Fall Camp Gives Michigan State Coach Jonathan Smith the Chance to Work His Magic

As Michigan State heads into the first season under Coach Jonathan Smith, the team's fall camp gives him the opportunity to jumpstart Michigan State football's turnaround.

Michael France

Michigan State’s football program is starting a new chapter this upcoming season.

Coach Jonathan Smith has left no stone unturned during the early part of his tenure. The former Oregon State football coach has the chance to lead a Michigan State resurgence if he is successful in East Lansing. This offseason, he has done an admirable job of putting Michigan State in the best position to be competitive and win games this season via a strong transfer portal class. Coach Smith has resumed the on-field work with a new-look Michigan State team set to open the season soon.

Smith has used the offseason to install a new offensive scheme for an offense with new players at critical positions, including quarterback. Michigan State’s starting quarterback, Aidan Chiles, has gone out of his way to be a leader for Smith, doing his best to rally the team on and off the field. Smith noted that Chiles, along with the coaching staff, has made team bonding a priority for Michigan State off the field this offseason and hopes it will translate to an improved team. 

“I do think [Chiles is] kind of an inviter,” Smith said this past week. “He gathers guys. He’s a connector. I do know that he is approachable to those guys. We’ve been working at that, as a team, not just strictly football this camp. [We are] getting to know each other, [doing] some events and things. Guys are buying in.

“To me, [football is] the ultimate team game. You want to be coming together as a team. It’s a big group, 118 guys. I think its important beyond just knowing the scheme but really knowing the teammate and evaluating his leadership.”

Smith will need many things to go right for Michigan State to have a successful first season under his leadership. However, Smith has had an entire offseason and is in the middle of fall camp, which gives him ample opportunity to mold Michigan State’s football team before they face a demanding schedule. Michigan State’s sweeping changes and new additions mean opposing teams will not quite know what to expect from them on game days.

The unknown is a competitive advantage for Michigan State heading into the season.

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