Camp Update: Youthful second string offensive linemen showing promise

East Lansing, Mich. - Before practice started last week, members of the Michigan State football support staff were already excited about one group of freshmen.

The Spartans’ first-year offensive linemen were impressive during summer weight training sessions.

“The strength coaches were very happy,” said Michigan State offensive line coach Chris Kapilovic. “Their (strength) base line was higher than any freshmen we’ve had since we’ve been here, which is good. Now, we just have to get them to catch up in the football room.”

To be fair, Michigan State has had only three offensive line classes since Kapilovic and Mel Tucker were hired in 2020. But progress is progress. And it’s appreciated at this juncture in program development, with the Spartan offensive line going through a transition period.

Michigan State graduated six offensive linemen after last year’s 11-2 season. Scholarship players Kevin Jarvis, AJ Arcuri, Matt Allen, Luke Campbell and Blake Beuter moved on with dozens of career starts. Second-string walk-on Dan VanOpstall also moved on. Meanwhile, third-string juniors James Ohonba and Jacob Isaia entered the transfer portal.

Michigan State doesn’t have as many proven offensive linemen heading into this year, but the Spartans aren’t poor in that area, either. Left tackle Jarrett Horst, left guard J.D. Duplain, center Nick Samac and right guard Matt Carrick (when healthy) are proven, functional players. New right tackle Spencer Brown was excellent in one start, in the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl, last year. And Washington State transfer Brian Greene is capable of starting at center or guard, or providing depth.

The transition is taking place on the second string. That’s where a slew of new faces, almost all of which were recruited by the current coaching staff, will begin inching toward the playing group.

Get accustomed to the names:

Brandon Baldwin, junior, second string left tackle.

Ethan Boyd, redshirt-freshman, second string right tackle.

Dallas Fincher, junior, second-string guard/center.

Kevin Wigenton, redshirt-freshman, second string left guard.

Geno VanDeMark, redshirt-freshman, second string right guard.

And the incoming freshmen: Braden Miller, Ashton Lepo, Gavin Broscious and Kristian Phillips.

“If you look in my room, I think I’ve got 12 or 13 guys who are first-year or redshirt freshmen,” Kapilovic said. “That’s a lot. But that’s okay.”

That counts walk-ons, Greene and transplanted walk-on defensive lineman Evan Brunning.

“That’s why I have ‘coach’ in front of my name,” Kapilovic said. “I have to get htem ready to go. It’s more challenging, but at least we are working with some good bodies. We’ve got to make it happen.

“Some of those young kids have some ability, they’re just not ready yet. I think we have enough guys that this is their second year and they need to come along and be ready to go if they are pressed into play.”

Baldwin is probably the closest to breaking into the playing group, and/or the inexperienced player most likely to see playing time due to emergency. Why? Because offensive tackle is the thinnest area of the offensive line, and he’s the next man up - behind Horst and right tackle Spencer Brown.

Baldwin (6-7, 315, R-Soph., Dertroit/Independence, Ks., Community College) reps at left tackle. Boyd (6-7, 315, R-Fr., East Lansing) reps at right tackle.

If something were to happen to Brown, it’s unclear whether Baldwin or Boyd would get the call at right tackle. Probably Boyd, because he has repped the most on that side. But Baldwin is further along.

“Baldwin is probably a little bit ahead of Boyd, but he should be because he spent a little time in junior college, getting those reps,” Kapilovic said. “So far, Baldwin has been holding up pretty well and Boyd is showing flashes. So we have to continue to get Boyd to be consistent and hopefully we can maintain that and grow with Baldwin.

“Baldwin and Boyd are the guys that you really need to step up. You want at least three that you really feel good about (at tackle) and hopefully a fourth will keep coming along.

“The hard part is if you don’t have big guards, it’s hard to find guys that can move out to tackle. It’s easy move tackles to guard. We have plenty of guys that can play interchangeable in the interior.”

But few who can move from the interior to tackle.

With Greene transferring in, and Carrick on the way back from last year’s leg injury, the Spartans figure to have a solid two-deep at guard and center, but another body or two is needed to come along.

“Brian Greene has been a great addition,” Kapilovic said. “So you feel like you have four interior guys that have played and been in the fire, if everybody is healthy.

“Now you are looking at a Geno, a Fincher, a Wigenton, A Brunning - somebody of that nature to step up to have five guys.

“I have four guys snapping at center (Samac, Green, Fincher, VanDeMark), so you feel good about having four guys that can snap if something happened to you at center.”

As for the true freshmen, Kapilovic said:

“Lepo, if you look at a picture of him from January to now, he looks like two different people. You love his athleticism. His power in the weight room is really good. Now he has to take the mental part of it and continue to excel.”

“Braden Miller was probably the most advanced of all the guys in terms of football IQ.

“Kristian Phillips, he is a 350-pound man who really moves well, who really has good feet. Really pleased with him.

“Broscious came in from Arizona and he’s a big, strong kid in the interior.

“We have some other young guys who were walk-ons who have done a nice job.”