Jordan Reid, Michigan State's top offensive lineman, will opt out for 2020

Michigan State opened preseason camp on Friday and it did so without one of its most experienced offensive lineman.

Senior Jordan Reid, who has started 27 of 39 career games at right tackle, announced he was opting out of the 2020 season over concerns surrounding COVID-19 and will return in 2021 for his fifth season.

“After thoughtful talks with my family, coaching staff and academic advisors I have decided to opt out of the 2020 football season,” Reid said in a post on Twitter. “I will be graduating in December with my undergrad and plan on coming back to MSU for my 5th year. Due to all of the uncertainty in regards to COVID-19 and personal family experiences, I feel this is the best choice for me during these tough times.”

Reid becomes the second Michigan State player to opt out of the season, joining senior defensive end Jacub Panasiuk, who also announced this week that he would take a redshirt year and return for his fifth season in 2021.

On Thursday when coach Mel Tucker was asked about his reaction to Panasiuk’s decision, he offered his support and said there were others on the team considering a similar move.

“That's their individual decision, and whatever they decide to do, we're gonna support them,” Tucker said. “One thing that we've been able to establish within a short period of time here is we've been able to establish a certain amount of trust. Our communication – player to coach and coach to player – has been very good and it's grown. So we're able to have an open and honest dialogue.”

Reid had already expressed his concerns about playing this season. On July 24, he posted a message on Twitter questioning why college football would be played this fall.

“Guys are testing positive across the country left and right ... why is there still discussion on a season?” he wrote. “Why is it taking so long to make a logical decision? Hmm let me guess REVENUE #NCAA #B1G10”

More: Michigan State will 'hit the field running' as camp opens after virus setbacks

Reid made The Detroit News Dream Team as a senior at Detroit Cass Tech in 2016. He was the No. 9 player on The Detroit News Blue Chip list for the 2017 recruiting class. Once at Michigan State, Reid made an immediate impact, appearing in all 13 games as a true freshman in 2017 as the Spartans won 10 games. As a sophomore in 2018, Reid started all 13 games at right tackle, the only Spartan to start all 13 games at the same position as he was named MSU’s outstanding underclass lineman.

As a junior in 2019, Reid again started all 13 games and was named Michigan State’s most outstanding offensive lineman.

If the season is played, the Spartans could go any number of directions to replace Reid at right tackle. Fifth-year senior Luke Campbell, one of the team’s most versatile linemen, started 12 games at right tackle in 2017 before giving way to Reid. He’s also had starts at left tackle and both guard positions and was named honorable mention All-Big Ten in 2017.

The Spartans also have a glut at left tackle as junior Kevin Jarvis, fifth-year senior AJ Arcuri and redshirt freshman Devontae Dobbs all had starts last season. Each could make the move to the right side while Jarvis could move back to the interior of the line as he bounces back from a leg injury that wiped out most of last season.

Reid’s absence could also provide an opportunity for redshirt freshman Spencer Brown, who did not appear in a game last season.

However it shakes out, the Spartans will be filling a significant hole for an offense that struggled to put points on the board last season.

“We've got some young guys with length that are athletic that just haven't had a lot of playing time that we have to develop,” offensive line coach Chris Kapilovic said on the spring. “Right now I'd say looking at it, tackle is the place that we are really going to have to work hard and develop some depth, more so even maybe than the interior.”

mcharboneau@detroitnews.com

Twitter: @mattcharboneau