Michigan State football is on a quest to sustain success under Mel Tucker, now in his 3rd season as Spartans coach

EAST LANSING, Mich. — The Michigan State Spartans are openly talking about winning a national championship, confidently saying they can top last year’s 11-win season.

Mel Tucker, entering his third season with the Spartans, knows what it takes to win it all. He did it as an assistant on championship-winning coaching staffs at Alabama in 2015 and Ohio State in 2002.

“Yeah, we won 11 games last year, but we want to win championships,” fifth-year senior safety Xavier Henderson said. “Coach Tucker has been on national championship-winning teams, so we trust him and his process.”

Tucker has made it clear that what Michigan State did last year, after going 2-5 in the pandemic-shortened 2020 season, was simply not enough.

“It was just really a step in the right direction,” said Tucker, who won the Big Ten coach of the year award and a new contract that pays him $9.5 million per season. “We did some good things, but nobody cares what you did last year.”

The 15th-ranked Spartans lost six starters on offense, including award-winning running back Kenneth Walker III, and just three starters on defense.

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“The goal for us is to win every game on our schedule,” Tucker said. “Our goal is to finish first. And we need to bring a championship to East Lansing.”

Walker leaves a void, but quarterback Payton Thorne and do-it-all Jayden Reed return to give the team a potent passing game that could open up the running game.

Michigan State was shaky against the pass last season and hopes to be much better with an experienced group that added Georgia transfer Ameer Speed at cornerback.

Walker, a Wake Forest transfer, ranked second in the FBS with 1,636 rushing yards and was among the nation’s leaders with 19 touchdowns.

Colorado transfer Jarek Broussard and Wisconsin transfer Jalen Berger hope to follow in Walker’s footsteps as high-impact transfers. Elijah Collins — who ran for 988 yards in 2019 — Jordon Simmons, Davion Primm and Harold Joiner are returning players in the mix.

“It will be interesting to see who is the true No. 1 or if it might be running back by committee,” receiver Tre Mosley said.

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Reed, an AP All-Big Ten all-purpose player, returned two punts for touchdowns last season and had team highs in catches (59), receiving yards (1,026) and receiving touchdowns (10).

Jacob Slade earned a spot on the AP All-Bowl team after the 6-4, 315-pound defensive tackle had six tackles and 1½ sacks to help Michigan State earn a New Year’s Six bowl win over Pittsburgh.

Henderson had 96 tackles last season to rank among the Big Ten leaders.

Michigan State was statistically the worst team against the pass in major college football last year, giving up 324.8 yards per game.

Tucker, who coached defensive backs at Alabama and Ohio State, is taking a hands-on approach with the team’s cornerbacks. The former Georgia defensive coordinator also added Speed, who played for the Bulldogs and is taking advantage of a sixth season of eligibility.

Thorne threw 27 touchdown passes last season, breaking Kirk Cousins’ school record set in 2011.

The Spartans open at home Sept. 2 against Western Michigan. They have a tough stretch in October, hosting Ohio State and Wisconsin in consecutive weeks before having an extra week to prepare to play at Michigan on Oct. 29. Tucker is 2-0 against the rival Wolverines.