Michigan State’s offensive line is shaping up as one of the biggest swing factors in the fall, and Conner Moore sits right at the center of it.
The redshirt senior is the lone constant from MSU’s starting five up front, which is why he lands at No. 9 in this countdown. After transferring from Montana State, Moore is heading into his second year with the program, and the Spartans are counting on him to help anchor a group that will feature four new starters.
Moore gave Michigan State something it could trust last season. He was the only offensive lineman on the roster to start all 12 games in 2025, and his 765 offensive snaps - out of 798 possible - were the most on the team.
Among Spartan linemen who played at least 200 snaps, PFF graded him second-best with an overall mark of 68.3. The only player ahead of him was center Matt Gulbin, who was drafted this spring in the sixth round by the Washington Commanders.
His arrival in East Lansing came with plenty of buzz. 247Sports ranked Moore 133rd overall in its portal class and 21st among offensive tackles. At Montana State in 2024, he was a Second Team FCS All-American, and Michigan State had to fend off Ohio State and other Power Four programs to get him.
Still, his first season with the Spartans probably came in a little below expectations on an individual level. That was made tougher by the constant shuffling.
For the first seven or eight games, Moore bounced between left and right tackle, a difficult adjustment because the outside edge gives you no help and the footwork flips depending on the side. As the saying goes, it’s a little like writing with your left or right hand - same job, different feel.
Part of that movement was tied to Stanton Ramil missing most of the year. Michigan State’s former starting left tackle appeared in only five games and logged 163 offensive snaps, and the staff initially leaned on Moore to cover the left side because that spot protects Aidan Chiles’ and Alessio Milivojevic’s blind side.
That made sense given Moore’s background: he played left tackle at Montana State and piled up more than 1,400 snaps there. Right tackle was the new challenge when he got to East Lansing.
Eventually, the Spartans shifted again. Rustin Young started taking over at left tackle, and Moore moved back to the right side. The hope now is that he won’t have to keep bouncing around.
That’s where Ben Murawski comes in. The UConn transfer is one of Michigan State’s highest-rated portal additions this offseason and was the first transfer portal commit to publicly announce for MSU this winter. He’s also viewed as a strong run blocker, which gives the Spartans another option on the left side and could let Moore settle in at right tackle.
That kind of stability would matter. Moore has already added five pounds since the end of last season, going from 306 to 311, and he’s had more time to keep building toward the fall. If he can focus on one spot instead of two, the expectation is that his play should take a step forward.
There’s also a local angle to his story. Moore grew up in Millbury, Ohio, but chose Michigan State over Ohio State, a bit of a contrarian move from a kid in Buckeye country. Millbury sits close to Toledo and the Michigan-Ohio border, so maybe it’s disputed ground anyway.
For Michigan State, though, the bigger issue is simple: Moore has to be good. Tackles drive everything on the edge, and they’re the ones staring down the best pass rushers on the other side. If he struggles, the pressure lands on the quarterback, the offense stalls, and the whole operation feels it.
Moore will also be asked to lead, especially with so much turnover around him. Projected right guard Luka Vincic is technically a returner, but he played only two games before a season-ending injury in his first year with the team after transferring from Oregon State. South Carolina transfer Nick Sharpe is another veteran presence, and while he’s new to Michigan State, he’s already familiar with offensive line coach Nick Tabacca from their four years together at Wake Forest, where Sharpe eventually became a starter.
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