Michigan State football: How Spartans in the NFL fared in Week 1

Week 1 of the NFL season has concluded and some former Michigan State football players looked like stars.

Week 1 of the 2024 NFL season is in the books and some former Michigan State football players took the field.

The week started with a bang as the Chiefs took on the Ravens to start the season and one Spartan was involved in that game. Rookie center Nick Samac played the role of backup and he didn’t get any snaps.

But the Spartans in the NFL heated up on Friday and beyond.

So let’s take a look at how former Michigan State players did.

• Jayden Reed, WR, Packers: The former MSU receiver had four catches for 138 yards and a touchdown and he also rushed for a 33-yard score. He had two touchdowns in a losing effort in Brazil against the Eagles.
• Kirk Cousins, QB, Falcons: Cousins was not on his ‘A’ game with the Falcons, passing for just 155 yards and two interceptions with only one touchdown. He was 16-for-26 passing in a losing effort.
• Kenneth Walker III, RB, Seahawks: What an opener Kenneth Walker III had. He finished with 103 yards rushing and a touchdown on 20 carries and really played a critical role in leading the Seahawks past the Broncos.
• Keon Colemam, WR, Bills: Obviously some will debate if Keon Coleman is actually deserving of being on this list, but he attributes everything he knows to Courtney Hawkins and MSU. He finished with four catches for 51 yards in his first game with the Bills.
• Jalen Nailor, WR, Vikings: Jalen Nailor had just one catch against the Giants and it went for 21 yards and a touchdown. Hopefully his role increases with the Vikings.
• Bryce Baringer, P, Patriots: The former Michigan State punter had five punts for an average of 50 yards with a long of 56. Three of his five punts landed inside the 20 and really helped flip the field for the Patriots in a win over the Bengals.
• AJ Arcuri, OT, Rams: Lions fans got to see AJ Arcuri up close on Sunday night as he tried to block Aidan Hutchinson and had a tough time. It was his first extended action in the NFL and he struggled a bit.
• William Gholston, DL, Buccaneers: William Gholston recorded one tackle against the Commanders.

Other Spartans who made NFL teams but didn’t record any stats or were inactive in Week 1: Joe Bachie, Jack Conklin, Ben VanSumeren, Joe Samac, Connor Heyward, Taybor Pepper

As you can see, some Spartans really showed out in the opening week. Hopefully they can keep the momentum rolling in Week 2.