MSU mailbag: Let's try making sense of the Elijah Collins mystery

Optimism has suddenly returned in East Lansing.

Apparently, that’s what an unexpected win over a rival will do for a program, and that’s exactly the position Michigan State is in after beating Michigan last week with a trip to Iowa coming up on Saturday.

There’s plenty to unpack with this team, too, and we dive into plenty of it in this week’s mailbag.

From the continued mystery of Elijah Collins and Devontae Dobbs to what Michigan State’s offense might look like moving forward, we do our best to provide the answers.

Question: What do you think is going on with Devontae Dobbs? If it were COVID, he wouldn't be at the games. If it were an injury he'd be dressed on the field. Discipline? Tucker pushing him mentally to get tougher? — @daveholz

Answer: You’re right about COVID, Dave. If that was the issue, he wouldn’t be out there sitting with the other players, but he was at the opener. I don’t think he’d be dressed if he was hurt. That’s not typically how it works unless they think there’s a chance he could play. Judging by Tucker’s response whenever he’s been asked, the issue is Dobbs isn’t ready to play, at least in the staff’s opinion. Is this on them? Is it on Dobbs not being in shape? Is it on Dobbs not living up to recruiting rankings? It’s tough to say with the limited access we get, but it sounds like he needs to start performing better in practice before he’ll get a shot.

More: Confidence adjustment helps MSU's Kalon Gervin play like 'baddest man on the field'

Q. What's going on with Elijah Collins? — @DanMuliett

A. It appears last year’s leading rusher might be falling into the Dobbs camp of simply not being the best option at his position, at least for right now. Collins has carried the ball 10 times for 8 yards, and while the offensive line has had its problems, Collins has not looked like himself running the ball. So far, it looks like freshman Jordon Simmons is making the most of it and is getting the bulk of the carries with the rest going to Connor Heyward. Unlike Dobbs, though, Collins has a track record and there’s a much better chance Collins gets things figured out and jumps right back into the running back rotation at some point this season.

Q. What happened to Tre’von Morgan? — @sam_cooper57

A. As everyone likely knows, Morgan had a knee injury in his first preseason camp last season and ended up taking a redshirt. We didn’t get a chance to see where he was physically during a spring game, but the 6-foot-6 matchup nightmare is clearly healthy as he did not play in the opener but was involved in special teams last week at Michigan. So, clearly, nothing has “happened” to Morgan. He’s traveling, which is a good sign in a deep position room, and I wouldn’t rule out seeing him in some goal line packages, at least, as the season progresses.

Q. Does MSU get 100 yards rushing vs. Iowa? — @Aurelius291

A. That’s a good question and I’ll answer it by saying if Michigan State expects to win it will have to go over the 100-yard mark. The 126 yards gained last week against Michigan was hardly a dominating effort, but it was a significant increase from the week before when the Spartans managed just 50 yards against Rutgers. It also allowed Rocky Lombardi time to throw the ball, resulting in another 300-plus yard game and plenty of big plays that turned the game.

Iowa has been solid against the run — it gave up 104 yards to Purdue and 143 to Northwestern — but the Hawkeyes are not overly imposing. If the MSU offensive line continues to progress, it should absolutely go for more than 100 yards on the ground.

Q. When it comes to playing time, how much of a factor is it that MSU basically has a free redshirt year for all fall athletes? — @pfnnewmedia

A. I don’t think there’s any doubt that Mel Tucker and his staff plan to play who they believe are the best guys at each position and who gives Michigan State the best chance to win. I honestly don’t think they’re juggling a depth chart based on anything more than that. If the season gets out of hand negatively, perhaps you see an effort to play some of the younger guys, but until then, I don’t see it shifting, primarily because in many spots on the field, the younger players are the better players.

More: Trieu: Michigan State already getting a recruiting boost from win over Michigan

Q. Do you expect the deep ball to become a staple of Jay Johnson's attack? Because if it’s exciting to me, it has to be exciting to QB and WR recruits. — @pfnnewmedia

A. Perhaps, but let’s remember, when devising a game plan against Michigan, it’s clear the weakness in the defense is at cornerback. So, a big part of Michigan State’s plan was based on the fact it was going after the Wolverines where they are most vulnerable. The silver lining for Michigan State was the fact it discovered it has yet another playmaker in Ricky White to go along with Jayden Reed and Jalen Nailor. Add in Tre Mosley when he’s healthy and that’s a formidable group of receivers that are going to be a big part of the game plan regardless of opponent.

Q. Do you think MSU is now in better position for the 1, 2, 3 or 4 seed for the CFB playoffs?  If the crazies can call for Tucker’s head last week then I can call for this! — @witkowtoboggan

A. We always have to have a little fun with the mailbag, right. I’d bet MSU loses out on the fact it lost at home to Rutgers. No way it comes to that, but how crazy would it be if that game keeps the Spartans from the field? That said, I’m not sure who in the Big Ten is beating Ohio State.

Q. When do the TEs (Matt Dotson or Trenton Gillison) get involved in passing game? — @JB_Nimble

A. That’s a good question. Through two games, Dotson has five receptions while Gillison has yet to catch a pass. Both are getting extensive snaps, but considering the fact we were led to believe the tight end will be important in this offense, it’s at least a little bit surprising the production has been limited. I still think Gillison has a ton of upside, and like I said, he and Dotson are rotating regularly. I’ll give it a few more weeks and reassess the tight ends at that point.

Q. Are all the starters healthy heading into Iowa? — @stevenDiVietri4

A. Here’s another area we’re having trouble getting information thanks to limited access in the COVID era. We know center Matt Allen and wide receiver Tre Mosley are hurt, but neither seems to be long term considering Mosley was in uniform at Michigan and Allen made the trip. Guards Blake Bueter and Matt Carrick also got hurt last week, but Bueter came back and neither looks too serious. So, all things considered, MSU is fairly healthy.

Q. Where are Dobbs and Barnett? Any update on Gates Jr.?  What defines a successful season now or do we already have one? How much does a good season impact the speed of the turnaround? — @matthewdyer97

A. Lot to unpack here, and we already covered Dobbs. With Julian Barnett, I think it’s more of him getting a firm understanding of the defense and fitting him into a deep group of corners. He’s got tons of talent — just watch him on special teams — and I think it’s only a matter of time before he’s getting more regular reps on defense.

I think there needs to be more than one win over Michigan to say it’s a successful season. I think four total wins would be huge, but if you add in clear progress from young players on both sides of the ball, it would have to be declared successful. Win a few more and it certainly doesn’t hurt on the recruiting trail, which, of course, speeds up the process.

More: Three-star Baton Rouge safety Jah'Von Grigsby says he's de-committing from Michigan State

Q. With Jah'von Grigsby decommitting, that makes three to decommit from MSU from the Class of '21. Do you attribute this to the virus and the inability to do in-person visits, or something else? — @nybergjo

A. I attribute it to life in college football recruiting. This happens every season to virtually every team, so I wouldn’t sweat it in terms of it being some sort of negative trend. Yes, the pandemic has made recruiting even more unpredictable than ever and, yes, the inability to get players on campus is a big part of that. However, every team is dealing with it. What stings most is the fact Grigsby was seen as one of Tucker’s best commitments in the class.

mcharboneau@detroitnews.com

Twitter: @mattcharboneau