Atlanta - Michigan State fans can expect to see two of the Spartans’ top playmakers back on the field, Thursday night.
Michigan State offensive coordinator Jay Johnson, during Tuesday morning’s press conference, indicated that junior wide receivers Jayden Reed and Jalen Nailor will play for the No. 10-ranked Spartans when they face No. 12 Pittsburgh in the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl on Thursday night at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
When asked on Tuesday morning if it’s fair to say that Reed and Nailor will both be back for this game, Johnson said, “Yes, that’s fair.
“I think that’s going to be a huge key for us, having both of those guys active and their play-making abilities,” Johnson said.
Nailor (6-0, 190, R-Jr., Palmdale, Calif.) has not played since going down with a hand injury midway through Michigan State’s 37-33 victory over Michigan on Oct. 30.
Despite not taking the field in November, Nailor earned honorable mention All-Big Ten accolades this season.
He ranked No. 2 in the Big Ten and 19th in the FBS in yards per catch (18.9). He also ranked No. 6 in the Big Ten in TD receptions (6) and was No. 8 in the Big Ten in receiving yards per game (73.4).
Nailor had 31 catches on the year for 587 yards. Against Rutgers, he had five catches for 221 yards and three touchdowns. That marked the fourth-most receiving yards in a game in school history and tied a school record for number of TD receptions in a game.
For his career, Nailor has 80 catches for 1,346 yards.
Reed (6-0, 185, R-Jr., Naperville, Ill.) returned from a lower body injury sustained at Ohio State and played in Michigan State’s 30-27 victory over Penn State on Nov. 27.
Sources told SpartanMag.com that Reed considered opting out of the game, but he has been participating in practice throughout the month and Johnson confirmed that he will play against the Panthers.
Reed was second team All-Big Ten by the coaches and media and was named first-team All-America as an all-purpose player by the American Football Coaches Association.
Reed had 53 catches for 946 yards with 8 TDs on the year.
“Earlier in the year, when you have both of those guys, a couple of our top skilled guys, their playmaking ability kind of speaks for itself,” Johnson said. “You hope that can challenge the defense a little bit and put more stress on them.
“I like where we are offensively. It’s been good here in the time (since the Penn State game); we’ve been able to go back to the basic and build on the fundamentals and techniques. It was good to kind of reset after the Penn State game and get a lot of work in. I think we’re in a good spot.”