MSU O-lineman J.D. Duplain: “Last year was a fluke”

Michigan State is nearing the end of their transitioning phase. Head coach Mel Tucker is beginning his fourth season as head coach, but all three players that MSU sent to Big Ten Media Day were on the roster before his arrival to East Lansing.

One of them is offensive lineman J.D. Duplain. Entering his sixth season on the team, the graduate senior has seen the Spartans rise and fall through the years.

Ahead of the 2021 season, Michigan State’s over-under win total was set at 4.5 before the Spartans went on to win 11 games. However, MSU underachieved in 2022 with a 5-7 campaign, and that led to preseason prognosticators setting the Spartans’ expected win total low again this year at 5.5 victories.

“We’re looking to prove people wrong again,” Duplain told a group of reporters at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. “We know what we have. We know the talent that we have. The team that we have, and we know we can get the job done.”

There were multiple reasons why 2022 didn’t go the way Michigan State anticipated it would, but the multiple injuries the Spartans suffered early in the year have been pointed to as a major factor. Head coach Mel Tucker said he and his staff have implemented new ways to keep guys healthier this offseason, and that’s paid dividends heading into a new year.

“Last year was tough because we went through a bunch of injuries, and I think we did have a talented roster last year,” Duplain said. “We had some unfortunate things that season, and we’re looking to get back to where we were in 2021. We have the roster to do that. Last year was a fluke year, and we’re back where we need to be.”

The Spartans battled adversity outside of injuries a year ago as well. The season was full of ups-and-downs that included wins over Wisconsin and Illinois, and a devastating double-overtime loss to Indiana, among other things. One way Michigan State looks to combat the vast peaks and valleys of last season is by bettering team chemistry in 2023. After adding several new faces via high school recruiting and the transfer portal, Duplain described how offseason team bonding has brought this year’s team closer.

“We have a lot of new faces in the locker room,” Duplain said. “Knowing people outside of football, I think that really helps your team a lot. Shoutout to Coach Tucker though because he brings in great people, and makes that really easy for us. He brings in people that want to be a part of our culture that we have at Michigan State.”

Building better chemistry is one thing, but better results on the field also include a step forward in execution. Duplain discussed the Spartan offensive line’s responsibility to improve after a disappointing year for the unit. The graduate senior specifically pointed out redshirt sophomore offensive tackle Ethan Boyd, who has put himself in position to potentially win a starting job in 2023.

Duplain was also highly complimentary of Michigan State offensive line coach Chris Kapilovic, who continues to mold this unit into one that expects to be amongst the best in the Big Ten in the near future.

“He’s (Kapilovic) an outstanding offensive line coach,” Duplain said. “He’s one of the reasons I came back for another year. He will take zero complacency. Every single day you are ‘back to the wall’. You have to produce. That fire is what makes him such a good O-line coach. He pushes us every single day to be the best we can be. He gets the most out of us.”

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