REPORT: How Michigan State Football Can Surpass the Rebuilding Phase
this offseason, there have been 12 new head coaches hired in the big four conferences. Kalen DeBour took over for Nick Saben at Alabama, Sherrone Moore was promoted to head coach at Michigan after Jim Harbaugh left for the NFL and Mike Elko was hired after Texas A&M fired Jimbo Fisher back in November.
Michigan State is facing a rebuild situation coming into next season with new head coach Jonathan Smith. With last year's mess that took place because of off-the-field issues with former head coach Mel Tucker, Michigan State is looking to bounce back and show progress in trying to build the Spartans back up into a contending team in the Big Ten.
On3's Andy Staples has also said that Michigan State is in a rebuilding situation with Smith taking over the program. Staples looked at all the coaches that were hired this offseason and listed those who took over a team that is ready to compete, a team that is capable of winning now, a team that can surprise and win more games than projected, and a team that has thinned the roster and needs to build it back up.
“If Smith follows the same blueprint at Michigan State that he followed at Oregon State, the Spartans ultimately will be just fine," Staples said. "Smith’s preferred style — old and nasty on both lines of scrimmage, reliable in the run game — travels especially well and fits the personality of a program that has seen its best years playing that style.
“Unfortunately, the tumult of the past few years has forced Smith into a situation where he needed to perform a roster teardown ahead of the rebuild. Plus, Michigan State wasn’t in a position to retain several returning starters in the spring portal when market forces pushed the costs of those players — specifically defensive tackles Derrick Harmon and Simeon Barrow — much higher.
“Fortunately, Smith did bring along quarterback Aidan Chiles and tight end Jack Velling. So the Spartans will have some reliable talent that is already familiar with what the staff wants. They just wish they had a little more.”
Michigan State has 38 outgoing transfers and only 24 incoming transfers. With all the new faces at Michigan State, such as Velling, Chiles, Ed Woods and many others, there will be growing pains during the season for the coaching staff to learn from and fix for the future. With that in mind, Michigan State will be a rebuilding team this season.
However in the future, with the right moves to the roster, the Spartans can be a team that can contend in the Big Ten.
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LUKE JOSEPH