Michigan State Football Top 30 Players Countdown: No. 12
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It’s tough to put together a solid offensive line without a solid center.
Michigan State has gone to the portal for a new one three seasons in a row now. The Spartans and Jonathan Smith brought in Tanner Miller from Oregon State in 2024, then added Matt Gulbin from Wake Forest in 2025. Pat Fitzgerald addressed the need at center by landing North Dakota State transfer Trent Fraley, who is No. 12 on my ongoing “top 30 players” list for the Spartans this fall.
Recent Run of Centers for MSU
Fraley is a redshirt senior out of Moon Township, Pa., who is entering his final season of collegiate eligibility. The first two seasons of his career, including a redshirt year, were spent at Marshall before he transferred for the first time to NDSU.
The immediate concern about Fraley is his size. He’s just 6’1”, which makes him the shortest offensive lineman on the roster, though his weight at 306 pounds is pretty close to the norm for an interior offensive lineman.
Plus, if there is a spot on the offensive line where someone of Fraley’s height can succeed, it’s center. Miller stood at 6’2” and 290 pounds two seasons ago and was one of the Spartans' more reliable linemen that season. Gulbin was up at 6’4”, becoming Michigan State’s best offensive lineman, period. His more-projectable size helped him get drafted by the Washington Commanders in the sixth round of this year’s NFL Draft.
There aren't a ton of areas on MSU’s last few rosters where there's much to envy, but center is one of those spots. Not to get too reliant on cliches, Fraley has some big shoes to fill from his jump from the FCS level to the Big Ten. There are plenty of reasons why Fraley is up this high on my list, though, and there is plenty of reason to believe Fraley can be a true, Power Four-level starter.
More Info on Fraley’s Career So Far
Fraley never got too much of a chance during his two seasons at Marshall. He appeared in just one game as a true freshman and then in three as a redshirt freshman. Fraley transferred after the 2023 season, likely seeking more playing time.
This is where North Dakota State enters the fold. The Bison, just now officially joining the FBS this season, had previously won 10 national championships since 2011. It was a level of dominance, at least relative to their level, that leaves Nick Saban’s Alabama dynasty in the dust.
Marshall is one of the better Group of Five/Six programs out there, so there was perhaps a slight drop in the overall quality of the team, but NDSU quickly became an amazing landing spot for Fraley. North Dakota State won that 10th national championship during Fraley’s first season there.
This time, Fraley was a focal point in the Bison’s offense. He started all 16 of North Dakota State’s games that year, playing a whopping total of 984 offensive snaps. Fraley and NDSU actually bested now-teammate Conner Moore and Montana State in the national championship game that season, too.
Fraley got even better the next season. He started all 13 of North Dakota State’s games last fall, with the Bison’s season being cut short (for their standards) after being upset by eventual national runner-up Illinois State in the second round of the FCS playoffs.
Fraley had a big individual addition to his trophy case, though, as he became the FCS Rimington Award winner, which goes to the subdivision’s best center, First Team All-Missouri Valley honors, as well as plenty of First Team All-American recognitions. Michigan State could have gone plenty of directions at center this offseason; getting the best center the FCS had to offer is a pretty decent strategy.
Why Fraley Is Huge Pickup From Portal
That big year at North Dakota State made Fraley a well-regarded transfer portal prospect. He was one of the highest-ranked pickups for MSU this offseason. Fraley was ranked 583rd overall in the portal this cycle by On3 and ranked 724th overall by 247Sports. Both sites also considered Fraley to be one of the 50 best interior offensive linemen available this winter, which includes both guards and centers.
One thing that Fraley is especially well-regarded for is his pass-blocking. He had PFF grades of 82.2 and 85.5 during the 2024 and 2025 seasons at NDSU, respectively (scores above 80 are considered to be pretty impressive). PFF only placed the blame on one sack allowed and 23 pressures across 794 total pass-blocking snaps during his two seasons in Fargo. Fraley went the entire 2024 title-winning season without allowing a sack.
Improved pass protection is an absolute must for Michigan State this season. The Spartans allowed 37 sacks last season. 16 of those sacks were with Alessio Milivojevic at quarterback, even though Milivojevic only started four games. The number would likely be even higher if Aidan Chiles weren’t so mobile and/or elusive. Milivojevic won’t be able to bail out his offensive line the way Chiles was able to do on occasion.
This is why Michigan State likely having four new starters on its offensive line this year is a good thing: three of those players are coming in from the portal, and a likely fourth is returning from an injury. The unit as a whole underperformed last year, so it’s best to find new names to step in.
The left side of the line (and the middle) will be all transfers. UConn transfer Ben Murawski was considered one of the best run-blockers in the country last season; he’ll be at left tackle. South Carolina transfer Nick Sharpe will be at left guard; he was with o-line coach Nick Tabacca at Wake Forest for four years, getting some starting experience both there and with the Gamecocks. Fraley, of course, will be the center.
On the right, Moore should be the lone returning starter at right tackle. Luka Vincic is also back, but he only appeared in two games last season due to an injury he suffered in Week 3. He seems like the sensible candidate to start at right guard.
Other Top 30 Articles
No. 30, WR Samson Gash | No. 29, WR Charles Taplin | No. 28, S Devin Vaught | No. 27, KR Kenneth Williams | No. 26, OL Luka Vincic | No. 25, OL Rakeem Johnson | No. 24, CB Tyran Chappell | No. 23, DL Derrick Simmons | No. 22, TE Carson Gulker | No. 21, WR KK Smith
No. 20, DL Eli Coenen | No. 19, OL Nick Sharpe | No. 18, LB Caleb Wheatland | No. 17, RB Marvis Parrish | No. 16, DB Michael Richard | No. 15, EDGE Anelu Lafaele | No. 14, P Rhys Dakin | No. 13, LB Dion Crawford
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A 2025 graduate from Michigan State University, Cotsonika brings a wealth of experience covering the Spartans from Rivals and On3 to his role as Michigan State Spartans Beat Writer on SI. At Michigan State, he was also a member of the world-renowned Spartan marching band for two seasons.
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