Indianapolis - There were few surprises on the Michigan State football roster when the program released its official list of players for the 2022 season on Tuesday afternoon at Big Ten Media Days.
The only newsworthy change was confirmation that senior tight end Adam Berghorst has left the football team in order to concentrate on baseball.
Berghorst is a former high three-star defensive end recruit who moved to tight end in 2019. He played in six games last year, repping 39 snaps, primarily on special teams.
Berghorst, a right-handed pitcher, was drafted in the 14th round by the Texas Rangers in the 2019 MLB Draft. He spent this summer playing for the Battle Creek Battle Jacks of the Northwoods League, working to get his arm back in shape after injuries curtailed his performance for the Spartan baseball team this spring.
Berghorst was not on the field for the 2022 Michigan State spring football scrimmage. He was expected to be behind Daniel Barker, Tyler Hunt and Maliq Carr on the tight end depth chart this fall.
“I love Bergie,” Tucker said on Tuesday. “He’s a great guy. He’s an outstanding athlete. He is doing some serious things on the baseball diamond and that’s where his focus is right now.
“I love the kid. We need all the help we can get and if he ever wanted to come back, I would be happy to talk to him about it.”
The university stated that heights and weights have not been updated since July. In actuality, the heights and weights were identical to last year’s fall measurements.
Michigan State did not release a depth chart. Michigan State has not released an official depth chart since Mel Tucker was hired as head coach in 2020.
The 24 incoming freshmen who signed with Michigan State in 2022 were all listed on the official depth chart. No absences are expected when practice begins the first week of August.
There were no major position changes on the roster. Redshirt junior Itayvion “Tank” Brown is listed as a defensive end. He was officially listed as a linebacker last season but repped in games as a defensive end in 2021. He saw action in six games and played 38 snaps as a defensive end in passing situations for a Michigan State team which went 11-2 and won the Chick-fil-A Peach Bow.
Meanwhile, veteran walk-ons Jacob LaFave and Evan Brunning continue to be listed as offensive linemen. Brunning (6-5, 300, R-Jr., Oxford) and LaFave (6-4, 270, R-Soph., Brighton) moved from defensive tackle to offensive guard for spring practice due to player shortages at the position. They will remain on the offensive line this fall.
Last year, walk-on offensive guard Blake Bueter started five games at offensive guard. He had 16 career starts for the Spartans.
Do LaFave or Brunning have a chance to be the next Blake Bueter?
“You never know,” said Michigan State offensive line coach Chris Kapilovic. “LaFave gives you everything he has; he’s an undersized guy. But Brunning really has the size that you’re looking for. Having him for just a few practices (in the spring), he did some good things. So he is going to stay with us and see what happens.”
As for jersey number assignments, running back Jarek Broussard (a transfer from Colorado), will wear No. 3.
Other notable jersey assignments for incoming Spartans:
1 Jaden Mangham, 6-2, 170, Fr., S
2 Khris Bogle, 6-4, 240, Sr., DE (Florida)
4 Germie Bernard, 6-0, 200, Fr., WR
4 Jacoby Windmon, 6-2, 230, Sr., LB (UNLV)
6 Ameer Speed, 6-3, 210, Sr., CB (Georgia)
7 Aaron Brulé, 6-1, 220, Sr., LB (Mississippi State)
8 Jalen Berger, 6-1, 205, Soph., RB (Wisconsin)
9 Daniel Barker, 6-4, 250, Sr., RB (Illinois)
11 Quavian Carter, 6-3, 200, Fr., LB
11 Tyrell Henry, 6-0, 170, Fr., WR
12 Katin Houser, 6-3, 195, Fr., QB
15 Jaron Glover, 6-1, 195, Fr., WR
17 Chase Carter, 6-6, 215, Fr., DE
18 Zion Young, 6-6, 230, Fr, DE
19 Jack Stone, 6-0, 190, Fr., K
20 Ade Willie, 6-1, 185, Fr., CB
21 Dillon Tatum, 5-11, 185, Fr., S
24 Malcolm Jones, 6-1, 190, Fr., CB
32 James Schott, 6-4, 220, Fr., DE
37 Caleb Corey, 6-0, 165 Fr., CB
43 Malik Spencer, 6-1, 190, Fr., S
50 Brian Greene, 6-6, 300, Sr., C/G
64 Braden Miller, 6-6, 290, Fr., OL
66 Ashton Lepo, 6-7, 270, Fr., OL
68 Gavin Broscious, 6-4, 305, Fr., OL
71 Kristian Phillips, 6-4, 350, Fr., OL
81 Michael Masunas, 6-4, 240, Fr., TE
87 Jack Nickel, 6-4, 240, Fr., TE
Other new walk-ons to the program:
25 Isaiah Henderson, 6-3, 175, Fr., S
56 Jay Coyne, 6-1, 220, Fr, DE
69 Jacob Merritt, 6-6, 270, Fr., OL
75 Ben Nelson, 6-7, 250, Fr., OL
76 Andy Hartman, 6-6, 255, F., OL
84 Tyler Vroman, 6-3, 185, Fr., WR
89 Alex Watters, 6-0, 185, Fr., WR
COMP'S TAKE
The most notable takeaway from today’s roster release, in my opinion, is the inclusion of three freshman walk-on offensive linemen. Michigan State was caught with a shortage of offensive linemen in the spring, due in part to injury, but also due to a lack of an influx of walk-on linemen in recent years.
The importance of having walk-on offensive linemen to fill out the position room showed itself in East Lansing this spring. During spring practice, with seniors having moved on and most freshmen yet to enroll, a program has to get by with essentially three recruiting classes and a roster of fewer than 70 players.
In moving LaFave and Brunning to offensive line and adding three walk-on offensive linemen this off-season, Michigan State will have a better chance to avoid a shortage of numbers next spring.
As for the three freshman walk-on offensive linemen, Jacob Merritt (6-6, 270, Northville, Mich.) had scholarship offers from Marshall, Dayton and Brown. Ben Nelson (6-7, 250, Holland Christian) had scholarship offers from Central Michigan, Butler and Drake. Andy Hartman (6-6, 255, Grand Blanc) had scholarship offers from Morehead State, Wayne State, Northwood, Eastern Michigan and Bowling Green.
