With high expectations, Keon Coleman aims to be the best version of himself
The expectations are high for Michigan State wide receiver Keon Coleman as he enters his junior season. Offensive coordinator Jay Johnson is “very excited” about Coleman’s outlook for 2023, while his teammates also expect big things out of him, and Coleman himself is ready to continue ascending in his football career.
As a sophomore in 2022, the talented 6-foot-4 wide receiver burst onto the scene and led Michigan State in receptions (58), receiving yards (798) and receiving touchdowns (seven). He showed off his skill set by blending together a combination of size, speed and physicality, making several contested catches and putting his large catch radius on display.
While he knows he’ll have to take another step or two up in 2023, Coleman isn’t too worried about the outside noise. He’s just focused on being the best version of himself he can be.
“Be the best Keon Coleman I can be,” Coleman said when asked how he can take his game to another level in 2023. “And just do the normal things I always do, make plays and help my team win. So that's about it.”
Coleman noted that he dealt with a hip flexor injury for much of the 2022 season, which happened right before the Michigan game in late October. That injury also played into his decision to not pursue basketball, and instead put his full focus on football and getting healthy.
Of course, Coleman — who played for Tom Izzo during parts of the 2021-2022 season, and briefly joined the basketball team again in late December during the 2022-2023 season — decided in early January that his journey with the basketball team would be over.
“Getting my body right after being banged up for a majority of the season,” Coleman said about the positives of not pursuing basketball this season. “So, just making sure I was healthy coming into the spring. Honestly, I was (still thinking I would play basketball), and then, after that week (of being with the team), I just had a real sit down with myself, like, ‘Yeah, I can go help them, but how much would I be hurting myself without getting healthy?’ So, I was like, ‘Just get back healthy and then just get back to football.’ Then that's pretty much all I could do.”
It was a tough decision for Coleman to walk away from the basketball court and listen to his body what telling him, but a choice he believes to be the correct one.
“I mean, yeah (it was tough to listen to my body and not play basketball), but at the end of the day, your body is your business,” Coleman said. “Yeah, (putting basketball behind me was hard). That's why I didn't watch much basketball and I had to stay away. I didn't even go around the facilities at all. So I just tried to keep myself busy with football.”
However the benefits of putting his attention solely on football are paying off. Coleman loves to work and wants to continue to get better, so having a singular focus is allowing him to hone his craft.
“You get every day pretty much to just perfect your craft and just work,” Coleman said about focusing on football this spring. “Every hour of the day that you're not doing schoolwork and not doing meetings and lifting, you can go right there to work because you only practice every other day, so you get to just craft pretty much.”
Coleman noted that he was able to take the time away from the hardwood to bulk up a bit and just focus on getting stronger on the football field. He mentioned that the winter strength and conditioning program was tough, but good for him, and that his body has recovered from the hip injury and he “feels great.”
With Jayden Reed leaving the program to pursue the NFL, it’s Coleman’s time to take over as Michigan State’s No. 1 option at wide receiver. While Coleman did lead the team in many receiving categories last year, Reed’s presence often drew the attention of the defense. In 2023, opposing defensive coordinators are likely to key in on the Louisiana native.
Coleman is embracing the challenge, and is confident in his abilities, but knows that he can’t do it alone. He expects his fellow wide receivers to step up this season as well.
“Yeah, I mean I try to thrive in (having a bigger role), and also bring the younger guys with me because those are the guys we’re gonna really need,” Coleman said. “We might need me to get things started, but when hell breaks loose, and they put all the coverages on me, I’ve gotta be able to trust my young guys to be able to make plays, and the older guys as well: Tre (Mosley), Montorie (Foster) and Fitz (Christian Fitzpatrick).
“So with me taking on that (bigger) role, also bringing my other receivers with me, making sure we’re all on the same level, it’s gonna be hard for (defenses) to not worry about them, too. It’s also gonna help me get more one-on-ones.”
Coleman feels he has shown a lot of growth as a leader this spring. Now in his third year in the program, and as one of the best players on the offense, Coleman knows that the younger guys on the team are constantly watching how he works.
“I think I’ve grown tremendously (as a leader),” Coleman said. "Being more accountable and being watched by more of my teammates to see like, ‘He's a leader, so if he's not really stepping right, then how are we supposed to follow him?’ Those types of things. So just holding myself more accountable to the things I tell them, and just living those things out in my everyday life.”
Coleman noted that he learned how to mature, how to lead and how to hold himself and others accountable from redshirt senior wide receiver Tre Mosley.
While Coleman and Mosley are near locks to be MSU’s top-two wide receivers this year, a few names continue to be brought up regarding players who are ready to step up in the passing game.
Coleman noted that redshirt junior Christian Fitzpatrick and senior Montorie Foster are standing out as upperclassmen, while sophomore Tyrell Henry, redshirt freshman Antonio Gates Jr. and redshirt freshman Jaron Glover are impressing as underclassmen. This is the same group that Johnson mentioned.
While Coleman’s talent and work ethic are undeniable, he knows his game isn’t perfect. When asked about areas where he wants to get better at, he pinpointed his route-running, particularly when he is fatigued.
“Keeping the consistency within my route-running when I'm tired,” Coleman said when asked what he wants to improve upon in 2023. “That's pretty much what I want to work on a lot – playing when you’re tired because then your mind starts to wander, you might feel tired when you're really not, but mentally, your body's telling you you're tired. Just pushing through that, and keeping the technique and fundamentals, keeping those basic things sharp while you’re tired.”
While Coleman is largely expected to have a big year in 2023, who will actually be throwing him the ball is more of a mystery. Michigan State has an open competition at the quarterback position, with redshirt senior Payton Thorne, redshirt junior Noah Kim and redshirt freshman Katin Houser all vying for the starting job.
Coleman was adamant that all three quarterbacks are working hard, and more than capable of being successful. He has no issue with the quarterbacks splitting reps this spring, and believes the competition is good and the best man will win the job.
“I see great things from all three of those guys,” Coleman said about the quarterbacks. ‘They all put the ball where it needs to be, at the time it needs to be. I have no problem with it. They’re gonna keep competing, we’re gonna keep competing in our (wide receivers room), and let the coaches make those decisions.”
Coming off of a 5-7 season in 2022, and failing to reach a bowl game, a big theme for the Michigan State players and coaches throughout the spring has been a “hunger” to do better in 2023. Coleman made note of this, and mentioned that the team is connected and extremely motivated.
“I feel like everybody has that extra chip on their shoulder (after 2022),” Coleman said. “The things we go through in the offseason as a team, it helps us want to play even harder for the guy next to us. You can dig internally, but when you feel what the next guy’s going through, you kind of want to go the extra mile for that guy. Coming off that 5-7 season, we’re looking to go undefeated and win some games.”