Michigan State releases availability report ahead of season opener vs. Central Michigan

Michigan State has released its availability report for Friday night’s game against Central Michigan. The game is set to kick off at 7 p.m. ET.

Starting center Nick Samac and running back Jaren Mangham are both questionable for the game. Eight Spartans — cornerback Semar Melvin, linebacker Ma’a Gaoteote, defensive lineman Jarrett Jackson, safety Harold Joiner III, linebacker Darius Snow, offensive tackle Stanton Ramil, offensive lineman Gavin Brocious and defensive lineman Alex VanSumeren — are all out.

Samac is one of the biggest names on Michigan State’s availability report as he anchors the offensive line. He has started 22 games at center and appeared in 38 overall in his career, including every game last year. His availability would be key for MSU as it looks to start a bounce-back season.

Starting this season, Big Ten teams will provide availability reports two hours prior to kickoff. The purpose is to provide a more standardized announcement of who can and can’t play, especially given the current presence of gambling in the sports landscape.

“The well-being of our students, coaches, and staff, as well as the integrity of our competitions are of paramount importance,” Big Ten commissioner Tony Petitti said in a press release. “Enhanced transparency through availability reporting and partnering with U.S. Integrity strengthens our efforts to protect those who participate in our games as well as the integrity of the games themselves. I’m grateful for the collaboration of our schools, coaches, and administrators.”

What’s at stake for Mel Tucker, Michigan State in 2023

This year marks Mel Tucker’s fourth at the helm and the second since he signed a lucrative contract extension. His second season in 2021 went incredibly well with an 11-2 record and saw him receive a 10-year, $95 million contract. However, Michigan State missed out on a bowl game in 2022 with a 5-7 record, adding to the pressure on Tucker and the Spartans this year.

He understands what’s at stake, but Tucker said his expectations for himself are even higher than those outside the program.

“I put a tremendous amount of pressure on myself all the time,” Tucker said, via SpartanMag. “So the pressure I feel, the same pressure I feel every day and for the last 27 years is to coach hard and get the people that are around me to coach hard and play hard. No one could put more pressure on me than I put on myself. I mean, there is no situation possible.

“And so I mean, I’ve coached at the highest level, the smallest place I’ve coached was Miami of Ohio for one year in ‘99 and I’ve never been anywhere where you weren’t expected to win games.”

On3’s Nick Kosko contributed to this report.