LB Brady Pretzlaff Out in Initial Availability Report
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The Big Ten released its first availability report Wednesday night, giving fans their first official glimpse at player availability heading into Saturday's matchup between Michigan State and Nebraska.
This is the first season of the conference's new availability reporting system. Teams are required to release reports Wednesday, Thursday and Friday by 8 p.m. ET, followed by a final report two hours before kickoff.
The Spartans currently have six players listed as out for Saturday's Big Ten opener against the Cornhuskers, while three more are listed as questionable.
Of those six players, two names immediately stand out.
Brady Pretzlaff Ruled Out
The biggest name for Spartan fans is linebacker Brady Pretzlaff.
Pretzlaff has quickly become one of the players who embodies what it means to be a Spartan. His impact has been evident not only in the practice and locker room, but on the field throughout the first three games of the season.
Pretzlaff started the season strong and had already accumulated 17 tackles through three games before leaving last week's loss to Notre Dame with an injury. That ranked second on the team at the time.
The development is especially notable considering Pretzlaff played in only three games last season before suffering a season-ending injury, finishing that stretch with four total tackles.
This season has been a completely different story.
Pretzlaff came out of the gate with something to prove, bringing energy and physicality to a Michigan State defense that has relied heavily on its linebackers. His absence against Nebraska will be felt.
The injury looked serious when it happened against Notre Dame, so seeing Pretzlaff ruled out for Week 4 is certainly difficult news, though not entirely unexpected. The hope now is that he can continue to recover and return to the field later this season.
Spartan Nation will certainly be rooting for that outcome.
Jay Coyne's Absence Could Be Felt
The other notable name ruled out is fullback Jay Coyne.
Coyne may not have a statistic that jumps off the page, but his impact on Michigan State's offense has been much greater than a box score can show.
His presence as a blocker has been important to both the Spartans' running game and pass protection, particularly for a Michigan State offense that has featured Cam Edwards heavily.
After two games, Edwards led the Big Ten in rushing, and while his patience and vision deserve plenty of credit, the work happening in front of him has played a major role as well.
One of those key pieces has been Coyne.
With Coyne unavailable against Nebraska, Michigan State will have to lean on other players to fill his role in the run game and pass protection.
The other four Spartans listed as out are Eliyjah Caldwell, Eli Bickel, Tristan Comer and Joe Caudill. All four are freshmen who have yet to appear in a game this season.
Three Spartans Listed as Questionable
Michigan State also has three players listed as questionable: wide receiver K.K. Smith, cornerback Tyran Chappell and defensive lineman Cal Thrush.
Smith played in the season opener and recorded one reception for 10 yards.
Chappell has played in all three games and has recorded eight total tackles and a pass deflection. As one of the Spartans' top secondary backups, his availability could be particularly important as Michigan State prepares for Nebraska's offense.
Thrush has also appeared in all three games and has been part of the Spartans' defensive line rotation, recording half a tackle so far this season.
The availability report will continue to change throughout the week, with Michigan State required to release additional reports Thursday and Friday before the final report arrives Saturday afternoon.
The Spartans and Cornhuskers will kick off at 5 p.m. ET Saturday at Spartan Stadium, with the game airing on Big Ten Network.
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