Michigan State head coach Jonathan Smith is quickly approaching his first fall camp in charge of the Spartans, which is set to begin on Tuesday. Players report on Monday.

“It’s going to be a competitive August,” Smith said at 2024 Big Ten Football Media Days earlier this week. “In spring, we’re implementing new schemes. This is the first time (offense, defense, and special teams) those guys were learning that. Now that they got some background with it, [we will be] finalizing competition at a lot of spots come August.”

One of the intriguing storylines to watch in the Spartans' fall camp will be how the spring portal additions work. Smith and the staff backfilled talent after several key losses. The defensive line (Derrick Harmon and Simeon Barrow) and the secondary (Jaden Mangham) were position groups especially impacted by departures. Taking into account the additions and subtractions, Smith still feels good about what MSU got.

“We feel good about where we landed at multiple positions, line of scrimmage and the back end,” he said. “We’re headed to where we feel like we got a roster that has depth at multiple positions. Now, we got to get them playing at a high level.”

The secondary was bolstered in the spring by the additions of Ed Woods, Lejond Cavazos, Nikai Martinez, and Jeremiah Hughes. Those four pickups from the transfer portal only help the Spartans depth wise.

“In this day and age in football, a lot of times you’re playing five DBs [defensive backs] at a time on the field,” Smith said. “So, you need to fill the room with numbers and create some competition in that aspect and so we want to have a good amount of DBs.”

One of the concerns for the Spartans going into fall camp is the offensive line, especially the depth up front. Despite the questions, Smith is taking the glass half full mentality.

“I’m optimistic even on the offensive line,” Smith noted. “There’s some talent there. I’m optimistic that we can do some stuff.”

The better the offensive line can protect, the more time the quarterback can get the ball to a talented, yet mostly unproven group of receivers. Montorie Foster Jr. led the team last season with 576 yards. The next best receiver that returns for the 2024 season is Jaron Glover (261 yards in 2023). The room appears to be pretty wide open heading into fall camp with true freshman Nick Marsh also expected to be a factor.

“I think there’s guys in the room that are good players,” Smith said about the receivers. “I look at Montorie Foster and watching the spring that he had and learning the scheme and being able to play multiple positions. Nick Marsh, I know he’s young, but he’s got some real talent to him. I’m confident that we can have an effective passing game with the compliments of receiver, tight end, quarterback, the back out of the backfield, and some protection.”

Marsh has the potential to be the next great wide receiver in East Lansing. After a rollercoaster ride of a recruitment, Marsh is now settled in at MSU and is one of the most hyped true freshmen in program history.

“Over the long run, he can play this game at a high level,” Smith said about Marsh. “He’s got talent. He’s got work ethic. Football means a lot to him. He likes spending the extra time, getting extra work in. I thought he did a good job of learning the scheme for being more or less a high school senior.”

It might be difficult to gauge realistic expectations for a team in its first year under a new head coach. Additionally, the constant roster turnover with the transfer portal makes it even more difficult to know what to expect. A newly expanded Big Ten with a coast-to-coast footprint brings its own challenges as well.

However, Smith still has some benchmarks and expectations he wants the team to meet this season.

“Winning more than we lose,” he explained. “Playing our best football at the end of the year. We want to be in a constant state of improvement. So, the approach, our process, if that is right, we will be playing our best football at the end of the year.”

Another point of emphasis as fall camp approaches is working on establishing an identity, which is something that doesn’t happen overnight.

“We want to establish physicality of both sides,” Smith said. “And again I want to be a team that plays together, that finishes, and we want to be known by that.”

Smith does have experience in this sort of situation. He took over an Oregon State program that went 1-11 the year prior to his arrival. He does have an advantage this time around considering 2024 will be his seventh season as a head coach. Smith was a first timer when he took over the Beavers in 2018.

“I think for the first time, you’re drinking out of a fire hose in so many different ways,” Smith said. “I think I’m less reactive going into year seven than year one for shortcomings or if something doesn’t go exactly right. That’s why you want to be learning all the time.”

Smith will look to use that experience to his advantage as he is set to embark on his first season as Michigan State’s head coach with kickoff slated for Friday, Aug. 30.

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