Michigan States prospects within the Big Ten
Michigan State and coach Jonathan Smith are entering the first season of a program that they hope will quickly become dependent on the restructuring of the school’s football program.
As Coach Smith and his coaching staff embark on what will likely be an uphill battle, ESPN editor Bill Connelly took the time to evaluate Michigan State’s prospects for the upcoming season within the Big Ten.
Connelly gave a fair assessment, listing Michigan State in the category of “just looking for a way to get to 6-6.” Considering how talented the Big Ten as a whole is and the difficulties Coach Smith will face in his first season at Michigan State, it’s fair to say Michigan State will have to dig deep to reach the six-win mark and earn a bowl berth in Coach Smith’s first season in East Lansing.
“Jonathan Smith has had an epic rebuild at Oregon State,” Connelly said. “He’s taking over another one in East Lansing, and it might take a while for him to get going. Only five starters and three starters return from an offense that plummeted to 122nd in offensive SP+; the defense was decent, but only seven of 15 players with 200 snaps return there, too.”
Connelly pointed out the talent Michigan State has on defense this season after graduating with one of the better transfer portal classes in the country. Connelly believes Michigan State’s defense is ahead of the offense as they prepare for one of the most challenging schedules in the country.
“The defense was further along than the offense, but it still says something that Smith felt the need to sign 15 players for proven coordinator Joe Rossi,” Connelly said. “The line is getting a complete overhaul, but Smith found a potential gem in Middle Tennessee end Quindarius Dunnigan (8.5 TFLs, 11 run stops), and sophomore holdover Jalen Thompson was good in a small sample size. The linebackers could also be bolstered by ODU linebacker Wayne Matthews III (10.5 TFLs, 21 run stops), and the combination of UCF safety Nikai Martinez and Arizona State corner Ed Woods with returning safety Angelo Grose and cornerbacks Chance Rucker and Dillon Tatum could give the Spartans a particularly disruptive secondary.
“It’s harder to be immediately optimistic on offense because things were so bad last season, but I like the decisions Smith has made. He signed both a veteran quarterback in Tommy Schuster from North Dakota (one of my favorite FCS QBs in recent years) and a top-notch sophomore in Aidan Chiles from Oregon State. He added 1,100-yard rusher Kay’Ron Lynch-Adams (UMass) and tight end Jack Velling (Oregon State) to the talent pool and kept top receiver Montorie Foster Jr. There’s potential there, but only one of seven linemen with at least 200 snaps returns, and Smith signed just three transfer linemen. The depth up front is beyond poor.”
While Chiles is undoubtedly talented, Connelly believes his inexperience is something to keep in mind. The quarterback rarely played quarterback at Oregon State, but Connelly noted that Chiles performed well when he got playing time.
“Chiles, one of Smith’s most touted OSU recruits, only played 94 times last season while backing up DJ Uiagalelei, but he was terrific“, Connelly said. “He has completed 24 of 35 passes for 309 yards and four touchdowns and, aside from four sacks (admittedly way too many for 42 dropbacks), has rushed 13 times for 107 yards. If he doesn’t take too many sacks, he could single-handedly lead the MSU offense toward competency.”
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