Michigan State football fan survey results: Tucker, 2022 and more (2024)

EAST LANSING, Mich. — We asked, you answered. It’s time for the results of our 2022 Michigan State football fan survey. The topics included recruiting, the transfer portal, NIL, best players, biggest strength, biggest concern, 2022 thoughts, confidence in the coaching staff, Big Ten championship aspirations and more.

Before we dive into things, I just wanted to say thank you to everyone who took the time to fill out the survey. My initial hope was to top the 600 or so responses we received in 2020. We got there within three hours this time around. The final total was 1,583. So again, thank you for your time.

Now without further ado, on to the results.

How would you describe the current condition of Michigan State football? (1,575 responses)

Starting off with an easy one. “Very good” leads the way with 63.2 percent of the vote, followed by excellent (26.2 percent) and good (10 percent). For context, we asked a similar question in April 2020, and the responses were a lot different. Here’s how they compare:

Percentage of voters who chose either excellent or very good in 2020: 22.8

Percentage of voters who chose either excellent or very good in 2022: 89.4

Quite the contrast.

Two years in, what are your thoughts on the Mel Tucker hire? (1,574 responses)

As expected, this one was overwhelmingly positive. More than 85 percent (1,345 of the 1,574) of voters chose “love it” in response to this question. There were 199 voters (12.6 percent) who chose “like it,” and another 25 voters (1.6 percent) said they “need to see more.” Finally, two voters chose “don’t like it” as their choice.

Tucker’s fingerprints are all over this program, and it’s led to early success. Easy to see why most fans are high on him.

Two years in, what do you like the most about Mel Tucker’s tenure? (1,572 responses)

We gave a few choices for this one, based on some of the topics Tucker often preaches about and some of his early accomplishments, but also left a write-in option. Let’s break down the top vote-getters before we get to some of those.

The two frontrunners were emphasis on recruiting (544 votes out of 1,572) and culture/mindset (495 votes). I think that checks out. It’s a coach’s responsibility to acquire players he can win with. Once you get those players into your program, it’s about developing them and making sure they’re a fit for what you want to do. One way to do that is by instilling a culture/team mindset. We saw it this past year with Tucker’s “deep water” mentality. It was apparent in tight games. There was a belief that this team would be able to pull things out in the end. That starts at the top.

A lot of you are fond of the quick turnaround, with that option receiving 249 total votes. Of course, the 2-0 record vs. Michigan received some as well — 151, to be exact. As for the write-in responses, here are a few of them:

“So many things to like. I think embracing NIL is huge not only for reasons directly related to football success, but is also the right thing to do for the student-athletes to help them maximize their earning potential. Anyone who doesn’t see being a student-athlete, especially at a B1G school and for the premiere college sport, as a full-time job is being ignorant at best to the realities of how the sport is played in 2022. Taking NIL seriously and giving student-athletes the connections and resources they need to be successful is just good employer-employee relations.”

“Modernized Program: Recruiting, NIL, and Transfer Portal.”

“A vibe of overall competence and a forward/future thinking administration.”

Here are a few others, just to put a bow on this one.

“All of the above” – 22 votes

“Tuck Comin'” – 13 votes

“Yes.” – 2 votes

“Not a buffoon.” – 1 vote

“Melting Moments.” – 1 vote

What are your thoughts on Mel Tucker’s contract extension? (1,572 responses)

Michigan State donors stepped up to reward Tucker with a 10-year, $95 million contract extension back in November, following reports of outside interest. It’s a sizable commitment, one that keeps Tucker in East Lansing for the foreseeable future. MSU believes it has the right man for the job and worked to secure him. As a result, Tucker is now one of the 10 highest-paid coaches in college football.

So how does the fan base feel about the news? Nearly 73 percent (1,142 out of 1,572) agree that it was the right move for the program. Seventeen voters (1.1 percent) believe it’s a bad move and a lot of money for one winning season. Another 26.3 percent of voters (413) are somewhere in the middle — a bit premature, but the program is headed in the right direction.

Who is Michigan State’s best assistant in terms of coaching ability? (1,524 responses)

Now we get into some questions about the staff Tucker has assembled. First up: pure coaching ability.

Offensive coordinator Jay Johnson was the leading vote-getter with 41.4 percent (631 votes), followed by offensive line coach Chris Kapilovic with 21.6 percent (329). Michigan State is coming off of a successful year offensively with Johnson calling the shots. Kapilovic is a widely respected offensive line coach whom several top Power 5 programs have tried to hire away from MSU. Checking in at No. 3 is pass-rush specialist Brandon Jordan — an assistant who has never coached at the Power 5 level but has trained tons of notable NFL pass rushers. He received 16.2 percent of the vote (247 total votes).

Who is MSU’s best recruiting assistant? (1,464 responses)

Now for recruiting. It’s a big part of the job at this level — nearly as important as your ability to coach these days.

Jordan was the runaway favorite here, receiving a bigger chunk of the vote (50.3 percent) than the other nine assistants combined. He has only been on campus since January, but Jordan already has MSU in the mix for several top defensive linemen. He helped recruit top-150 prospect Andrew Depaepe and has been actively recruiting David Hicks Jr. (No. 4 overall), Jayden Wayne (No. 28), Enow Etta (No. 129 overall) and several others.

Kapilovic finished second with 15.5 percent of the vote. MSU is on several high-end offensive linemen like Samson Okunlola, Chase Bisontis, Madden Sanker, Miles McVay, Payton Kirkland, Cole Dellinger and others. The trenches appear to be in good shape with those two recruiting.

Which offseason assistant hire intrigues you the most? (1,546 responses)

Another question, another set of responses where Jordan is the overwhelming favorite.

Michigan State hired three new assistants this offseason: Jordan, running backs coach Effrem Reed and defensive line coach Marco Coleman. Jordan was the most unconventional hire of the three, thanks to his self-made background, so it’s no surprise to see him get the most votes here with 90.5 percent (1,399 out of 1,546 total votes). Coleman was second with 84 votes (5.4 percent), followed by Reed with 63 (4.1 percent).

How confident are you in MSU’s offensive staff? (1,570 responses)

Pretty standard question here. There were three options to choose: very confident, somewhat confident, not confident.

Most of you are very confident in MSU’s offensive staff, with this choice taking home north of 60 percent of the vote. MSU averaged 31.8 points per game in 2021, the first time an MSU offense has averaged 30 or more points since 2014. For context, this same question was asked in our 2020 MSU fan survey. Only 8.7 percent of voters chose “very confident” back then.

How confident are you in MSU’s defensive staff? (1,569 responses)

Same question for the defense, with the same options to choose from.

Only 28.3 percent of MSU fans surveyed are very confident in the defensive staff in place. That’s down from the 2020 poll, when “very confident” received 70.3 percent of the votes. The Spartans’ passing defense was a major issue in 2021, allowing the most passing yards per game in the country by a wide margin. Scoring defense was a bit better, with MSU ranking 53rd nationally. However, given the standard of defense at MSU, more is expected. As a result, the leading option here was “somewhat confident” with 65.9 percent of the vote.

What’s your biggest concern for MSU in 2022? (1,570 responses)

Offensive line depth is the biggest concern among MSU fans, taking home a whopping 52 percent of the vote. Michigan State’s starting unit could feature five players entering at least their fourth year of college football, but behind that group things get a little dicey. MSU’s projected backup tackles are both redshirt freshmen, and most of the depth is expected to be young. It’s a bit of a transitional year for the position.

Next up was the pass defense, followed by the search for Kenneth Walker III’s replacement. There were also plenty of write-in responses. Here are some of them:

“The soft defense.”

“Defensive backs.”

“Lot of things went right last year, starting with Walker. Replicating that could be a high bar.”

“Luck won’t match this year. Could have a better team but a worse record.”

“Tuck not comin'”

How satisfied are you with Michigan State’s recruiting under Mel Tucker? (1,572 responses)

Now we move onto some roster management questions. First up: recruiting.

Tucker has revamped MSU’s recruiting philosophy — sending out more offers, expanding the map, targeting high-end prospects and holding his assistants and staff to a high standard. It helped MSU secure the 23rd-ranked class in the 2022 cycle. How does the fan base view MSU’s recruiting efforts? Quite favorably.

Of the 1,572 voters, 1477 (about 94 percent) said they’re either very satisfied or extremely satisfied. Ninety-two voters chose “somewhat satisfied” as their option, while two chose “not satisfied.”

How confident are you in Michigan State’s ability to work the transfer portal? (1,571 responses)

About 94 percent of voters said they were “very confident” in MSU’s ability to work the transfer portal. That checks out. MSU took advantage of the portal a year ago and it helped the team secure an 11-win season. There probably won’t be a Kenneth Walker III type of season from any of the newcomers, but we could see as many as seven new starters from MSU’s 2022 transfer class and up to 11 overall from the portal. It continues to be a resource for MSU.

How confident are you in Michigan State’s ability to recruit in the NIL era? (1,574 responses)

Name, image and likeness has been a hot topic since it was introduced last summer, and the discussion hasn’t slowed down. Just ask Nick Saban and Jimbo Fisher.

We’re in a new era of college football with players able to profit off of NIL. There’s also the topic of collectives and their impact on recruiting. With that in mind, how confident are MSU fans in the school’s ability to recruit in this era? Based on the results, 57.7 percent (908 out of 1,574 votes) said they’re “very confident,” 40.8 percent (642 votes) chose somewhat confident and 1.5 percent (24 votes) said they’re “not confident.”

Where do you think Michigan State’s 2023 recruiting class will rank when it’s all said and done? (1,570 responses)

MSU secured its first top-25 class since 2017 during the 2022 cycle, but internal expectations are even higher. The Spartans currently rank 17th overall, and the month of June should be a big one, with several top prospects scheduled to be on campus. So where do MSU fans believe this class will rank?

The majority of voters (53.3 percent) believe MSU will finish anywhere between No. 11 and 15 overall. After that, 23.9 percent of voters chose 16-20, followed by 15.8 percent of voters selecting 6-10. If all goes well next month, a top 11-15 class is very much in range. The program is in on a handful of five-star prospects and tons of four-stars, with three committed already.

Who is your favorite incoming transfer? (1,560 responses)

Michigan State has brought in eight scholarship transfers this offseason, and they’re all officially on the roster now. Which transfers are the early fan-favorites?

Former Georgia cornerback Ameer Speed takes the top spot with 37.8 percent of the vote, followed by former UNLV linebacker Jacoby Windmon (20.4) and Colorado running back Jarek Broussard (14.1). Honestly, though, you can make a case for a lot of these guys. Speed, fresh off a national championship, fills a need at cornerback. Windmon and Aaron Brule could start at linebacker. Broussard and Jalen Berger will be in the mix at running back. Brian Greene could either provide depth or start on offense. Bogle has the tools to be a guy at defensive end. And Barker might be MSU’s most underrated transfer. Can’t really go wrong.

Who is your favorite 2022 recruit? (1,522 responses)

Michigan State’s 2022 class was very solid, especially considering most players committed to a staff that had just gone 2-5. The face of the class is quarterback Katin Houser, a top-250, four-star prospect. Houser received 34.2 percent of the vote, followed wide receivers Germie Bernard (16.6) and Antonio Gates Jr. (14.8) and defensive tackle Alex VanSumeren (13.7). We did leave a write-in response for this question, and several prospects who weren’t listed as options received votes: OL Kristian Phillips, DB Malik Spencer, LB Quavian Carter and walk-on punter Ryan Eckley.

A few other responses:

“Too early to tell.”

“TBD.”

“Sorry, but I can’t track recruiting at this level.” (We’re here to help.)

“All of the above.”

Is Michigan State’s roster better or worse than it was a year ago? (1,562 responses)

Based on all the newcomers from the portal and 2022 class, is MSU’s roster better than it was in 2021? Most voters believe it is. The loss of Kenneth Walker III was tough (though expected), but the Spartans brought in a lot of talent to supplement the roster in other areas. It’ll be interesting to see how it translates to the field in 2022.

Which position group is currently the strongest on the team?

Now for some immediate 2022 questions, starting with position groups.There were four standouts among this question. Wide receiver led all positions with 38.4 percent of the vote, followed by defensive tackle (21.4 percent), quarterback (18.4 percent) and linebacker (14 percent). No other position group received more than 4.5 percent of the vote

On paper, that all makes sense. I think you can make an argument for defensive tackle as the best position on the team, but wide receiver wouldn’t be too far behind. Quarterback makes sense given the rise of Payton Thorne and the addition of Houser, and the linebacker position is a lot healthier than it was a year ago. Need some more love for punters, though. Only 10 votes out of 1,545 responses.

Who is Michigan State’s best player? (1,571 responses)

A clear top choice for this one. Senior wide receiver Jayden Reed received 71.5 percent of the vote. No argument here.

Reed is coming off of a 1,000-yard receiving season and proved his versatility as a punt returner. He scored 13 total touchdowns for MSU in 2021 and is back for one final season. If Reed records at least 57 receptions, 815 yards and eight receiving touchdowns in 2022, he would finish among the top five in MSU history in those three categories. It’s more than doable.

Thorne finished second with 19.4 percent of the vote, followed by Jacob Slade and Xavier Henderson. Among the write-in votes, Bryce Baringer received five votes, Keon Coleman and Jacoby Windmon received four apiece, while Darius Snow, Ronald Williams, Jarek Broussard and Aaron Brule also received votes.

Which returning player is due for a breakout year? (1,551 responses)

Michigan State brings back a solid nucleus of talent from last year’s team, and a few players are expected to have bigger roles in 2022. Keon Coleman is the leader here with 37.5 percent of the vote, followed by Maliq Carr (32 percent), Jeff Pietrowski (10.2 percent) and Chuck Brantley (9.7 percent). Coleman makes the most sense considering his natural ability and the fact that he could start for the first time in his career this season. Pietrowski looks like he’ll have an opportunity. Carr will have to share snaps with Barker, but the talent is there. It’s a similar situation for Brantley at corner.

This was a write-in question, so there were several other submissions. Tre Mosley received some votes, and if I’m being honest, he should’ve been included as an option. He’s been a starter for a few years now, but it feels like he has more to give and will now have an opportunity to prove himself with Jalen Nailor off to the NFL. So that’s on me.

Thorne received five votes. Considering he threw for a school-record 27 touchdowns last season, I don’t think he qualifies as a “breakout” candidate. Same thing could be said for Cal Haladay, who received two votes after breaking out in 2021 with a team-high 96 tackles, and Snow, who picked up five votes after finishing third in tackling. However, the people have spoken.

What are your thoughts on the Alan Haller hire and his tenure as MSU’s AD so far? (1,550 responses)

Haller was hired as MSU’s AD back in September and has already begun to make his mark on the athletic department. The results show a nearly even split between “like it” (50.5 percent) and “love it” (49 percent). Seven voters (0.5 percent) chose “hate it” as their option.

Since taking over as AD, which Alan Haller decision intrigues you the most? (1,531 responses)

Haller has made several moves since taking over. The three provided choices were the role he played in Tucker’s contract extension (65.3 percent), firing Danton Cole/hiring Adam Nightingale (31.1 percent) and the hiring of Leah Johnson as the school’s volleyball coach (2.2 percent).

We did leave this open to write-in responses, and we received plenty of them. In hindsight, some of these should’ve been included as options. Luckily, MSU fans were here to fill in the gaps. Here are a few that were submitted:

“Donor engagement. New facilities, transparency.”

“Tennis and softball coach replacements.”

“Taking more initiative than Hollis on non-revenue sports.”

“Clearing out underperforming coaches in non-revenue sports.”

“Ending the country club culture in the athletic department. Long-tenured coaches who are really bad and somehow stuck around (ex. Softball, WSOC) are being cycled out finally. Started under last admin with wrestling but has been continued.”

“General breath of fresh air compared to the last AD.”

“Too early to tell.”

“Not reinstating Swim/Dive.”

How many Michigan State home games do you typically attend each year? (1,568 responses)

Now we move onto some football gameday topics. First, a general question to see how often our participants make it to MSU home games.

Based on the responses, 47.7 percent of voters typically attend 1-2 MSU home games per year. Next up, 28.6 percent of voters said they attend zero home games per year, followed by “all of them” (14.6 percent) and “3-4 games” (9.1 percent). Considering MSU’s large alumni base all over the country, I don’t think there’s anything out of the ordinary with these numbers. Obviously, some folks just can’t make it to games because of distance. And that’s perfectly fine.

Rate the gameday experience at Michigan State. (1,492 responses)

Five options here: Excellent, very good, good, fair, poor. The results were mixed.

Of nearly 1,500 responses, 42 percent of voters choose “good,” followed by “very good” at 30.6 percent, “fair” at 15.8 percent, “excellent” at 8.9 percent and “poor” at 2.7 percent. We asked this same question in 2020. Here’s how the answers compare:

Excellent: 12.7 in 2020; 8.9 percent in 2022

Very good: 36.6 percent in 2020; 30.6 percent in 2022

Good: 31.6 percent in 2020; 42 percent in 2022

Fair: 14.4 percent in 2020; 15.8 percent in 2022

Poor: 4.7 percent in 2020; 2.7 percent in 2022

There was a fewer percentage of voters who chose “poor” in 2022 when compared to 2020, but “excellent” and “very good” also dipped. There was a higher percentage of votes for the middle-of-the-pack option “good” and the second-to-last option of “fair.”

MSU fans have a lot of strong opinions about the gameday experience at Michigan State, which we’ll address with the next question.

If you could change one thing about the gameday experience at Michigan State, what would it be? (1,482 responses)

Most of the given choices were popular responses we received in 2020. Beer/alcohol sales (41.2 percent) led the way, followed by the tailgate experience (21.8 percent), more restrooms (16.8) and better music/entertainment (12.4). However, we received a lot of write-in responses.

Here are some of them:

“All of the above.”

“More parking closer to the stadium.”

“Student section full every game.”

“General facility improvements – seats, bathrooms, concessions, etc.”

“Wider aisles and wider seats.”

“Better pre-game show.”

“Give me real seats with cup holders and WiFi in the stadium.”

“The environment is very dependent on the opponent.”

I would like the stadium to be full every Saturday. Not just for 1 or 2 games per year.”

“Point system to get students to stay/come early.”

“Get rid of alternate uniforms. Green and white only. Michigan, Alabama respect their traditions. MSU should as well.”

“Concession pricing is outrageous so I never buy anything.”

“A section for alum who want to stand and cheer like the student section.”

“Bring Spartan stadium to the modern age. Wi-Fi. Better resolution on screens, etc.”

“Stronger fan engagement + better attendance. Spartan Stadium isn’t a place teams are afraid to visit. Yet.”

“Play more rap, better restrooms, and better line-management when it comes to Melting Moments, stadium entry, restrooms, etc.”

“Better cell service.”

“Stop putting up the kicking net 10 minutes before they even kick the ball.”

“Better family experience (bathrooms, concessions upgrade and no ticket for kids on laps).”

“Perhaps find a way to get some more energy in the crowd sometimes.”

“Renovation of the current restrooms and reevaluate the no-bag policy.”

“Need a special tradition that involves fans (e.g. Iowa Wave; PSU whiteout; Michigan White Stripes, Wisc. Jump Around, etc.)”

“Free Melting Moments for everyone.”

Will Michigan State be better in 2022 than it was in 2021? (1,572 responses)

Michigan State went 11-2 in 2021. Will the team be better in 2022? About 55 percent of voters chose “no,” while just over 45 percent said “yes.”

This is an interesting question, and maybe the framing could’ve been better. I think there could be a scenario where Michigan State is a more balanced team with a worse record. Most fans already agree that the roster is better this year. We could see the defense improve, Thorne and the passing game take a step forward and the run game still look solid without Walker. However, maybe some of the tighter games don’t go the team’s way, or perhaps the schedule is a bit tougher, leading to fewer wins. That might be on the minds of fans, considering the results of our next question.

Michigan State’s regular-season record in 2022 will be… (1,573 responses)

A straightforward question, with options ranging from under .500 to 12 wins. Most fans see MSU going 9-3 in the regular season (44.1 percent), followed by 10-2 (26.1 percent), then 8-4 (17.7 percent). Another way to look at that: about 88 percent of voters believe MSU will win 8-10 games in the regular season. That’s where I have the team as well.

Twenty-six voters (1.7 percent) envision a 7-5 season, while more voters believe MSU will go 12-0 (16 votes) than under .500 (five votes) or 6-6 (one vote).

How optimistic are you for Michigan State’s future? (1,574 responses)

Now for some big-picture questions. Three options here: very optimistic, somewhat optimistic, not optimistic.

“Very optimistic” took 87.7 percent of the vote, followed by “somewhat optimistic” at 12 percent and “not optimistic” at 0.3 percent. Michigan State is still in the honeymoon phase of the Tucker era, and given the turnaround in 2021 and recruiting taking a step forward, the optimism makes sense.

Will Mel Tucker win a Big Ten championship at Michigan State? (1,567 responses)

Michigan State was a top-10 team in 2021 but finished third in its own division. That’s sort of where the East is these days. Beating Ohio State is far easier said than done, and Penn State and Michigan usually field competitive teams. Still, the overwhelming majority of MSU fans believe Tucker is capable of winning a Big Ten championship at Michigan State, with 95.1 percent of voters responding with “yes.”

Will Michigan State win a Big Ten championship in the next three years? (1,569 responses)

So now that we’ve established that MSU fans believe Tucker will win a Big Ten championship, how soon might that happen? Perhaps the next three years? That was the question posed here.

The responses dipped a bit, but more than 80 percent of voters believe MSU will win a Big Ten title in the next three years.

Will Michigan State become a College Football Playoff contender under Mel Tucker? (1,571 responses)

For our final question of the survey, we get to the bottom line. Tucker has won national championships at Ohio State and Alabama as an assistant and made a title-game appearance at Georgia. Will he be able to get Michigan State back in the CFP picture? Most of you believe the answer is yes. It accounted for 90.7 percent of the vote.

How might Michigan State get there? The Spartans were in the playoff picture in November, ranking third in the initial CFP rankings. However, losses to Purdue and Ohio State proved that there’s still work to do before this program becomes a true Playoff factor. CFP expansion could make things easier, but we’re still years away from that.

In the meantime, stacking talent via the transfer portal and the high school ranks is still the best way to battle now and build for the future. Michigan State is more equipped to do that now than in years past.

We’ll see where Tucker and Co. can take this thing in 2022 and beyond.

(Photo of Payton Thorne: Joe Robbins / Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)