It’s no secret that Michigan State’s biggest offensive weakness for years has been the offensive line. While the unit produced several draft picks under Mel Tucker and Jonathan Smith, it has been one of the biggest disappointments on the depth chart since Mark Dantonio retired.
The offensive line has shuffled through multiple head coaches and position coaches. It’s been tough to watch as Chris Kapilovic and Jim Michalczik struggled to turn things around.
That could be changing soon, however.
According to an update from Pat Fitzgerald at Big Ten Media Days, the offensive line might actually have a pulse this season — and then some.
Pat Fitzgerald: "I feel great about our competitive depth, most importantly with our offensive line. There are 10 or 11 guys competing for starting roles. When I took over, that was a different story. We will play a lot of players to start."
— Emmett Matasovsky (@E_Matasovsky57) July 29, 2026
I know it might not sound great that 10-11 guys are competing for starting jobs along the offensive line because that might mean that no one is really standing out, but what he means by that is there are probably 3-4 starters locked in and the last two spots are up for grabs between about 6-7 guys. That, to me, means that there’s going to be a lot more depth this season.
This is also an indication that Fitzgerald is still figuring out his offensive line. He’s seeing where everyone fits in and who needs to be moved where. He’s putting together a puzzle.
The good news is that he won’t have to worry about his offensive line depth this season if he feels that there are 10-11 guys capable of starting on this roster.
Buy stock in Michigan State’s offensive line
I’ve been saying this for weeks, but it’s time to buy some early stock in Michigan State’s offensive line under Nick Tabacca in year one. No one is really looking at this unit seriously around the Big Ten, but I believe it’s going to finish as one of the top 7-8 units in the conference. I believe Michigan State’s offensive line will easily be in the top half of the league.
That also means that it’s going to be one of the most improved nationally.
These are the guys who I believe are fighting for a starting job, in Fitzgerald’s eyes:
- Nick Sharpe
- Rakeem Johnson
- Conner Moore
- Trent Fraley
- Luka Vincic
- Robert Wright Jr.
- Rustin Young
- Ben Murawski
- AJ Dennis
- Collin Campbell
Another younger guy could be in the mix like a Drew Nichols, Eli Bickel, or Antonio Johnson, but the 10 listed above are the most likely to be competing for a starting job this fall.
I like what Michigan State has depth-wise, and apparently so does Fitzgerald.
Add us as a preferred source on Google