ESPN's Greg McElroy Gives High Praise To Jonathan Smith, Michigan State
There were multiple big coaching moves in college football this offseason, with Alabama transitioning from Nick Saban to former Washington head coach Kalen DeBoer, Texas A&M hiring Mike Elko to replace Jimbo Fisher and Michigan promoting offensive coordinator Sherrone Moore to replace Jim Harbaugh being some of the most notable.
However, Michigan State's move to bring Jonathan Smith over from Oregon State ranks among the best according to ESPN college football analyst Greg McElroy.
“I think this is as good of a hire as we’ve seen in the sport this year,” McElroy stated on the 'All College Football' podcast. “Jonathan Smith and Kalen DeBoer, to me, are, like, 1a and 1b. I love this hire for Michigan State.”
Historically, Michigan State has recruited at a lower level than Big Ten programs such as Ohio State, Michigan and Penn State, as well as the new additions of Oregon and USC. However, Smith dealt with similar circumstances at Oregon State and is uniquely qualified for making the Spartans competitive against the elite recruiters of the Big Ten Conference.
"He's a great talent developer," McElroy said of Smith. "And you think about what Michigan State has had success with in the past. ... When Michigan State was at their best, there in the 2010 to 2015-16 area, they were developing talent from within, and that's exactly what Jonathan Smith has done in his time as the head coach at Oregon State.
“(Smith) has done a great job of keeping a keen eye on the under the radar talent. He understands the player development piece. He also won at a program at Oregon State that most people thought was a very difficult place to consistently find success.”
In his six seasons in Corvallis, Smith bucked the trend of West Coast style of play, and what has become the norm in college football. Especially over these last two seasons, when Oregon State has records of 10-3 and 8-4, the Beavers mixed a punishing run game while mixing in modern passing concepts. McElroy sees that style of play working well in the Big Ten.
"I know that Jonathan Smith is gonna find a way to be able to create balance offensively," McElroy said. "I think he's going to have a team that plays with tremendous effort, and he's going to have a team that's going to be outstanding when it comes to being physical and being able to try to create an edge running the football."
That should be music to Michigan State fans' ears after having to watch the Spartans finish dead last in the conference in rushing yards per game (89.5) last season, and the third-worst mark (113.0) in the category in 2022.
“I know this – I know Michigan State is going to be tough as nails on offense,” McElroy said. “I don’t know how much talent they’re going to have, how many points they’re going to have. But I can promise you that they’re going to be tough as nails."
While subpar play along the offensive line added to the Spartans' struggles to run the football, the reality is that Michigan State was often playing from behind these past two seasons, which resulted in having to lean more heavily on the pass game. The Spartans struggled defensively throughout the Mel Tucker era, which often led to those early deficits.
“If you look at what they’ve been on the defensive side these last couple years? That’s been what’s most troubling,” said McElroy. “I think he’s going to have to retool the offense a little bit. And their offense, I think, is going to have to probably play a little defense from time to time. They’re going to play complimentary football, which’ll be really beneficial.”
While the 2023 season was a tough one for Michigan State fans to endure, the athletic program benefitted from having almost the entire season to evaluate candidates to replace Tucker in East Lansing. Smith's rebuild will take time, and there's a level of patience the fanbase will also have to endure, but McElroy is confident the new regime will return Michigan State to contention in the Big Ten and at a national level.
"I love the hire," McElroy said. "I think it's a perfect fit...and I think Jonathan Smith will have success, even though, right now I don't know what success looks like at the moment for Michigan State. I would imagine they want to get back to the postseason, get back to the playoff, and if Jonathan Smith can almost take Oregon State there, I think there's a real possibility he can get Michigan State back to within striking distance of that as well."
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