LOOK: Michigan State head coach Mel Tucker releases NFT

Michigan State head coach Mel Tucker had a very successful season during his first year as the head man of the Spartans–leading them to a 11-2 overall record. He’s one of the game’s rising stars in the coaching profession and he landed a massive contract extension with the Spartans last year. The talented head coach decided to join the wave of the future on Thursday by releasing his very own NFT, non-fungible token.

#NFTuck is LIVE AND AVAILABLE for purchase now at https://t.co/ZylIvbrcwe

Be the first ever to own an NFT from me that provides access unlike anything seen in sports. pic.twitter.com/7i9q4940IH

— Mel Tucker (@Coach_mtucker) August 4, 2022

It’s a pretty sleek design and he’s definitely one of the first head coaches to release their very own NFT in college athletics. It’s also very interesting that ownership of the NFT will provide “access unlike anything seen in sports,” per his announcement.

He recently gave his thoughts on Jalen Berger and Jarek Broussard

Last year, Mel Tucker struck gold in the transfer portal, landing Kenneth Walker III from the transfer portal. But the 2021 Doak Walker Award winner is now in the NFL, and the Spartans now have to replace that production.

That’s where Jalen Berger and Jarek Broussard enter the conversation.

Both players headed to East Lansing via the portal — Berger as a mid-year transfer from Wisconsin and Broussard from Tucker’s previous stop in Colorado. At Big Ten Media Days, Tucker lofted some high praise on the duo and shared his expectations for Michigan State’s revamped running backs room.

“Berger came us to midyear,” Tucker said. “We got him in January. He’s a very talented young man, very talented. He really bought in right away to our culture and what we’re all about. He’s really started to bond with his teammates, and he’s really opened up. So we’ve gotten to know him over these past several months, and he is a very versatile guy. He’s an excellent runner, and he’s excellent in terms of receiving the ball out of the backfield. He’s a competitor, and I’m glad we got him.

“Jarek Broussard, he played for us at Colorado when I was there. Tremendous, tremendous back. Also excellent ball skills, can catch the ball out of the backfield. Super hyper-competitive. We got him this summer, and he’s a guy that can do a lot of things. Those two guys were obviously portal guys for us that made our team better and made our running back room more competitive.”

Mel Tucker weighs in on NFL comparisons in recruiting

As the transfer portal landscape continues to evolve around college football the comparisons are rolling in to the NFL model. “Free agency” has been thrown around, coaches are now tasked with balancing the high school recruiting trail with the portal.

Michigan State head coach Mel Tucker has been in those NFL circles, and shared his approach to the current recruiting landscape.

During his opening press conference at Big Ten Media Days, Tucker — a former NFL defensive coordinator — discussed his approach to recruiting. He’s had success both at the high school and transfer levels on the trail, notably landing Wake Forest transfer and 2021 Doak Walker Award winner Kenneth Walker III last year and bringing in the No. 24 recruiting class in the country from the class of 2022, according to the On3 Consensus Team Recruiting Ranking.

Tucker has found a balance, and it stems from his NFL days.

“We embrace the portal,” Tucker said. “We’re going to build our team through the high school ranks. It’s very similar to what we did while I was in the NFL. You want to build through the draft. You complement or supplement your roster through free agency.

“So the high school ranks, for us, is the draft. The portal is free agency.”

On3’s Nick Schultz also contributed to this article.