On the offensive side of the ball, quarterbacks, running backs and wide receivers are often the players who make the highlight reels. But in the background of almost every explosive play is an offensive lineman who made a key block or picked up a blitzing defender.

The five men who make up the offensive line form the backbone of any successful offense. A weakness at just one of the five positions can turn a productive offense into a below-average one.

Unfortunately for Michigan State, offensive line play has not been a strength for most of the last decade. In 2025, the Spartans averaged just 122.8 rushing yards per game and 3.78 yards per carry. Both marks ranked outside the top 100 among 134 Division I teams.

In fact, Michigan State has averaged more than 130 rushing yards per game or more than 4.0 yards per carry only once since 2017. That came in 2021, when future Super Bowl MVP Kenneth Walker III carried the ball for the Green and White.

New head coach Pat Fitzgerald has acknowledged the importance of rolling out a strong offensive line from day one. After losing seven linemen in the offseason, Fitzgerald and first-year offensive line coach Nick Tabacca added five new members to the group via the transfer portal, prioritizing players with significant starting experience. 

As a result, the staff believes 10 or 11 players are legitimately competing for starting roles.

Here is a breakdown of where things currently stand with the Michigan State offensive line for the upcoming season. The starting lineup remains fluid, and the following is Spartans Illustrated’s projection of how the depth chart could shape up for Week One against Toledo.

Michigan State's Ben Murawski and the rest of the offensive line participate in a drill during spring football practice (USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect)

Left Tackle

Projected Starter: No. 75 Ben Murawski (redshirt senior, transfer from UConn)

Projected Depth Chart:

• No. 73 Rustin Young (redshirt sophomore)

• No. 63 Collin Campbell (true freshman)

Following the 2024 season, the Spartans seemed to have found their left tackle of the future in rising redshirt sophomore Stanton Ramil. He started five games in 2025 but appeared to injure his right leg in the first quarter of the game at USC.

Ramil attempted to return against Michigan but played only seven snaps after the initial injury.

Ramil entered the transfer portal after Jonathan Smith was fired and is currently expected to be the starting left tackle for Auburn.

Fitzgerald and Tabacca filled the roster hole with senior transfer Ben Murawski from UConn. The Harleysville, Pa., native, listed at 6-foot-7 and 340 pounds, played in 30 games over three years in Storrs, Conn., and started 19 of them.

Murawski played 773 snaps last season at UConn, more than any offensive lineman on Michigan State’s roster.

According to Pro Football Focus, Murawski had the eighth-best run-blocking grade, 86.4, among offensive linemen with at least 50 snaps in 2025. Overall, he had the 65th-best grade, 75.9, among linemen with significant playing time. Murawski was named a second-team Group of Five All-American by HERO Sports.

Michigan State's Rustin Young, left, blocks Cal Thrush during the football Spring Showcase on Saturday, April 18, 2026, at Spartan Stadium in East Lansing (USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect)

Redshirt sophomore Rustin Young, listed at 6-foot-4 and 308 pounds, is also expected to see significant action at tackle. The Honolulu native played 448 snaps over all 12 games last season for the Spartans while playing both right and left tackle.

Young started a total of five games and was pressed into action following the injuries to Ramil and redshirt junior Ashton Lepo who also departed East Lansing in the offseason via the transfer portal. Lepo is projected at the second-string right tackle for Oklahoma State.

Young was a four-star prospect out of high school (On3 rating of 90.4) and coaches are expecting a big jump in his performance in his second year of significant playing time. Young's overall PFF grade of 51.5 was only in the 14th percentile of all offensive lineman who saw significant action in 2025.

True freshman Collin Campbell, listed at 6-foot-6 and 295 pounds, is expected to provide depth at both tackle positions. Campbell, from Gilbert, Ariz., was a four-star, top-250 national recruit at the high school level. He is the highest-ranked player in MSU’s 2026 class, according to On3.

Michigan State's Nick Sharpe, center, runs a drill during the football Spring Showcase on Saturday, April 18, 2026, at Spartan Stadium in East Lansing (USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect).

Left Guard

Projected Starter: No. 52 Nick Sharpe (6th year graduate transfer from South Carolina and Wake Forest)

Projected Depth Chart:

• No. 70 Luka Vincic (redshirt senior)

• No. 54 Antonio Johnson (redshirt freshman)

In 2025, Gavin Broscious and Caleb Carter split time at left guard, but neither player earned an above-average grade from PFF. Carter used up his eligibility, and Broscious transferred to Iowa State in the offseason, where he is currently projected as the second-string center in Ames, Iowa.

Fitzgerald and Tabacca once again opted to utilize the transfer portal to bolster this position, bringing in 6th-year graduate student Nick Sharpe to be the likely starter. 

Sharpe, a 6-foot-2, 351-pound native of Gastonia, N.C., played 392 snaps last season at South Carolina but spent the previous four years at Wake Forest under Tabacca. He has played in 34 career games, including 17 starts.

Sharpe graded out overall with a score of 65.9 on PFF, which was in the 67th percentile of lineman in 2025 with more than 50 snaps.

Sep 6, 2025; East Lansing, Michigan, USA; Michigan State offensive lineman Luka Vincic (70) celebrates a double-overtime victory over Boston College at Spartan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brendan Mullin-Imagn Images via Reuters Connect.

But Sharpe likely will face stiff competition for a starting role from redshirt senior Luka Vincic. The Bothell, Wash., native has played in 22 games over his time at Oregon State and MSU.

Last year he played in just two games and 47 total snaps for the Spartans before suffering a season-ending knee injury in the second quarter of the Week Three contest with Youngstown State, his first career start in the Green and White.

Notably, despite the relatively small sample size, Vincic's PFF grades were outstanding in 2025. His overall (86.9) and run blocking grades (90.7) were both in the 99th percentile of Division I linemen. His pass blocking grade (79.4) placed him in the 87th percentile.

Vincic is also a candidate to start at right guard and could see snaps at center. The open question is whether he has fully recovered from last fall’s injury. If healthy, Vincic likely will be a key member of the interior line rotation, if not a starter.

Redshirt freshman Antonio Johnson, a 6-foot-5, 287-pound product of Orchard Lake St. Mary’s High School in Orchard Lake, Mich., did not see the field in 2025. However, he has grown one inch and dropped almost 20 pounds since this time last year. He is expected to provide depth at both guard positions.

Michigan State's Trent Fraley, right, and Ben Murawski participate in a drill during spring football practice on Tuesday, March 24, 2026, in East Lansing (USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect).

Center

Projected Starter: No. 63 Trent Fraley (5th year graduate transfer from North Dakota State and Marshall)

Projected Depth Chart:

• No. 76 Drew Nichols (redshirt freshman)

• No. 56 Jack Ziarko (true freshman)

The Spartans have made good use of the transfer portal over the past two seasons to fill a need at the center position. In 2024, the Michigan State offensive line was anchored by Oregon State graduate transfer Tanner Miller. In 2025, the Spartans brought in yet another power five conference transfer in the form of Wake Forest alumnus and Connecticut native Matt Gulbin.

In 2026, the new Michigan State staff once again dipped into the portal, this time landing Trent Fraley, a 6-foot-1, 306-pound native of Moon Township, Pa. Fraley began his career at Marshall, where he appeared in four games over two seasons.

In 2024, Fraley transferred to FCS North Dakota State and made an instant impact. He started all 29 games and played more than 1,700 total snaps in two seasons for the Bison.

During his tenure, North Dakota State went 26-3 and won the FCS national title in 2024. In 2025, Fraley earned the Rimington Award as the top center in the Football Championship Subdivision.

The first player off the bench at center likely will be redshirt freshman Drew Nichols, a 6-foot-4, 298-pound native of Murrieta, Calif. Nichols has yet to take a snap in game action for the Spartans.

That said, if Fraley suffers an injury or struggles to find his footing at the Big Ten level, a more experienced guard such as Luka Vincic could slide to the middle.

True freshman Jack Ziarko, listed at 6-foot-2 and 286 pounds, is expected to add depth at guard and center. The North Canton, Ohio, native is listed as a three-star recruit with an 87.5 rating on On3. He originally committed to Miami of Ohio before flipping his commitment to Michigan State during the early signing period in December 2025.

Michigan State's Conner Moore, left, blocks Eli Coenen during the football Spring Showcase on Saturday, April 18, 2026, at Spartan Stadium in East Lansing (USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect).

Right Guard

Projected Starter: No. 58 Conner Moore (redshirt senior) or Vincic

Projected Depth Chart:

• No. 77 Andrew Dennis (redshirt sophomore)

• No. 68 Eli Bickel (true freshman)

The right side of the line is more challenging to predict. Conner Moore, a 6-foot-6, 311-pound native of Millbury, Ohio, started all 12 games last season for the Spartans, nine at right tackle and three at left tackle.

This productivity was an extension of the success that he had for three years at FCS Montana State where he played in 31 games including 28 consecutive starts.

Moore earned a 78.9 grade in run blocking from PFF, placing him in the top 50 nationally and in the 96th percentile. His pass protection grade of 52.8 in 2025 was below average (22nd percentile), but his overall score of 68.3 was good enough to place him in the 76th percentile among offensive linemen with at least 50 snaps.

There are indications that Moore took the majority of the snaps in the spring at right guard despite his extensive experience at tackle. This may have been due to the injury to Vincic and the staff’s preference to have offensive linemen multiple positions, though. As the Spartans’ only returning starter on the offensive line, he almost certainly will be a member of the starting lineup.

However, his exact position may depend on health and competition around him as the coaches try to put the five most talented linemen on the field. There is certainly a scenario in which a healthy Luka Vincic starts at right guard, pushing Moore back to right tackle.

Redshirt sophomore Andrew Dennis, listed at 6-foot-4 and 302 pounds, is expected to provide depth on the interior of the line. The Mt. Pleasant, Mich., native and former four-star recruit spent one semester at Illinois before transferring to Michigan State in the summer of 2024. Dennis is credited with five career snaps in his first two years in East Lansing.

True freshman Eli Bickel, listed at 6-foot-6 and 312 pounds, is from North Branch, Mich., and is the only member of the freshman offensive line class to enroll early.

The opportunity to go through spring practice may provide a slight edge if injuries force one of the younger players into action. Bickel is considered a three-star recruit with an 88.0 rating on On3, making him the fifth-highest-ranked member of the incoming freshman class.

Sep 13, 2025; East Lansing, Michigan, USA; Michigan State offensive lineman Rakeem Johnson (55) throws a towel to fans after a victory over Youngstown State at Spartan Stadium. Credit: Brendan Mullin-Imagn Images.

Right Tackle

Projected Starter: No. 58 Rakeem Johnson (redshirt sophomore) or Moore

Project Depth Chart:

• No. 71 Robert Wright Jr. (redshirt junior transfer from Georgia Southern)

• No. 79 Tristan Comer (true freshman)

• No. 65 Cole Bertke (true freshman)

Redshirt sophomore Rakeem Johnson might be the biggest wild card on the entire offensive line. The 6-foot-4, 296-pound native of Boise, Idaho, is one of the most versatile players on the Spartan roster.

In his first two years in East Lansing, Johnson has played 375 snaps. As a true freshman, he started at left tackle against Ohio State. Last season, he started four games at right guard. He also has taken snaps at right tackle and has been mentioned as a possible backup center.

That said, Johnson’s PFF scores in his first year as a major contributor were underwhelming. His overall grade of 50.7 ranked in the 12th percentile among linemen in 2025 who took more than 50 snaps.

In the spring, he saw action at right tackle, and that is where Spartans Illustrated currently projects him to start in Week One. However, his flexibility will be an asset as the season evolves and as the coaching staff attempts to put the best five linemen on the field.

Johnson also will likely face stiff competition from redshirt junior Robert Wright Jr., a 6-foot-5, 294-pound native of Stockbridge, Ga. Wright spent the last three seasons at Georgia Southern. In 2025, he started the final 11 games of the season at right tackle and played more than 750 snaps.

Based on Wright's PFF grades, overall he is an above-average lineman (67.4, 74th percentile) with a specialty in pass blocking (74.9, 76th percentile). But his run blocking grade (58.9, 40th percentile) is below average.

As mentioned, it is also entirely within the realm of possibility that Moore continues to start at right tackle.

A pair of additional freshmen will add depth at tackle. Tristan Comer, listed at 6-foot-5 and 305 pounds, comes to East Lansing as a three-star recruit with an 86.43 rating on On3 from Freeland, Mich. Cole Bertke, a 6-foot-5, 285-pound preferred walk-on from East Grand Rapids, Mich., also joined the Spartans offensive line room.

Stay tuned to Spartans Illustrated all summer as the position preview series continues. Also check out the other articles in this series:

Quarterback Preview