Michigan State’s offensive line may finally have some real competition brewing.
For years, the Spartans’ biggest offensive problem has been up front, where the line has cycled through coaches and struggled to become a strength. Even with several draft picks coming out of the group under Mel Tucker and Jonathan Smith, the unit has remained one of the most frustrating parts of the depth chart since Mark Dantonio retired. Chris Kapilovic and Jim Michalczik both had a hard time flipping that script.
Now, though, Pat Fitzgerald is sounding encouraged about what he sees.
At Big Ten Media Days, Fitzgerald said the Spartans have far more bodies in the mix than they’ve had before.
Pat Fitzgerald: "I feel great about our competitive depth, most importantly with our offensive line. There are 10 or 11 guys competing for starting roles.
When I took over, that was a different story. We will play a lot of players to start."
That kind of number can mean different things, but the takeaway here is pretty clear: Michigan State appears to have real depth, even if the starting five isn’t fully settled yet. The most likely read is that three or four spots are already spoken for, while the remaining jobs are still being sorted out among a larger group. That’s a much healthier place to be than scrambling for answers.
It also tells you Fitzgerald is still working through the puzzle. He’s trying to figure out where everyone fits, who belongs where, and how to line up the best combination. That process matters, especially when a line has been a question mark for so long.
And if Fitzgerald truly believes 10 or 11 players can start, that’s a major step forward for the room.
There’s also a growing sense that Michigan State’s line could be better than people think under Nick Tabacca in year one. The group isn’t getting much attention around the Big Ten, but there’s a case to be made that it could end up as one of the conference’s top 7-8 units. At the very least, it looks capable of landing in the top half of the league.
That would also make it one of the most improved lines nationally.
The players Fitzgerald appears to have in the starting mix include Nick Sharpe, Rakeem Johnson, Conner Moore, Trent Fraley, Luka Vincic, Robert Wright Jr., Rustin Young, Ben Murawski, AJ Dennis and Collin Campbell.
A younger player such as Drew Nichols, Eli Bickel or Antonio Johnson could also work his way into the conversation, but those 10 names are the most likely to be battling for jobs this fall.
For a program that has spent years searching for stability up front, that’s a meaningful development. And if Fitzgerald’s read is right, Michigan State’s offensive line may finally have enough depth to matter.
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