Optimism is high, but Michigan State football has cause for concern at Offensive Line
Michigan State has been shy this spring about expressing high expectations for the 2022 season. Head coach Mel Tucker called the 11-2 campaign in 2021 “not good enough”, and has openly talked about competing for championships in East Lansing.
In order for that talk to come to fruition, the Spartans have a lot of work to do in preparing a young and mostly inexperienced group at offensive line.
“Offensive line development is huge, and we’ve got the coach to do it,” Tucker said of MSU offensive line coach Chris Kapilovic. “He’s a great teacher, he can motivate and inspire the guys, develop players.”
Center Matt Allen, tackle A.J. Arcuri and guard Kevin Jarvis – each of whom started all 13 games in 2021 – are gone. The Spartans also lost veterans Dan VanOpstall, Luke Campbell and Blake Beuter to graduation, while special team contributors Jacob Isaia and James Ohonba departed the program via the transfer portal.
Tackle Jarrett Horst, who started eight games last season before missing the final five due to injury, is still recovering and has not participated in spring practice. Same goes for guard Matt Carrick, who played in five games in 2021 but missed the final six and is still recovering from right leg surgery. Finally, J.D. Duplain, who made 13 starts in 2021, has not participated in spring practice either.
With all that attrition, Michigan State has been left with just seven players on the current roster that have been available for spring practice, and Kapilovic doesn’t expect that to change.
“There’s probably some guys that could be out there if it was a game week, but it’s better to get them healthy and ready to go,” Kapilovic said. “So, there probably won’t be a full allotment of guys this spring.”
While the lack of depth has presented challenges to Kapilovic’s approach to spring practice, he won’t allow the Spartans’ current situation to result in a lack of intensity or effort.
“One half of my brain is feeling sorry for these guys, that they’re out here and there’s nobody else here, but the other side of me [says] I can’t waste this opportunity,” Kapilovic said. “And if I just baby them, and we accept mediocrity, then that’s what we’re going to get. So, we can’t do that.”
Center Nick Samac, a senior, is the veteran of the spring group. He started six games in 2020, and played in all 13 games a year ago, backing up Allen at center and also seeing time at guard. Samac’s versatility is a major bonus for Kapilovic, who said the senior has even gotten some reps at tackle this spring in preparation for emergency situations.
“He’s got a lot of reps under his belt,” the O-line coach said. “He’s handled that well, and he’s really trying to take over that leadership role.”
Tackle Spencer Brown, a redshirt junior, played in seven games last year, and got his first start at right tackle for the Spartans in the Peach Bowl. Kapilovic said he has seen enough good things out of Brown to feel comfortable with him as one of the starting five should he earn a spot this fall.
“I was pleased with his progress,” Kapilovic said. “Throughout the season, you know, we knew we had to get him ready…he played a little bit throughout the year, and then when it was his time to start in that game I thought he responded well.”
With the adversity Michigan State’s O-line room is facing due to lack of depth, also comes a benefit in the form of extra repetitions for these young players.
“The positive to it is there are some young guys that are getting more reps than they ever would have normally, in a normal setting. So, we’re going through our lumps at times, but they’re getting better because of it,” Kapilovic said.
Michigan State also has four redshirt freshman and a redshirt sophomore who have been able to practice this spring. While these players lack experience, both Tucker and Kapilovic both noted that the Spartan youngsters bring excellent size to the O-line room.
“Some of our younger guys are big dudes too, we’ve got some huge guys,” Tucker said. “They’re puppies, so we’ve got to get them going, so Coach Kap’s going to handle that.”
That starts with redshirt sophomore Brandon Baldwin and redshirt freshman Ethan Boyd, who are both listed at 6-foot-7 and 315 pounds on Michigan State’s spring roster.
“Baldwin has really tremendous size. He was a basketball player, so he has athleticism. He has a high care factor. It’s just a matter of him just getting consistency,” Kapilovic said.
“Ethan Boyd, on the other side, is another young guy that [is] big, long. He’s really gotten himself in good shape, and he shows some real flashes of being a really good player. But, like all young kids, consistency is the key – counting on them to do the right thing, make the right calls, use your technique and play at a high level. That’s tough for any lineman, and especially for those young guys. That’s the thing we’re really looking for from them.”
Kevin Wigenton, another redshirt freshman, is another space eater up front at 6-foot-5, 330 pounds.
“Wigenton has really showed improvement in everything, technique and assignment, it’s just a matter of him getting stronger,” Kapilovic said. “He happens to have to go against, probably, our best D-tackle every day, so that’s always not going to be a good matchup for him. But at the end, it will pay off for him as long as he doesn’t lose his confidence, which we’ll do a good job of keeping that.”
Redshirt sophomore Dallas Fincher has also added weight to his 6-foot-4 frame as well.
“Dallas Fincher was a guy that was playing both center and guard – very athletic, and he’s finally gotten his weight [where] he’s pushing that 300 mark to where he can be out there and help us,” Kapilovic added.
The O-line coach also noted that redshirt freshman Geno VanDeMark, who is 6-foot-5 and 325 pounds, has been doing some good things this spring, but has been a little banged up as well. He was limited during Tuesday’s practice.
Kapilovic laments the fact that these young players won’t be able to build cohesion with the injured veterans, but he’s excited to see how the adversity this spring will benefit these young guys in the long run.
“A young kid may get a third of the reps he’d normally get this spring, and now he’s getting all the reps,” Kapilovic said. “And when we get to fall camp, we get to the season, he’s had a lot more reps. Maybe he gets a job, or he’s pressed into service, [and] he’s had those reps and he’s ready to go.”
Even when Duplain, Horst and Carrack return from injury, Kapilovic knows that these redshirt freshman and sophomores will play significant roles for the Spartans in 2022.
“It’s definitely hit them this spring,” he said. “We’re not letting anybody make excuses for them, and it’s time to go. You’re not a freshman anymore.”
Though the veterans have experience on their side, Kapilovic wants the young guys to compete for starting roles.
“It’s not like, ‘Okay, we’ve got to be ready to be backups’ just because some guys are coming back,” Kapilovic said. “Let’s win the job. Nobody has a starting job at this point. We’re going to go into fall camp, so any of these guys that return and have played before, if they think they’re just going to be able to walk in and rest on their laurels – it’s not going to happen. I want those young guys to challenge them.”
In addition to getting guys back from injury, more reinforcements are on the way this summer for Kapilovic and Michigan State. Washington State transfer Brian Greene, who played center and guard for the Cougars, will join the team following the school year.
The Spartans also signed four offensive lineman in their 2022 recruiting class – Gavin Broscious, Ashton Lepo, Braden Miller and Kristian Phillips. While the true freshman will help provide depth and competition, it could be difficult for them to make their way on the field on game days.
“I do feel like playing offensive line as a freshman is probably one of the hardest things,” Kapilovic said. “Just because you’re coming in and it’s learning a whole offense, it’s like learning a new language of communication, and then you’re 17 and 18 years old and sometime you’re going against 21- and 22-year-old men, and it’s physical on every play. That’s a lot to ask of guys.”
Tucker remains confident that Michigan State will “have a strong offensive line” in 2022, but there is certainly cause for concern here. Kapilovic has a strong reputation as a teacher, and he expects to get “a full allotment of guys” this summer and into fall camp.
Time will tell if the Spartans can take the necessary strides between now and September.
