Michigan State football is about to enter Jonathan Smith’s second year as head coach of the team. The Spartans had a disappointing season in 2024, going 5-7 in Smith’s first season, and will be looking to rebound behind former top recruit and starting quarterback Aidan Chiles, along with a restocked roster of young players and transfers.
Below, we took a look at five questions that will be facing MSU football going into the season:
1. Is Aidan Chiles elite?
In 2024, Aidan Chiles showed that he has a huge arm, speed, and plays with a lot of fearlessness. He also threw 11 interceptions and fumbled the ball four times. We all know that ball control, especially in college football, is paramount and a big part of what separates a talented quarterback and an elite one. You can make all the flashy plays, but if you are turning it over at that rate, you aren’t breaking into that ‘elite’ category. Chiles will need to limit the negative plays and increase the positive ones and truly become the elite quarterback he has the potential to be if this team wants to reach its ceiling.
2. Will the offensive line hold up?
It can be argued that the offensive line was the biggest weakness last year for the Spartans. This year, MSU has reloaded with some very interesting transfers: Luka Vincic, Matt Gulbin and Conner Moore. They will also be getting Kris Phillips and Ashton Lepo back from injury, and Stanton Ramil will be a redshirt sophomore and should continue to improve with another offseason under his belt.
That all begs the question: Will the offensive line hold up? The running backs’ room is almost entirely new faces, and Aidan Chiles will need a chance to make some plays. MSU’s offensive line will be one of the biggest stories of the season.
3. Can MSU generate a pass rush?
Not to beat a dead horse, but Michigan State’s pass rush was not good last year. In fact, a lot of the time it felt like they didn’t even have a pass rush at all. The Spartans’ leading rusher was Khris Bogle with four sacks. Their second leading pass rusher was a linebacker, Jordan Turner, who had a whopping three sacks. MSU used to be known for their defense, and they will need to find some pass rush because the Big Ten isn’t getting any easier.
4. Does MSU have enough depth to weather injuries?
No team wants to prepare for injuries, but a lot of times, a college football season becomes a war of attrition and you need to be able to weather the storm. While the Spartans have added some nice pieces this offseason through the portal, they are still a little thin at some positions and if there is an injury, it will be interesting to see how they handle that.
5. Is Martin Connington ready to take over for Jonathan Kim?
Is it crazy to say that Jonathan Kim was MSU’s best weapon last year? In a year where the Spartans’ offense often sputtered, Jonathan Kim was a bright spot, hitting over 90-percent of his field goals. Heck, Jonathan Kim basically won the Iowa game by himself, hitting a school record six field goals against the Hawkeyes, including a 55-yard bomb. While kickers aren’t the usual position of note in the offseason, the Spartans are now replacing Kim, one of the best kickers in school history, with a freshman, Martin Connington. While Connington is coming in with a lot of hype (a top ten kicker in his class), he is being asked to replace a lot of production, and I suspect this team will need to be able to take those supposedly easy points when they can get them.
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