Why Transfer OL Luka Vincic Will Bolster Michigan State

The Michigan State Spartans hit the transfer portal hard to improve the trenches.

Nov 19, 2022; Tempe, Arizona, USA; Oregon State Beavers offensive lineman Luka Vincic (63) against the Arizona State Sun Devils at Sun Devil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

The Michigan State Spartans’ offensive line performance in 2024 was inexcusable, and the staff knew that. 

The team struggled to run the football consistently, and quarterback Aidan Chiles was running for his life far too often.

That is why Jonathan Smith, Jim Michalczik and the rest of the MSU staff hit the transfer portal hard to find offensive line talent. And they were able to find plenty. 

MSU knew it needed to enter the 2025 season with nearly an entirely new offensive line, and that appears to be what is coming. Beyond Stanton Ramil, who is expected to start at left tackle, the Spartans will likely have an entirely new offensive line. 

If the season started tomorrow, the offensive line would probably be: Ramil at left tackle, Oregon State transfer Luka Vincic at left guard, Wake Forest transfer Matt Gulbin at center, Kristian Phillips (who missed almost the entire season) at right guard, and Montana State transfer Conner Moore at right tackle. 

That is three transfers and one player who is still virtually a new starter. 

The three transfers -- Vincic, Gulbin and Moore -- should transform this MSU offensive line unit into a formidable group. All this Spartan team needs is average play from its O-Line to be a bowl team. 

Vincic comes over from the Beavers, one year after Smith, Chiles, and others made the move east. He knows this staff and what they can do for his development. 

He can slide into a starting guard role at 6-foot-5 and 307 pounds and be developed by Michalczik. 

Gulbin earned a higher overall grade from Pro Football Focus than any other Spartan in 2024 at 74.1. While the move to center will be new for the former Demon Deacon, He seems to be transitioning well. 

Moore was the prize transfer of the offseason as a former FCS All-American. He will also move to a new position, sliding from left tackle to the right side. 

We have gone into detail about what that move means, which you can read here.

On paper, this MSU offensive line should be much improved. The transfer should allow for more breathing room in the run game and more time for Chiles to find receivers downfield. 

Trench play is everything, and Smith and his staff knew that. That is why they utilized a modern-day recruiting tool to bolster their roster.

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