Michael Masunas: “We have one of the best TE groups in the nation”

Michigan State tight end Michael Masunas had some high praise for his fellow position mates on Tuesday afternoon.

Michigan State’s tight end group has been consistently ranked as a top position group in the Big Ten by many experts and coaches. Jack Velling is not the only reason, as other threats have popped up in fall and spring camp. Junior Michael Masunas is one of those names.

Last season, Masunas only recorded four catches for 37 total yards. On Friday night, though, Masunas posted over half of his yards from last season in just four quarters.

The junior tight end had two catches for 22 yards on play-action boot plays near the endzone. His second catch was his big one, breaking two tackles on his way inside of the 10-yard-line.

During Tuesday’s press conference, Masunas attributed some of his early success to the variety of talent in the receiver room as a whole, “I think it spreads the defense out in ways. We can go 12 personnel and they (defense) has to go base personnel. It creates mismatches for tight ends, and it is a good balance to use to keep defenses on their toes.”

Masunas went one step further in his praise of his teammates, saying that Michigan State’s tight end room is one of the best in college football.

“I think we have one of the best tight end groups in the nation,” Masunas said. “Not just Jack (Velling) and I, but BP (Brennan Parachek), Kai (Rios), Jayden (Savoury), some of the younger guys coming in.”

That should give fans a good feeling about the room as a whole.

Speaking on the feeling of being back in Spartan Stadium, Masunas said he was “happy to be back”, and how much he felt like the stadium as a whole really resembled the family environment he loves.

Tuesday’s conference reinforced that idea as Mansunas explained how the staff cares about every player like their family. When asked about the staff and tight ends coach Brian Wozniak, Masunas said, “I think this staff in general is a family environment. They always have their family around and they want you to have your family around and that is something that is really big with me.”

Wozniak and staff have used a ‘process’ when it comes to creating their program. A big part of the process? Family.

“Kids are changing.  You try to find the right kids and you usually see that with their parents,” Wozniak described to the media. “Michael, in particular, is not a one-trick pony. He is a steady guy.”

Coming back from his season-ending injury last year, Masunas has been required to be steady. With the depth in the offense not only in the tight ends room but also as a receiver itself, Masunas continues to impress and climb the depth chart with his faith in God and his family riding behind him.