BREAKING: MSU Lands Top Transfer Portal OT

Jonathan Smith has landed a big fish in the transfer portal, as Montana State offensive tackle Conner Moore has committed to Michigan State.

Michigan State's head coach Jonathan Smith calls out to a referee in the second quarter in the game against Iowa on Saturday, Oct. 19, 2024, at Spartan Stadium in East Lansing. | Nick King/Lansing State Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Michigan State Spartans got a jolt of good news on the football field on Saturday evening. 

Former Montana State offensive tackle transfer Conner Moore announced on social media that he has committed to the Spartans.

MSU->MSU @247SportsPortal @247Sports pic.twitter.com/ByxO2anyRm

— Conner Moore (@cmoore_58) January 12, 2025

Moore was graded as the top available offensive tackle prospect in the transfer portal. He visited Cincinnati earlier in the week, then took a visit to East Lansing. Moore was set to visit Ohio State, but those plans changed, as Smith and Offensive Line Coach Jim Michalczik sealed the deal with the star O-Lineman. 

Moore was seen with Smith at the Spartans’ basketball game at the Breslin Center on Thursday evening. He had a first-hand look at MSU’s 88-54 victory over the Washington Huskies.

According to Pro Football Focus, Moore allowed just 11 total pressures and one sack in 356 pass-blocking snaps. He earned a 76.7 overall grade from PFF and was a Second-Team FCS All-American. 

Moore should immediately earn a chance to start at one of the Spartans’ tackle spots. He is one of four offensive linemen to join the Spartans in the winter transfer portal window, including Luka Vincic from Oregon State, Matt Gulbin from Wake Forest and Caleb Carter from Western Carolina. Moore becomes the 15th overall transfer for Smith in the winter window. 

With the commitment of Moore, the Spartans now have the 21st-ranked transfer portal class in the country, per 247Sports.

Moore was instrumental in the Bobcats’ trip to the FCS National Championship last season and was a First-Team All-Big Sky member in 2024. He will have two years of eligibility remaining to play in East Lansing. 

One benefit for Moore is that he will play closer to home. He is a native of Millbury, Ohio, and played at Lake High School, which is less than two hours from East Lansing. 

MSU’s offensive line struggled in 2024, so Smith and his staff knew they needed to upgrade that group quickly. Their offseason has produced results, as they have landed several offensive line transfers, none better than Moore, who could have an immediate impact on the Spartans’ offense. 

This is a major win for Smith and the Spartans as they look to play postseason football in 2025.

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