Jonathan Smith gives Michigan State fans hope that the OL will finally improve

Jul 24, 2025; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Michigan State head coach Jonathan Smith speaks to the media during the Big Ten NCAA college football media days at Mandalay Bay Resort. Mandatory Credit: Lucas Peltier-Imagn Images
Jul 24, 2025; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Michigan State head coach Jonathan Smith speaks to the media during the Big Ten NCAA college football media days at Mandalay Bay Resort. Mandatory Credit: Lucas Peltier-Imagn Images | Lucas Peltier-Imagn Images

Big Ten Media Days was a chance for Michigan State fans to get an inside look at the team before the season kicks off. Head coach Jonathan Smith spoke openly about his expectations for year two and guys like Stanton Ramil, Jordan Hall, and Nick Marsh delivered some fantastic quotes.

The team is gearing up for what should be a critical season in terms of a rebuild and Smith has to be feeling some extra pressure with a new athletic director in charge.

That means a lot of improvement needs to be had at a number of positions.

Arguably the most important position group that needs to improve if Michigan State wants to make it to the postseason and end the three-year drought is the offensive line. Fans have been waiting for the line to live up to expectations for years, but it has consistently struggled. There's hope that Jim Michalczik can fix it.

Smith told the media this week that he believes that'll happen and sooner rather than later.

This is an encouraging quote considering Michigan State's offensive line has been the bane of every Spartan fan's existence dating back to the end of the Mark Dantonio era.

Smith did a great job in the transfer portal as well as the last two high school classes in the trenches, and he's even made it a point of emphasis in the 2026 class as the Spartans landed a four-star tackle already in Collin Campbell.

If the offensive line can take a step and give Aidan Chiles some time to throw while finally paving the way for a respectable run game, Michigan State is going to be a surprise in 2025.