The past week-and-a-half has been a whirlwind for the Michigan State football program.

Last weekend, the Spartans lost in embarrassing fashion to the Washington Huskies, and the game has remained on the minds of the MSU players and coaches ahead of Week Four versus Maryland.

Before the loss to the Huskies, head coach Mel Tucker was suspended without pay on Sept. 10. A couple days after the game, Tucker was served notice of intent to terminate his contract, effective on Sept. 26.

Acting head coach Harlon Barnett took to the podium on Tuesday to address the trajectory of the team moving forward, injuries and why Michigan State is a premier destination for potential coaching candidates, among other topics.

The Spartans have an opportunity to get back on track on Saturday versus Maryland, which will be broadcast on NBC at 3:30 p.m. Eastern Time. The game will also be Michigan State's 107th homecoming.

The Spartans seem to have caught a bad case of the injury bug again, which was also the case in 2022. In last weekend’s game versus Washington, tight end Tyneil Hopper was carted off the field with a leg injury, and has since had surgery. There was not a timetable provided on Hopper's return, but it does seem likely he will return this season at this current juncture.

Cornerback Charles Brantley also sustained an injury and did not return to the game against the Huskies. Barnett provided a brief update on Brantley and Hopper, as well as running backs Jalen Berger and Jaren Mangham.

Barnett, much like Tucker, does not like to provide too much information regarding injuries,. However, when Barnett was asked to give an update on those players, he did provide some clarity.

“Tyneil (Hopper), lower body injury; Chuck (Brantley), upper body injury,” Barnett stated. “Tyneil had surgery, and I spoke with him and his mom a couple of nights ago and he’s doing well, he’s in good spirits. Chuck will be fine, it’s nothing major with Chuck.”

Barnett also addressed injuries to the running backs, Berger and Mangham.

“Berger and Mangham are probably still about a week or so away, probably," Barnett said. "They’re working hard and looking to get back soon.”

Given the current situation with Tucker, and the uncertain outlook regarding the futures of the remaining assistant coaches on staff, a worrisome topic for the Spartans moving forward is recruiting and the transfer portal.

The future of the program could be in jeopardy, and an exodus may occur here shortly. To make matters worse, the portal will be open for 30 days following the termination of Tucker’s contract on Sept. 26. This will allow players to leave if they are not satisfied with the current state of the program. Barnett, however, added some transparency to the situation.

As it relates to the current class of 2024, which includes 13 verbal commits as of press time, Barnett has spoken with each of the prospects and said things are holding steady with them as of now.

“Fortunately, I got a chance to speak with all the committed recruits," Barnett explained. "They’ve been really good so far, especially last week. I’ll get on FaceTime with those guys and talk with them, and they’ve been good so far. Everybody knows what has to happen. They’re hanging, they love Michigan State as of now. I talked to all 13 commits and they’re good.”

Another thing that Barnett mentioned was “selling” Michigan State as a whole in the recruiting process as opposed to a scheme or staff. As a former player, assistant coach and now acting head coach, Barnett knows the ins and outs of the program and university better than just about anyone, and uses it as leverage when recruiting.

“It’s about Michigan State for sure and what it means," Barnett said about the current recruiting pitch. "I can definitely talk about that. As a former player and now a coach for a long time, just the university itself, and Michigan State football in the Big Ten Conference, it’s a good place to be.”

Michigan State's coaching search will soon heat up, and a multitude of names have been thrown out for speculation. It is now more important than ever for Michigan State to make the right hire, and if it doesn’t then the program could take a major step back, especially with the addition of USC, UCLA, Washington and Oregon to the Big Ten in 2024.

Barnett was asked about the position, and how attractive it is to potential coaching candidates, including himself.

“Extremely attractive," Barnett said about the opportunity at Michigan State. "It’s the best job in America, it’s Michigan State in the Big Ten. Go green, go white, all day! It’s a fantastic place. It always has been since 1985 when I first came up here. Great place, great job, great people. Unfortunately, we had some things where people looked down on us, but hey, it’s an awesome place."

Barnett, who as mentioned knows Michigan State better than just about anyone, lettered for the Spartans from 1986 through 1989. He was named a captain as a senior and received All-American honors.

Barnett has coached some of the biggest names for the Spartans in recent memory, and has helped propel 25 different players into earning All-Big Ten honors.

Michigan State has a chance to improve to 3-1 with a much needed win this weekend vs Maryland.

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