Penn State Opponent Preview: Scouting Michigan State in 2025

The Nittany Lions will face the Spartans for the first time under head coach Jonathan Smith.

Michigan State head coach Jonathan Smith speaks to the media during Big Ten Football Media Days in Las Vegas. | Lucas Peltier-Imagn Images

Penn State and Michigan State took a one-year break in 2024, meaning the Land Grant Trophy is back in play. The Nittany Lions have held it for two years since their 42-0 blowout win over the Spartans in 2023 in Detroit.

Now, Michigan State is under the guidance of head coach Jonathan Smith, who enters his second season with the Spartans. The team went 5-7 in Smith's first season but didn't go through an offseason overhaul. Smith said that more than 70 players returned with all three coordinators.

Penn State will visit Michigan State on Nov. 15. What will the Nittany Lions see in East Lansing? Here's a preview from Smith.

RELATED: What we learned about Penn State at Big Ten Football Media Days

On the Spartans in Year 2: There's a lot of work being done. Headed into year two, we learned a ton. In year one, the conference, the place, the roster, I know there's fluidity. The college landscape can be fluid. We continued to learn. I thought it was really important, our retention that we were able to have with our roster and our coaching staff to be able to grow and improve off the first season. So excited about all coordinators coming back, schematics being similar, to be able to grow and improve on that in year two.

Over 70 players on the roster will be with us again, and that was a vital part. The work that's been done this summer especially headed by our strength staff, Mike McDonald and that group. There's been a ton of work going on this summer, and those guys' bodies continue, bigger, faster, stronger, more explosive percentages. Leaps and bounds have taken place.

There's been a lot of work from year one to year two. That's going to be vitally important because, let's face it, Big Ten, in my opinion, best conference in America, a gauntlet of nine conference games against big-time opponents. We've got to continue to be ready to work to challenge, and we accept that challenge of playing in the best conference in America. With the atmospheres we play in, the road trips, the players, the coaches, the schemes, we're looking forward to that, wanting to be a part of such a big-time conference that way.

On linebacker Jordan Hall, receiver Nick Marsh and offensive lineman Stanton Ramil: Start with Jordan Hall, linebacker, been here for three years. You talk about influence in our locker room. Does a great job on and off the field. Had a solid fall for us, but I appreciate what he's done from January until now. Had a great spring practice. Going to be a vital player for us this fall. Also a great student.

Nick Marsh had a phenomenal freshman, true freshman season for us in the fall. Another guy I recognize the work he's done to this point. Influence and leadership on the team, done really well in school. A lot of attention comes his way, and I think he handles that in a first-class manner, represents us in a great, great way.

Stanton Ramil. This game starts up front. Had a solid year for us on the offensive line in the fall. Another guy that continues to show leadership amongst our team. Had a big-time spring ball and expecting huge things out of him holding up that core of the offensive line. Really proud of those three guys that we came down here with us.

"He can create. He can make all the throws. He's competitive."

Jonathan Smith talks @MSU_Football QB Aidan Chiles heading into the 2025 season 👇#B1GFootball pic.twitter.com/XsbMXAo6Kn

— Big Ten Football (@B1Gfootball) July 24, 2025

On quarterback Aidan Chiles: I've got a bunch of respect for him and credit for him because, yeah, he had some outstanding plays and some plays that were not good enough. It's our job as coaches to make sure we're surrounding him with, one, the line of scrimmage and those other ten guys on that offense making sure we're putting him in the best positions to have success.

I look at him statistically from the first half of the season to the second half. It was a whole lot better in the second half. He was improving. Some of that I respect I got for him because it wasn't always easy. Year one, new staff, new scheme, new school for him. All of that, he was handling. The guy is a big-time teammate and competitor. I look forward to seeing him in year two.

On which position group will be the most improved: We're shooting to improve in all of them. I think a couple of areas we have to, it starts with the line of scrimmage offensively and that offensive line. We want to create more competition in that room. We have four transfers that came in in January that have had college snaps before. So that room in particular with the four, yeah, additions to the competition. We've got some returning players at the offensive linemen and then continuing to take a step in their game.

The other piece I do think about, the continuity of schematics. This will be year two in the scheme for all of those guys with a big-time offensive line coach Jim Michalczik. I have full confidence in that group really taking a step.