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Michigan State Football: What’s on a Spartan fan’s ideal Christmas wish list?

By Emmett Matasovsky

Sep 25, 2021; East Lansing, Michigan, USA; Michigan State Spartans punter Bryce Baringer (99) punts the ball during the third quarter against the Nebraska Cornhuskers at Spartan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Raj Mehta-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 25, 2021; East Lansing, Michigan, USA; Michigan State Spartans punter Bryce Baringer (99) punts the ball during the third quarter against the Nebraska Cornhuskers at Spartan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Raj Mehta-USA TODAY Sports /
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Michigan State quarterback Payton Thorne takes the snap from center Nick Samac (59) against Western Michigan during the second half at Spartan Stadium in East Lansing on Friday, Sept. 2, 2022.
Michigan State quarterback Payton Thorne takes the snap from center Nick Samac (59) against Western Michigan during the second half at Spartan Stadium in East Lansing on Friday, Sept. 2, 2022. /

4. Offensive line help

One of the biggest issues plaguing the Spartans in 2022 was poor or inconsistent offensive line play. To make things worse, Matt Carrick, Brian Greene, and Jarrett Horst have all exhausted their eligibility. The Spartans return quite a few players, most notably Nick Samac, Geno Vandemark, Spencer Brown, and JD Duplain. Additionally, all three players from the 2022 class have had a season to redshirt and bulk up for Big Ten play.

The Spartans hold two commits from the 2023 class, those being Stanton Ramil and Cole Dellinger, with Ramil being a top 250 prospect and Dellinger being just outside the top 400. Johnathan Slack recently decommitted from the Spartans, leading me to include another offensive lineman on my Christmas list.

The Spartan offensive line struggled without AJ Arcuri, Matt Allen, and Kevin Jarvis this year. Additionally, Kenneth Walker III’s unreal talent covered up the offensive line struggles last season. Without a generational running back on the field, defenses ate our offensive line alive this year, with Payton Thorne having so little time and forcing bad passes after our running game could not go.

Next year, there will be a lot of youth and inexperience on the line, so I would not be surprised if the Spartans hit the portal. The Spartans could double down and grab a recruit or two as well. If they choose to go this route, Spartan Nation has one dream.

Obviously, the dream and best Christmas gift of all would be the Pancake Honcho himself. Samson Okunlola is a top-20 prospect and the Spartans recently made the Massachusetts prospect’s top four. I would rank the Spartans as a long shot to land him, but this is Christmas time, and we all have that item that we place on the list as a dream. He announces his commitment on Dec. 15, so we will find out shortly.

Keyshawn Blackstock, a JUCO product, has been mentioned quite a few times and would be an instant upgrade if he decides to take his talents to East Lansing.

How will you get to or from the Christmas party without driving? We need a drive up front, and a new offensive lineman will help us achieve this.

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