Ontario High School's Tre Fowler (27) tackles Perkins High School's Braylon Collier (1) during their OHSAA Division IV Region 14 championship high school football game Friday, Nov. 22, 2024 at Tiffin Frost Kalnow Stadium. TOM E. PUSKAR/MANSFIELD NEWS JOURNAL TOM E. PUSKAR/MANSFIELD NEWS JOURNAL / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Buy Stock in These MSU Football Players

Originally posted on Michigan State Spartans on SI
By Carter Landis | Last updated Jun 12, 2025 9:00 AM ET

The Michigan State Spartans are looking for a turnaround on the football field in 2025.

Fans will become extremely frustrated if Jonathan Smith misses another bowl game. There has been far too much losing in East Lansing since the days of Kenneth Walker III.

Part of building a program means adding young talent and developing them into top-end contributors. Smith demonstrated his capability to do that at Oregon State, so fans want to see it at MSU.

Smith has not brought in headline-grabbing recruiting classes, but he has added players who could be considered diamonds in the rough.

Which Spartans should you buy stock in for the future?

Let’s identify three players who fans don’t know now but should become familiar with.

Wide receiver Braylon Collier - The Spartans need more long-term options in the passing game outside of Nick Marsh, and Collier appears to be one.

The 6-foot, 173-pound Ohio product was a three-star prospect out of Perkins High School. He posted 218 receptions, 3,434 yards, and 56 touchdowns during his high school career.

Collier can win in a lot of ways on the football field. He can blow past defenders on deep balls, catch a ball in the short field, and make plays after the catch.

MSU fans should be excited about what Collier could be.

Offensive tackle Justin Bell - Offensive line coaches love nothing more than to take a young lineman with massive size and mold them into pros.

MSU’s offensive line coach Jim Michalczik has done it before and could do it again with the freshman Bell. The 6-foot-6, 307-pound Dakota High School prospect has one of the highest ceilings in Smith’s 2025 class.

It would not be surprising to see Bell become a mainstay for the Spartans’ offensive line in the next few seasons. With Michalczik’s track record, Bell could be on pace to be an NFL draft pick in the next few years.

Defensive lineman Derrick Simmons - This one feels like cheating because Simmons was the highest-rated player in Smith’s 2025 class, but the Spartans have needed a game-changer on the defensive line for years.

It would not be shocking to see Simmons play a solid amount of snaps this season, as starting jobs are wide open in the trenches. The Frankenmuth product was a four-star prospect.

Simmons can play off the edge or on the interior, giving him positional flexibility. Even if he does not play this year, he should be a key piece in only a year or two.

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

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