Michigan State Football 2026 Positional Preview: Offensive Line

In the game of football on the offensive side of the ball, skill players such as quarterbacks, running backs, and wide receivers are often the ones who make the highlight reels. But n the background of almost all explosive plays in a 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 all successful offenses. Issues at just one of the five positions can turn a very good offensive into a below-average one.

Unfortunately, offensive line play in East Lansing 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 values ranked outside of the top 100 of 134 Division I teams. 

In fact, Michigan State has only average over 130 yards per game or over 4.0 yards per carry once since 2017 and that was in 2021 when future Super Bowl MVP Kenneth Walker, Jr. carried the rock 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 additions to the group via the transfer portal, prioritizing players with significant starting experience. 

As a result, the staff feels like that are 10 or 11 guys who are legitimately competing for a starting role.

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

Left Tackle

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

Project 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 a return against Michigan, but only played a total of seven snap after the initial injury.

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

Fitzgerald and Tabacca filled the hole left in the roster with senior transfer Ben Murawski from UConn. The Harleysville, Pa. native (listed at 6 feet, 7 inches and 340 pounds) played in 30 games over three years in Storrs and started in 19 of those games.

Murawski took a total of 773 snaps last year at UConn, which was more than any offensive lineman on the Michigan State roster last year.

According to Pro Football Focus (PFF), Murawski had the eighth-best run blocking score (86.4) of all offensive lineman with at least 50 snaps in 2025. Overall, he had the 65th-best score (75.9) of all lineman with at least 50 snaps. Murawski was named a second-team Group of Five All-American by HERO Sports.

Redshirt sophomore Rustin Young (listed at 6 feet, 4 inches and 308 pounds) is also expected to see significant action at the tackle position. The Honolulu, Hawaii native played a total of 448 snaps over all 12 games last year 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 off season 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 (six foot, six inches and 295 pounds) is expected to provide depth at both tackle positions. Campbell hails from Gilbert, Ariz and 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.

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 the left guard position but neither player earned an above average grade according to PFF. Carter used up all his eligibility and Broscious transfered to Iowa State in the offseason where he is currented projected as the second string center in Ames.

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 (6 foot, 2 inches and 351 pounds), a native of Gastonia, N.C., played in 392 snaps last year at South Carolina, but spent the previous four years at Wake Forest under Tabacca. He has played in a total of 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.

But Sharpe likely will face stiff competition for a starting role from redshirt senior Luke Vincic. The Bothell, Wash. native has played in a total of 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's is also a candidate to start at the left guard position and could also see snaps at center. There is an open questions as to whether he has completed healed from his injury last fall. If healthy, Vincic will likely be a key member of the interior line rotation, if not a starter.

Redshirt freshman Antonio Johnson (6 foot, 5 inches and 287 pounds) from Orchard Lake St. Mary's High School in Detroit, Mich. did not see the field at all in 2025. However, he has grown one inch and dropped almost 20 pounds since the same time last year. He is expected to provide depth at both guard positions.

Center

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

Project 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 once again dipped into the portal, this time snagging Moon Township, Pa. native Trent Fraley (6 foot, 1 inch and 306 pounds). Fraley began his career at Marshall where he appeared in four games over two seasons. 

In 2024, Fraley transfered to FCS North Dakota State and made an instant impact. He started all 29 games and played over 1,700 total snaps in two years 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 the center position is likely to be redshirt freshman Drew Nichols (6 foot, 4 inches and 298 pounds) from 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 (6 foot, 2 inches and 286 pounds) from North Canton, Ohio is expected to add depth to the guard and center position groups. Ziarko is listed as a three-star recruit with an 87.5 rating on On3 who originally committed to Miami of Ohio before flipping his commitment to Michigan State during the early signing period in December 2025.

Right Guard

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

Project 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. Millbury, Ohio native Conner Moore (6 foot, 6 inches, and 311 pounds) started all 12 games last year 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. As the Spartans' only returning starter on the offensive line, he almost certain to be a member of the starting lineup. However, his exact position may be more of a function of the health and competition around him as the coaches try to put the five most talented guys on the field.

There is certainly a scenario where a healthy Luke Vincic is the starting at right guard, pushing Moore back to the right tackle position.

Redshirt freshman Andrew Dennis (6 foot, 4 inches and 302 pounds) is expected to provide depth in the interior of the line as well. 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 on in East Lansing.

True freshman Eli Bickel (6 foot, 6 inch and 312 pounds) from North Branch, Mich. is the only member of the freshman offensive line class to enroll early. This opportunity to have gone through spring practice may provide a slight edge if a rash of injuries forces one of the youngsters into action. Bickel is considered a three-star recruit (88.0 rating on On3) which is the fifth highest ranked member of the in-coming freshman class.

Right Tackle

Projected Starter: 

No. 58 Rakeem Johnson (redshirt sophomore)

Project Depth Chart:

• No. 71 Robert Wright Jr. (redshirt junior)
• No. 79 Tristan Comer (true freshman)
• No. 65 Cole Bertke (true freshman)

Redshirt sophomore Rakeem Johnson might be the biggest wildcard on the entire offensive line. The 6 foot, 4 inch and 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 in 375 snaps. As a true freshman, he started at left tackle against Ohio State. Last year, he started four games at right guard. He has also taken snaps at right tackle and has even been rumored as a possible back-up center.

That said, Johnson's PFF scores in first year year as a major contributor were a bit underwhelming. His overall score of 50.7 ranked only in the 12th percentile of lineman in 2025 who took more than 50 snaps.

In the Spring, he saw action at right tackle and this is where we currently project him to start in Week One. However, his flexibility will certainly be an asset as the season evolves and as the coaching staff attempts to put the best five linemen onto the field.

Johnson will likely also face stiff competition from redshirt junior Robert Wright, Jr. (6 foot, 5 inch and 294 pounds). The Stockbridge, Ga, native spent the last three seasons at Georgia Southern. In 2025, he started the final 11 games of the season at right tackle and played over 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.

A pair of additional freshman will add depth to the tackles positions. Tristan Comer (6 foot, 5 inches and 305 pounds) comes to East Lansing as a three-start recruit (86.43 rating on On3) from Freeland, Mich. Cole Bertke (6 foot, 5 inches and 285 pounds) who hails from East Lansing also joined the Spartans as a preferred walk-on.

Stay tuned to Spartans Illustrated all summer as the position preview series continues.