Spartans Illustrated continues its series of individual reviews of each member of the Michigan State Spartans' 2025 transfer portal class thus far.
After starting with running back Elijah Tau-Tolliver and wide receiver Omari Kelly, we move onto Kent State wide receiver transfer Chrishon McCray.
The three-star transfer committed to Michigan State on Dec. 16, 2024, and he is ranked by Rivals as a top-500 transfer in the country (No. 444 overall).
You can find a full recap of Michigan State's transfer portal activity by visiting the Spartans Illustrated Transfer Portal Tracker.
CAREER OVERVIEW
A native of Avon, Indiana, McCray signed with Kent State as a two-star prospect in the 2022 recruiting cycle.
After playing in just one game and redshirting his true freshman season in 2022, McCray had a breakout season in 2023, recording 41 receptions for 610 yards and four touchdowns in just nine games. He earned first-team All-MAC honors on the campaign.
This past fall in 2024, he followed up his impressive 2023 campaign with an even better season, recording 40 receptions for 705 yards and nine touchdowns. He earned second-team All-MAC honors for his efforts.
In 21 career games, he's also rushed seven times for 42 yards (6.0 yards per carry) and recorded nine kickoff returns for 196 yards (21.8 yards per return).
McCray opted to enter the transfer portal following the conclusion of Kent State's 2024 season, and as mentioned, committed to Michigan State in mid-December.
HOW DOES McCRAY FIT THE SPARTANS' ROSTER?
The wide receiver position was a necessity for Michigan State in the transfer portal this offseason.
The only established wide receivers set to return to the program in 2025 are standout soon-to-be sophomore Nick Marsh and veteran Alante Brown, who has dealt with injuries throughout his time as a Spartan. Reliable target Montorie Foster Jr. has now exhausted eligibility, while Antonio Gates Jr. (who had not been part of the team since October of 2024), Jaron Glover, Aziah Johnson, and Jaelen Smith all hit the transfer portal.
With that, the Spartans were very active in the portal bringing in four transfer wide receivers in Omari Kelly (Middle Tennessee State), Evan Boyd (Central Michigan) and Rodney Bullard (Valdosta State), and today's focus Chrishon McCray.
Marsh is almost certainly going to be locked in as the Spartans' No. 1 receiver this season, but McCray and Kelly are likely to have big roles as well, and Boyd and Bullard will compete for playing time as well.
As for McCray specifically, sources tell Spartans Illustarted that the plan for him is to operate primarily as the slot wide receiver. Kelly will likely play mostly on the outside opposite of Marsh. At 6-foot-3, 210 pounds, the big-bodied Boyd makes sense as an outside option as well. The ultra-athletic Bullard can play in the slot or on the outside. Of course, all of these players could be moved around the offense in creative ways.
No matter how exactly it shakes out, look for the Spartans to try to get the ball in McCray's hands often.
This spring and all of fall camp, expect an open competition at wide receiver. The four transfers, plus those who do return from the 2024 roster and the younger players, will all compete for starting roles or rotational roles and hope to become an impact receiver for the program in 2025.
WHAT SHOULD EXPECTATIONS BE FOR McCRAY?
After back-to-back productive seasons for McCray at Kent State, as he was able to shine at one of the worst programs in the country, there will likely be decently high expectations from the fan base for him in 2025. While it's fair to have expectations of that extent, they should probably be tempered somewhat.
McCray enters his redshirt junior season, and first at Michigan State, and will be making the jump from playing MAC-level competition on a regular basis to facing some of the best pass defenses in the country in the Big Ten. In four career games against Power Five competition, McCray has recorded eight receptions for 73 yards. With that in mind, it may not be fair to expect McCray to match his numbers from the past two seasons with the Golden Flashes, but the Kent State transfer should still be able to put together a productive season for the Spartans next fall.
As mentioned, McCray has a strong chance to start for MSU as a slot receiver, and with defenses having to focus on Marsh, Kelly, tight end Jack Velling and the other options in the passing game, he should have his fair share of targets and opportunities. He is another potential playmaker for the Spartans.
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