Michigan State opened fall camp last week.
Jack Camper was one of three early enrollees in Michigan State’s 2017 recruiting class and the only in the trio who didn’t play as a true freshman last year.
The former three-star prospect from national powerhouse IMG Academy in Florida moved from tight end to defensive end last fall while taking a redshirt. He was sidelined by an injury this spring but is now on the radar as a player to keep an eye on for the Spartans, who had their first practice of fall camp on Thursday.
“We moved him to defensive end and immediately saw his pass rush, he’s got great length, and he can be a factor there,” Michigan State coach Mark Dantonio said last week during Big Ten media days in Chicago. “If we need to move him back over to tight end to be a dual-type player, maybe we could, but I think right now getting him on the field and allowing him to play defense is the thing to do. I see him as being a guy that, if he has a great August, he’ll take off.”
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Camper has also bulked up. Michigan State released its fall camp roster and he is now listed at 6-foot-4 and 248 pounds. That’s a 23-pound gain from what he was listed at during the spring and the biggest weight increase on the team.
While more players added weight than dropped it, there were some who slimmed down.
Junior defensive tackle Mike Panasiuk said this spring he was cutting junk food from his diet to improve his conditioning. He’s down 11 pounds to 285 on his 6-4 frame. And his younger brother, 6-3 sophomore defensive end Jacub Panasiuk, dropped 15 pounds and is now listed at 254.
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Here are some other notable weight changes between Michigan State’s spring and fall rosters:
* Redshirt junior defensive end Kenny Willekes added 10 pounds and is now at 260.
* Redshirt sophomore defensive tackle Mufi Hill-Hunt lost 16 pounds and is listed at 285. He previously practiced at tight end and defensive end before making his debut at defensive tackle last season but suffered a season-ending knee injury in a loss at Ohio State.
* Redshirt junior safety David Dowell gained 10 pounds and is now at 206.
* Redshirt sophomore running back Austin Andrews added 14 pounds and is listed at 195. He made the switch from defensive back to running back during spring practice.
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* Redshirt freshman guard Matt Carrick lost 11 pounds and is listed at 317.
* Sophomore safety Dominique Long added 10 pounds and is now at 195.
* Sophomore guard Kevin Jarvis put on nine pounds and is at 321.
* Redshirt sophomore linebacker Brandon Randle added nine pounds and is now 234.
* Junior linebacker Joe Bachie put on eight pounds and is at 238.
* True freshman offensive lineman Dimitri Douglas added 16 pounds and is now 290. He was an early enrollee who was sidelined this spring by an Achilles injury.
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* Senior linebacker Grayson Miller added seven pounds and is at 215. He made the move from safety to linebacker in the spring.
* Redshirt junior long snapper Collin Caflisch added 10 pounds and is at 290.
* Redshirt junior cornerback Josh Butler gained nine pounds and is at 184.
* Fifth-year senior safety Matt Morrissey added seven pounds and is at 211.
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* True freshman safety Xavier Henderson gained six pounds and is up to 200.
* Sophomore offensive tackle Jordan Reid dropped six pounds and is at 275.
* Redshirt freshman running back Weston Bridges dropped six pounds and is at 195.
* True freshman linebacker Edward Warinner gained six pounds and is at 225.
* Redshirt freshman linebacker Noah Harvey added six pounds and is now 227.
* Redshirt freshman defensive tackle DeAri Todd gained six pounds and is at 280.
