REPORT: Why MSU Football's Kristian Phillips Stayed
Michigan State offensive lineman Kristian Phillips was unheralded coming out of Salem High School (Georgia) as a recruit in the 2022 class. 247Sports gave him a middling grade three-stars and rated him the 105th-best interior offensive line prospect in the country.
In the state of Georgia, he was No. 147.
After redshirting as a freshman, Phillips played in 11 games for the green and white in 2023. In 2024, with a new offensive line coach in Jim Michalczik (a significant upgrade) Phillips was looking at a breakout season as the new starting right guard.
Then he suffered a knee injury in Week 1. Now, he is healthy again and looking to have a season in 2025 that he was ready for in 2024. The Spartans are beginning spring ball, and Phillips recently told 247Sports' Justin Thind that the atmosphere in East Lansing is the right one. The new additions in the transfer portal are fitting in just fine, too.
"Honestly it's very exciting," Phillips said. "After this full week of workouts and being around the guys, I can tell they're very energetic. It feels great knowing we have the pieces we need to be successful. Can't wait to work with those guys. Can't wait to see what the future holds for us."
As for Phillips, he believes his purpose as a football player lies with the Spartans. He could have entered the transfer portal early on in his career -- yet he has stayed put. The heightened competition won't scare him off, either.
"I've always been a loyal guy," he told Thind. "In high school, I wasn't on the best team, but I stayed through it and I pushed through everything. That's what I want to do here. I told the fans when I came here that I want to get a championship for MSU. That's really my sole purpose, just hoping to see the smile on these faces when we when we finally go far. Regardless of if that's a bowl game or the CFB Playoff, I just wanna bring something home to these fans cause they've waited a long time for that moment. Since 2021 when they won a Peach Bowl, they haven't had anything like that yet ,so that's all I want."
Michael France is Sports Illustrated's Michigan State recruiting beat writer, covering all things Big Ten recruiting for Spartan Nation. Be sure to follow him on Twitter/X@michaelfrancesi for exclusive Spartans recruiting coverage.
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