Predicting MSU's Starting Offensive Line Combo Post-Spring
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One of the focuses this offseason had to be on the offensive line.
There is a good chance that every spot on Michigan State's starting five up front is different than last season. Under new offensive line coach Nick Tabacca, the O-line was one of the positions where the Spartans were most active in the transfer portal, taking four new players from other schools.
So, what could the starting combination designed to protect starting quarterback Alessio Milivojevic end up being when MSU takes on Toledo in Week 1?
I have a guess right now, designed for the perfect world where everybody is healthy. Going from left to right, here are my five guys right now and why:
LT - Ben Murawski (R-Sr.)
One of the best transfer portal additions of the offseason was UConn transfer Ben Murawski. On3 had him rated 204th overall in the transfer portal this cycle, 15th among offensive tackles, which was the best rating of any portal commit for Michigan State.
The size is the thing that sticks out about Murawski. He's listed at 6-foot-7 and 340 pounds. That makes him the tallest player on the team and the second-heaviest (the guy in first is next). Murawski is elite in the run game, scoring a stellar PFF grade of 86.4 there. His pass-blocking game is down at 54.4, though.
LG - Nick Sharpe (6th)
Starting the interior is South Carolina transfer Nick Sharpe, whose 351-pound frame is the biggest on the squad. He actually began his career at Wake Forest, where he learned from Tabacca for four total seasons. Sharpe played in eight games this past season for the Gamecocks, with five of those appearances being starts. All 390 of his offensive snaps were at left guard, though Sharpe played right guard while he was at Wake Forest.
Sharpe has been sticking with the left side during the spring at Michigan State, though. Given his deeper relationship with Tabacca and the fact that he held his own in the SEC last year when he started, this starting job is easily Sharpe's to lose.
C - Trent Fraley (R-Sr.)
In the middle is another transfer addition: North Dakota State transfer Trent Fraley. He's the son of Detroit Lions offensive line coach Hank Fraley, and he was also the best center at the FCS level last season, winning the level's Rimington Award. That, predictably, came with a litany of First Team All-American honors from places like the AP (media) and the AFCA (coaches).
Fraley, who also once played at Marshall, is also used to winning. NDSU went 26-3 during Fraley's two seasons there, winning a national title in 2024. Fraley, despite being just 6-foot-1 (quite small for a Big Ten offensive lineman), also graded out last season as an elite pass protector. He got an 85.5 there last season, only allowing one sack and nine pressures across 335 pass-blocking snaps.
RG - Luka Vincic (R-Sr.)
The right side of the line is where things get a little tricky. Returning lineman Luka Vincic, who missed nearly all of last season and spring ball due to injury, is who I am leaning towards to be the team's right guard next season. Vincic only got to play 47 snaps last season between the games against Boston College and Youngstown State, and all of them were at this spot.
Conner Moore (more on him soon) was actually the one repping at right guard with the first-teamers during this past Saturday's "Spring Showcase." Moore's versatility and ability to guard can be great, but I still think he would be most valuable to this team at right tackle. The key is whether Vincic is healthy enough and has physically and mentally rebounded from his long-term injury to perform at a high level in the fall.
RT - Conner Moore (R-Sr.)
Moore finishes off my guess of the starting line combo. If you'll also look back, this combination is entirely composed of fifth- or sixth-year seniors. There is an absolute surplus of experience at the top of the depth chart for the Spartans right now. Moore swapped between left and right tackle a bit last season, but he seemed to be the most natural on the right side.
If Moore does end up sliding to right guard, it seems Rakeem Johnson is ready to fill in. Most of his snaps in his career have been at right guard, but he has played 90 total snaps at right tackle, too.
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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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