Michigan State football injuries: Chance Rucker on growing list of Spartans out long-term
EAST LANSING — Injuries continue to pile up for Michigan State football two weeks into the 2024 season.
First-year coach Jonathan Smith said Monday sophomore cornerback Chance Rucker will miss 6-to-8 weeks with an upper body injury suffered in Saturday’s 27-24 win at Maryland to open Big Ten play.
“Which is unfortunate, because I do think he was progressing,” Smith said of Rucker, who went straight to the locker room with an apparent right arm injury after making a tackle late in the third quarter. “And that'll be the next-man-up kind of mentality.”
How that shapes up, though, could be difficult.
Rucker is the third defensive back to suffer a long-term injury through the first two games for the Spartans (2-0, 1-0 Big Ten).
Dillon Tatum and Khalil Majeed are expected to miss most or the rest of the season, Smith revealed last week. And cornerback Ed Woods, an Arizona State transfer who started at Maryland, did not play after halftime Saturday.
Smith said Woods, as well as wide receiver Jaron Glover, are not expected to be long-term injuries. Glover also left the game midway through the third quarter and did not return, but remained on the sideline in uniform.
“We’ll see how they progress through the week, but we’re hopeful,” Smith said of Woods and Glover as MSU prepares to host Prairie View A&M (1-1), a Football Championship Subdivision opponent, on Saturday at Spartan Stadium (3:30 p.m., BTN).
Two other players are dealing with long-term injuries, offensive lineman Kristian “Big Dooley” Phillips and wide receiver Alante Brown.
Rucker started eight games and played in all 12 last season as a true freshman, finishing with 23 tackles, four pass breakups and an interception. Rucker, 6 feet 1 and 181 pounds, started the opener against Florida Atlantic but ceded that spot to Woods at Maryland, rotating with the senior transfer from Arizona State opposite senior cornerback Charles Brantley. Brantley played every snap Saturday, according to Pro Football Focus.
With both Rucker and Woods ailing, MSU turned to junior Ade Willie and LSU transfer Jeremiah Hughes for depth in the second half.
“There's other guys who are going to get more opportunity to fill in, which I'm excited about,” Smith said. “We've got some younger players that have been working hard. Haven't gotten in on defense as much, and they might get an opportunity to force our hand to do it.”
Despite the injuries, the vibe remains positive coming out of a Big Ten-opening comeback win and marquee performance by sophomore quarterback Aidan Chiles (363 yards passing, three touchdowns) and freshman receiver Nick Marsh (194 yards on eight catches and a TD). Marsh was named Big Ten Freshman of the Week.
“I'm interested to see on their prep this week,” Smith said, “because we want to play our best football in this Week 3 that we've played all year.”
RELATED: Michigan State football grades after MSU's win at Maryland
What time is the Michigan State vs. Boston College game?
The Spartans' road game Sept. 21 in Week 4 at Boston College (2-0) will kick off at 8 p.m. It will air on the ACC Network.
MSU is 1-4-1 against the Eagles all-time and has not played them in Boston since 1992. Their last meeting was a 24-21 BC victory in the 2007 Champs Sports Bowl; the Spartans' lone victory was a 25-21 win in 1995.
Contact Chris Solari: csolari@freepress.com. Follow him @chrissolari.
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This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Chance Rucker injury update: Michigan State CB out 6-8 weeks
