Kiper High on Gulbin, but MSU Lineman Just Wants NFL Shot
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One of Michigan State's outgoing seniors is preparing for his next step in his football journey.
MSU center Matt Gulbin was one of two Spartans to be invited to this year's NFL Combine, alongside punter Ryan Eckley. Gulbin only spent one season in East Lansing after beginning his career at Wake Forest (where he played for now-Michigan State offensive line coach Nick Tabacca), but he was a positive anchor on the team's offensive line that otherwise struggled.
Watch Gulbin discuss below...
Gulbin approached the podium on Saturday to talk about the value he can bring to an NFL team, his collegiate career, and also a bit about his time at MSU. As things stand at the moment, Gulbin seems to be hovering in that mid-to-late Day 3 draft pick territory, though some analysts, such as ESPN's Mel Kiper Jr., are higher on Gulbin than the general consensus.
Here is some of what Gulbin had to say:
Takeaways from Gulbin's Availability
One thing that was clear about Gulbin's one year at Michigan State was his leadership role. Even though he was a newcomer, his teammates at MSU voted him as one of the team's handful of team captains. That's a quality that some NFL teams are probably going to want out of the guy who will be snapping the ball to their quarterback and is one guy expected to help make adjustments at the line of scrimmage.
"That was the honor of my life," Gulbin said. "For those guys to vote me captain and to lead them, it was a special group. That was very important to me, and it was an honor."
Gulbin's versatility and experience are the two biggest things he has going his way as an NFL prospect. All 731 snaps for Gulbin at Michigan State were played at center, but he also got experience playing both left and right guard during his time at Wake Forest.
"It's very valuable to be able to play all three interior [offensive line] positions," Gulbin said. "That's something I'm going to continue to rep --- I'm going to continue to rep all three. With my pre-draft training, that's something I'm going to be expected to be asked to do."
In total, Gulbin played 52 total college games across his five seasons in college football, along with 34 starts. Having that much Power Four/Five experience makes the bet an NFL team is going to take on Gulbin safer, since it's much easier to figure out what kind of player he is with that much film of him out there. It makes that jump from college to the pros just a bit easier, too.
One thing that Gulbin is hoping doesn't hurt is stock is the injury he suffered that kept him out of MSU's 2025 season finale against Maryland. He says that he feels 100% again, but people in his corner have advised him against participating in drills at the combine. He plans on participating in Michigan State's Pro Day, instead.
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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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