Michigan State's Conner Moore is building from both sides of the line
Not many lineman can pull that off
When Conner Moore talks about football, there’s no flash, no grand declarations, just words that sound like the game itself: patient, deliberate, always pushing forward.
Moore is showing why Michigan State made him an important target during the off-season. An All-America transfer offensive tackle from Montana State with two seasons of eligibility remaining, he was ranked the No. 11 offensive tackle in the transfer portal by 247Sports and listed among the top 100 overall transfers in the nation by ESPN.com. He played in 31 games for the Bobcats, starting 28 consecutive contests on the offensive line (25 at left tackle and three at left guard), before enrolling at Michigan State in January 2025 and participating in spring practice.
Now a fixture on Michigan State’s offensive line, Moore has found himself in a role few linemen embrace willingly – shifting from one side of the line to the other. To most, the constant back-and-forth is a headache.
To Moore, it’s a challenge.
“I kind of like playing both sides,” Moore said this week ahead of the Spartans’ Week 3 matchup vs Youngstown State. “It’s been kind of a fun challenge.”
That challenge has tested him since spring ball. The transition from his previous stop in the FCS ranks to Big Ten football wasn’t just about schemes and playbooks, it was about facing a new caliber of competition every single day. He admitted early on that it was an adjustment.
Now, two games into the season, his confidence is showing.
“I feel like I’m pretty comfortable at this point,” Moore said. “There’s definitely still a lot of stuff I can clean up, but overall, I feel like I’ve done a good job.”
Comfort doesn’t mean complacency. He knows his footwork in pass protection has to improve, that his punch must be sharper, that staying square in his set is non-negotiable at this level.
“You always gotta get better at everything,” Moore said. “Especially in pass protection; you’re never good enough.”
But what has made this young lineman stand out is not only his willingness to self-critique, but the respect he carries into every game. A former FCS player himself, Moore understands that every snap – whether against a Power Five opponent or a lower-division team – demands the same effort.
