Why Sharpe Is Solid Add to MSU's Starting Offensive Line

The South Carolina transfer will fit in nicely in the trenches for Michigan State.

Michigan State's Nick Sharpe, center, runs a drill during the football Spring Showcase on Saturday, April 18, 2026, at Spartan Stadium in East Lansing. | Nick King/Lansing State Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The offensive line will be a lot different next season at Michigan State.

South Carolina transfer Nick Sharpe is one of the many newcomers to the Spartans' front. The sixth-year senior, standing at 6-foot-2 and a hefty 351 pounds, is currently the comfortable favorite to start at left guard for MSU next season. Here's what you need to know about him:

Sharpe's Career So Far

Sep 17, 2022; Winston-Salem, North Carolina, USA; Wake Forest Demon Deacons offensive lineman Nick Sharpe (70) and offensive lineman Derrell Johnson II (75) come out onto the field against the Liberty Flames before the game at Truist Field. | James Guillory-Imagn Images

Coming to Michigan State is actually a bit of a full-circle moment for Sharpe. Before he transferred to South Carolina, Sharpe had spent four seasons with Wake Forest, where he was coached by new MSU offensive line coach Nick Tabacca.

Sharpe was a 5-star recruit coming out of Hunter Huss High School in Gastonia, N.C. He finished ranked 1,581st overall in the class of 2021 on the 247Sports Composite. Both Rivals and 247 actually had him as a defensive lineman. Wake Forest was Sharpe's only listed Power Five offer on both sites.

Sep 9, 2023; Winston-Salem, North Carolina, USA; Wake Forest Demon Deacons offensive lineman Nick Sharpe (70) lifts up running back Tate Carney (30) after his score against the Vanderbilt Commodores during the second quarter at Allegacy Federal Credit Union Stadium. | Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images

It took a bit for Sharpe to get his footing at Wake Forest, where he actually got the same dorm room as legendary Spartan running back Kenneth Walker III. Sharpe got 81 total offensive snaps (all at right guard) across his first two seasons there, also taking a redshirt as a true freshman in '21.

His 2023 season was supposed to be the year he really made a difference. He started the Demon Deacons' first two games of the year, but he then suffered a season-ending injury. Sharpe's medical waiver from that year is the reason he's still eligible. He came back the next year and started 10 of Wake's 12 games, totaling 665 offensive snaps and a solid PFF grade of 73.2.

Greg Williams, left, shakes hands with Michigan State's new football coach Pat Fitzgerald during an introductory press conference on Tuesday, Dec. 2, 2025, at the Tom Izzo Football Building in East Lansing. | Nick King/Lansing State Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Next Steps, Role at MSU

Sharpe graduated after the 2024 season, and he opted to transfer after head coach Dave Clawson resigned and Tabacca was not retained. Sharpe appeared in eight games last season for South Carolina, starting five. That was his first time playing left guard in his career, grading out on PFF to a 65.9 mark.

April 18, 2026; East Lansing, Mich.; Michigan State Spartans offensive line coach Nick Tabacca instructs players during MSU's "Spring Showcase" at Spartan Stadium. | Starr Portice, Michigan State Spartans on SI

Sharpe was still on the left side when he reunited with Tabacca and scrimmaged with his new Michigan State teammates in last month's "Spring Showcase." His experience as a starter in the SEC and ACC makes him one of MSU's better portal additions this offseason.

Sharpe will also be right next to UConn left tackle transfer Ben Murawski, who is easily among the top incoming transfers this season after becoming a dominant run-blocker for the Huskies. Even if the Spartans were to have issues at right guard next fall, Sharpe can potentially move back and fill in at his old spot, too.

Michigan State offensive lineman Nick Sharpe speaks following a spring practice on Tuesday, April 7, 2026. | Jacob Cotsonika, Michigan State Spartans on SI