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Michigan State Football: It’s easy to get excited about offensive line’s potential

By Connor Muldowney

Nov 28, 2020; East Lansing, Michigan, USA; Michigan State Spartans offensive line lines up against the Northwestern Wildcats defensive line during the game at Spartan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tim Fuller-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 28, 2020; East Lansing, Michigan, USA; Michigan State Spartans offensive line lines up against the Northwestern Wildcats defensive line during the game at Spartan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tim Fuller-USA TODAY Sports /
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I know I’m not alone when I say that the hire of Chris Kapilovic by Mel Tucker last year was one of my favorites. Michigan State football needed a ton of offensive line help and he was the right man for the job.

For years, Michigan State had a strong offensive line, but then it regressed in the final seasons of Mark Dantonio. It went from producing NFL talent such as Jack Conklin, Donavon Clark, Brian Allen, and Jack Allen to being one of the worst units in college football in just a few years.

The regression was felt heavily on offense as the Spartans failed to produce 1,000-yard rushers, quarterbacks were always running for their lives (Brian Lewerke), and it ranked close to the bottom of the Big Ten in total yards and scoring for years. From about 2018-20, Michigan State had one of the worst offenses in the country.

Kapilovic is hoping to change that and what he has returning in 2021 is intriguing.

The second-year offensive line coach for Michigan State has AJ Arcuri, JD Duplain, Blake Bueter, Nick Samac, Matt Carrick, Matt Allen, and Kevin Jarvis all back with starting experience and he brings in Arkansas State transfer Jarrett Horst who 247Sports ranked one of the top 150 transfers in the country for 2021.

Geno VanDeMark, Ethan Boyd, Brandon Baldwin, and Kevin Wigenton also come in with the 2021 class as a solid group to add to Dallas Fincher from the 2020 class and Spencer Brown from 2019.

The talent is there.

Kapilovic has a chance to work his magic for Michigan State football

While the talent is there, the coaching had not quite been where it needed to be for a few years before the new staff got to East Lansing and this is the perfect opportunity for Kapilovic to work his magic. If he turns this unit into one of the top 6-7 in the Big Ten for 2021, he will deserve all the praise.

Because if Michigan State’s offensive line improves drastically from where it’s been since about 2016, the Spartans could end up having an offense in the top half of the Big Ten as well.

All success runs through the offensive line. The run game has the pieces with Kenneth Walker III, Elijah Collins, Jordon Simmons, and Harold Joiner and the passing attack should be solid with either Anthony Russo or Payton Thorne under center and Jayden Reed, Ricky White, Jalen Nailor, Tre Mosley, CJ Hayes, Ian Stewart, Christian Fitzpatrick, Kameron Allen, Trenton Gillison, Terry Lockett, and Maliq Carr as their targets.

If the offensive line improves, the pieces are in place for MSU to have loads of success.

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