season in 2025 after multiple years of turmoil. One thing that is helping their chances of success is the strong group of returning impact players that have witnessed this program's struggles and are hungry for a better year.
In a recent report, the Spartans were ranked as one of the top teams in the Big Ten in terms of returning production for next season. Despite struggling heavily against a very tough Big Ten schedule last year, Michigan State's veteran leaders have a chance to right the ship.
Cody Nagel of 247Sports released a list ranking all 18 Big Ten teams in terms of their volume of "returning starters" for the 2025 season. He has Michigan State tied for No. 7 with nine impact starters making a return to the program this fall.
Nagel listed five offensive starters, including junior quarterback Aidan Chiles, sophomore wide out Nick Marsh, senior tight end Jack Velling, junior right tackle Stanton Ramil and senior left tackle Ashton Lepo.
"Michigan State remains optimistic that Aidan Chiles can take the next step at quarterback," Nagel wrote. "The former Oregon State transfer struggled at times in his first season as a starter in 2024, throwing just 13 touchdown passes against 11 interceptions. However, some familiarity with two of his top targets — wideout Nick Marsh and tight end Jack Velling, who also followed coach Jonathan Smith from Oregon State — could help steady his development."
Four defenders made the list, starting with senior defensive linemen Jalen Thompson and Alex Vansumeren, and senior safeties Malik Spener and Nikai Martinez. The Spartans have some veteran returners that are hungry for a bounce-back season from the Spartans' 5-7 record last year.
Nagel's rankings had three other programs tied for seventh place with nine returners. Ohio State, Nebraska, and Wisconsin are all bringing back multiple key players and will be among the teams at the top of the conference. The Spartans are seeking to keep pace with the upper echelon.
The Spartans will have several fourth or fifth-year players in their starting rotation this season, which is a major plus for must-win conference contests. Chiles, Velling and Marsh are entering their second seasons on campus, giving them more comfort in their roles this season.
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Emerging Michigan football star earns Big Ten Co-Offensive Player of the Week honors
It wasn't a great day for the Michigan Wolverines, but the maize and blue fended off Purdue on Saturday, 21-16. Bryce Underwood didn't play very well for the second week in a row, and Michigan needed some heroics from someone else. That came from Jordan Marshall. Following Justice Haynes' injury against Michigan State, Marshall was called upon to start once again, and will be for a few more weeks, and he shined. The redshirt freshman had a career day against the Boilermakers, rushing for 185 yards and scoring three times on the ground. On Monday, he was named a Big Ten Player of the Week, sharing the honors with Illinois QB Luke Altmyer -- who had 323 yards of total offense and five touchdowns in a win over Rutgers. Jordan Marshall's impressive day Earned career highs in rushing yards (185) and touchdowns (3) in the win against Purdue, his fourth career and third-straight game of 100 or more rushing yards His 185 rushing yards tie the most by a Michigan ball carrier since Donovan Edwards posted the same total against Purdue in the 2022 Big Ten Championship game His first-quarter 54-yard touchdown run was his third touchdown of 50 or more yards this season The play came immediately after he caught a 25-yard pass - the longest receiving play of his career Last Michigan Offensive Player of the Week: Justice Haynes (Oct. 27, 2025) The Wolverines' ground attack has kept them in the Big Ten and College Football Playoff conversation. If it's not Haynes crushing the opposition -- it's Marshall. Michigan has the No. 12 rushing attack in the country, averaging 223 yards per game. Haynes is the second-leading rusher in the country, averaging 122 yards per game. Marshall, who has been emerging in the last several weeks, ranks No. 36 in the country, averaging 81 yards per game. With Haynes' injury and needing surgery, it's not known when he's going to be back for Michigan -- if at all. The Wolverines are going to use Marshall as their bell cow for the next three games, but with hopes of Haynes being back for Ohio State.
Dolphins' Mike McDaniel Reveals Tua Tagovailoa Decision Before Bills Game
Through nine weeks of the NFL season, the Miami Dolphins have been one of the worst teams in the league. Following the team's 28-6 Week 9 loss to the Baltimore Ravens on Thursday night, the Dolphins have fallen to 2-7 on the year, and have seemingly already laid the groundwork for a total rebuild. One day after the loss, the Dolphins announced that they had fired general manager Chris Grier. A change in power at the GM role indicates that no one on the roster is safe moving forward, as whoever is brought in will have ties or allegiances with the current regime. One person who many believed could be at risk of losing his job is quarterback Tua Tagovailoa. The Pro Bowl quarterback has been a shell of his former self this season, throwing for 1,779 yards with 15 touchdowns and 11 picks through nine games. For reference, Tagovailoa's previous career high in interceptions came in 2023, when he threw 14 in 17 games. Head coach Mike McDaniel benched Tagovailoa in the team's Oct. 19 loss to the Cleveland Browns after he threw three interceptions and lost a fumble, turning to rookie quarterback Quinn Ewers. While calls have been growing again for Tagovailoa to be sent to the bench once and for all, McDaniel confirmed that he's not entertaining that idea at this time. When speaking to the media on Monday ahead of the team's Week 10 game against the Buffalo Bills (6-2), McDaniels confirmed he is not anywhere close to making that decision at this time. "I am far from even going down that direction of would've, could've possible things," McDaniel said. "We have a football game against the Buffalo Bills that we are certain that Tua gives us the best chance to win and we have to approach our jobs with diligence. We have to execute and Tua knows that heavy is crown that of being a franchise quarterback." According to ESPN BET, the Bills have opened as 8.5-point favorites. While Miami looks to stay afloat on the season, the Bills are coming off of a monster win over Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs, as they look to make a Super Bowl run this season. As for the Dolphins, they haven't beaten the Bills since 2022, and are 1-9 against them in their last 10. Tagovailoa has been far from spectacular this season, but is clearly being given some grace by McDaniel. With that being said, the Dolphins have a bye in a couple of weeks, and it does cause one to wonder if that is when the Dolphins would end up benching the former Alabama star if things don't turn around.
Buffalo Bills receive devastating news on injured rookie CB
Not the news Buffalo Bills fans wanted to hear. Head Coach Sean McDermott delivered a troubling update on Dorian Strong during a Tuesday afternoon press conference, pointing toward a long-term absence for the Bills’ rookie cornerback. The sixth-round pick has been dealing with a neck injury which led to his placement on Injured Reserve on Oct. 4, and entering Week 10, McDermott says that Strong has not received an encouraging update regarding his ailment. “I do have some more clarity, it’s not good in terms of the reports and everything,” said McDermott. “I don’t want to get into where it may go. It’s not moving in the direction we would like it to at this point. I’ll stop there just out of respect for Dorian.” Strong was selected by the Bills with the 177th overall pick in the sixth round of the 2025 NFL Draft and went on to earn the start in the first game of his NFL career in Week 1 against the Baltimore Ravens in place of injured veteran Tre’Davious White. Strong played in each of the Bills’ first four games of the season, but was injured before Buffalo’s Week 5 matchup against the New England Patriots and it now appears he has been lost for the year. The next question is, will this injury impact his career? Neck injuries are tricky and often dealt with conservatively. “He and I have had some conversations over the last few days and I wish the reports were better at this point,” added McDermott. Strong recorded 10 tackles during four games in his first professional season. — Sign up for OnSI’s Free Buffalo Bills Newsletter —
Not All Injury News Is Bad After Packers’ Painful Loss to Panthers
Green Bay Packers tight end Tucker Kraft suffered a torn ACL against the Carolina Panthers and will miss the rest of the season. It was the biggest injury of a painful day at Lambeau Field. Here’s the latest news on a long injury list ahead of Monday night’s home game against the defending Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles. WR Matthew Golden Without premier tight end Tucker Kraft, the Packers need as many playmakers as possible as they pick up the pieces on offense headed into the second half of the season. Golden suffered a shoulder injury during a catch early in the third quarter against Carolina and did not return. “He shouldn’t be long term,” coach Matt LaFleur said on Monday, a day after a 16-13 loss. In 24 snaps, Golden caught 2-of-3 targets for 9 yards. It’s the second consecutive quiet day for the first-round pick, his decreased role probably related to the return of Christian Watson. Golden was an impact player against Cleveland, Dallas and Cincinnati. However, the last two games, he caught 5-of-6 targets for only 13 yards. According to PFF, 88 receivers were targeted at least four times the last two weeks. His 0.30 yards per pass route is the fifth-lowest and his 2.6 yards per reception is the third-lowest. Among this year’s rookie receivers, Golden is fifth with 23 catches and 262 yards. Among the 17 rookie receivers who have been targeted at least 10 times, Golden’s 79.3 percent catch rate is second. DT Colby Wooden A few days after getting a shoutout from Micah Parsons, defensive tackle Colby Wooden suffered a shoulder injury and did not return after 15 snaps. “Nothing long term, so we feel good about that,” LaFleur said. He obviously was missed. Rico Dowdle carried 25 times for 130 yards as the Panthers ran for 163 yards on a 4.9-yard clip. The Packers entered the game ranked fifth in the league with 78.9 rushing yards allowed per game. Dowdle had run past that figure by the opening series of the third quarter. Carolina has one of the best rushing attacks in the NFL, and it obviously won’t get any easier against the powerful Eagles on Monday night. Philadelphia finished second in the league last season with 179.3 rushing yards per game as NFL rushing champion Saquon Barkley finished with 2,005 yards. They’re only 19th this season with 111.6 rushing yards per game, but Barkley rushed for 150 yards against the Giants before the bye. LG Aaron Banks The Packers revamped their offensive line this offseason, highlighted by the signing of left guard Aaron Banks to a four-year, $77 million contract. His first season in Green Bay has been tormented by injuries. On Sunday, he did not return after suffering a stinger in the opening series. Sean Rhyan replaced him for the final 56 snaps. Banks should be fine for this week, LaFleur said. Of the team’s eight games, Banks started six but played only 51.6 percent of the offensive snaps. He had played every snap the previous three games, though, and seemed to be on an upward trajectory. “Obviously, the beginning of the year, banged up, all the groins, backs, things that he had, and I think every game he’s played he’s looked better and better and better, and I think this game was no different,” offensive coordinator Adam Stenavich said last week. “He had his best game [against Pittsburgh] and I thought he did a really nice job. He’s doing a good job of being the enforcer out there, plays with physicality.” WR Dontayvion Wicks Dontayvion Wicks missed the last two games with a calf injury. Before that, injuries limited him to 21 snaps vs. Cincinnati and 15 snaps vs. Arizona. While the return of Christian Watson from a torn ACL lessened the blow, the Packers missed him on Sunday when Tucker Kraft was out with a knee injury, Matthew Golden was out with a shoulder injury and Watson was being checked for a concussion. Wicks hasn’t practiced the last two weeks but did catch balls from a JUGS machine on Friday. He is fifth on the team with 13 receptions but hasn’t had a gain of 20-plus yards since Dec. 5 at Detroit. DE Lukas Van Ness Lukas Van Ness suffered a foot injury during the first half against Cincinnati in Week 6. He has neither played nor practiced the last three weeks. On Sunday, the Packers essentially went with only three defensive ends, with Micah Parsons and Rashan Gary starting and Kingsley Enagbare playing 26 snaps off the bench. Rookie Barryn Sorrell played only one snap. Both he and Dontayvion Wicks could “potentially” return this week, LaFleur said. After long layoffs, they presumably will have to practice on Wednesday. WR Jayden Reed Jayden Reed remains on injured reserve following the broken collarbone sustained in Week 2. While he has started working with trainers, it doesn’t appear his 21-day practice window will open this week. “He’s getting healthier, yes,” LaFleur said. “But would I say he’s close? I mean, what is close?” TE Tucker Kraft Kraft will miss the rest of the season following his torn ACL. “He’s doing as good as you could ever be doing, considering the circumstances,” LaFleur said. “Tuck’s a guy that he’s not going to flinch. That’s why we love him. He’s a hell of a player, hell of a teammate, hell of a guy. I’m bummed for him. I’m bummed for us. It’s part of it. It’s got to be that next-man-up mentality. Unfortunate for him, but now other guys are going to get an opportunity.” The next men up will be Luke Musgrave and John FitzPatrick, with Josh Whyle on the practice squad after catching 28 passes last year for the Titans. Musgrave caught three passes on the final possession on Sunday, including a 21-yarder to jump-start the game-tying drive. “Luke’s a guy that we’ve got a ton of confidence in,” LaFleur said. “I think his career got started off, faced a little adversity being in and out of the lineup with some injuries, but he definitely brings a vertical presence, and we’re going to have to put him in situations where he can utilize his strengths.” SIGN UP FOR OUR FREE DAILY PACKERS NEWSLETTER
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