East Lansing, Mich. - Michigan State football received outstanding news for the 2022 football season on Tuesday when third-team All-Big Ten wide receiver Jayden Reed announced that he is returning for his senior season.
Reed made the announcement via social media with the statement:
“Since I was a child, I’ve been dreaming of playing in the NFL and I am one step closer to my goal. After long talks with God, my family, coaches and friends, I’ve come to a final decision to return to Michigan State and use my last year of eligibility. We have unfinished business to take care of. See you in 2022.”
Reed was first-team All-Big Ten as an all-purpose player in 2021 and second-team All-Big Ten as a returner.
Reed led the Big Ten and ranked sixth in the FBS in all-purpose yards per play (18.4).
Reed had 59 receptions on the year for 1,026 yards with 10 TDs in 2021.
He had two of the top 24 all-purpose single-game outings in the FBS of the 2021 season and is the only player in the Top 25 in that category with multiple outings. His 285 yards against Western Kentucky is No. 10 for the 2021 season in all-purpose yardage, and his 261 yards against Youngstown State tied for No. 24.
WHAT IT MEANS
This is huge news for Michigan State football. With Jalen Nailor announcing on Monday that he is leaving for the NFL Draft, the importance of Reed’s return escalated drastically.
Internally, Michigan State coaches knew of these decisions during the weekend. So there were no surprises at the Skandalaris Center. Externally, Spartan fans know their team is heading into 2022 with quarterback Payton Thorne’s favorite target still on the squad.
Michigan State will be losing a lot of explosiveness next year with Nailor and Kenneth Walker III headed to the pros. Keeping Reed on the roster helps retain some of the juice which made 2021 so successful. Losing him would have resulted in a mammoth drop-off in proven play-making ability for the Spartans.
Reed’s 59 receptions were a nice figure in 2021. But the number 59 doesn’t begin to underscore the importance of some of those catches.
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