Jack Velling injury update: Michigan State TE taken to hospital after leaving game vs. Purdue

After suffering an injury in the first quarter against Purdue on Friday, Michigan State tight end Jack Velling was taken to the hospital, a team spokesperson told MLive’s Matt Wenzel. He took a big hit on the Spartans’ first possession, which ended with a touchdown.

Velling left the game on a cart after colliding with Purdue safety Dillon Thieneman while trying to catch a pass from Aidan Chiles. He stayed on the ground for several minutes before leaving on the cart, flashing a thumbs-up to the crowd on his way out.

Velling’s exact injury wasn’t clear at the time of publication. Michigan State took a 7-3 lead at the end of the drive and later extended its lead to 24-3 in the third quarter at Spartan Stadium.

Jack Velling is an important part of the Spartans’ passing attack after re-joining Aidan Chiles and head coach Jonathan Smith after a year together at Oregon State. He entered Friday’s game third on the MSU roster with 30 receptions for 323 yards, but was still searching for his first touchdown catch of the year.

Michigan State went into Friday night’s matchup two wins away from bowl eligibility in Year 1 under Smith. The Spartans are in the midst of a three-game losing streak, most recently falling to Illinois on the road a week ago. Chiles has had an up-and-down go through his first full year as a starter, throwing 11 interceptions through 10 games while adding 2,106 yards and 10 touchdowns.

But as the season went along, Chiles started to feel the game slow down a bit. That could set him up for a strong finish to bring some momentum into 2025.

“I’ve been playing football for a while, so I’ve seen a lot,” Chiles said, via SpartanMag’s Jake Lyskawa. “But as a first year starter, there’s just a lot that you see within the game. It’s not just what I learned over the (first) 10 games, it’s just in general, with this team, with this offense, being a starter, it’s just growing with it. There’s a lot of growth that has to be done, not even (from) the first week, but from fall camp to now, spring ball to now. There’s a lot more on your shoulders than you think, but I chose this job. I signed up for what I signed up for.”