Taking full advantage of every opportunity is pivotal in life and in football. Michigan State offensive tackle Brandon Baldwin did that during the 2022 season.
Baldwin is a redshirt junior from Detroit, Michigan. He previously played at Independence Community College in Kansas before he arrived in East Lansing in 2021.
In spring practice at this time last year, MSU's number of healthy scholarship offensive linemen was in the single digits. Baldwin was one of them. While unfortunate for the team as a whole, Baldwin took advantage of his chance, and used it as a way to insert himself into the rotation in the fall. He played in a total of nine games and started five contests in the 2022 season, logging 405 snaps.
“My game has improved,” Baldwin said to the media on Tuesday after spring practice. “I’ve gained a lot of experience from last year. It was good to get a couple of starts last year and get my feet wet.”
He said that those additional reps in spring practice as a healthy player in 2022 helped him prepare for fall camp and the 2022 season.
“Every rep matters,” Baldwin said. “We gotta get better every day and constant reps and constant practices is gonna keep helping you improve as an offensive lineman.”
One of the starters on last year’s offensive line (when healthy), tackle Jarrett Horst, has now moved on to play professional football. He is pursuing the NFL, and was already drafted first overall in the United States Football League (USFL) by the Michigan Panthers. However, Horst left a lasting impact on many of the current offensive linemen, including Baldwin, who are set to fill his shoes.
“Coming up behind him (Horst) was really good,” Baldwin said. “It was good to get all those reps last year so I could be ready to be able to lead this year as a starting left tackle.”
One of Baldwin’s goals this season is to be the starting left tackle. However, there is more competition within the offensive line room this year, so that is far from a guarantee. Baldwin has also been getting some reps at right tackle.
“I tried out right (tackle) a couple of times at practice,” Baldwin said. “We just have to do what’s best really, (put) the best players on the field.”
Baldwin mentioned that it’s “not easy” going from left tackle and playing right tackle here and there at practice. It just takes “extra practice” and extra reps.
That decision of who to put on the field will come down to assistant head coach/offensive line coach/run game coordinator Chris Kapilovic. On Tuesday, Kapilovic told the media that he’s seen a “night and day” difference between the offensive line from last spring and the offensive line from this spring due to the added depth and overall health of the unit.
“I feel like I’ve improved way more than last spring,” Baldwin said. “We had about six O-linemen last spring, so that was kind of tough on us conditionally. This year we got a lot of guys, we got a lot of depth, we got a lot of competition.”
The run game was a struggle last season. Sure, Kenneth Walker III wasn't touting the rock, but the problems went beyond who the running back was. Some of the running games' success and failures falls on the offensive line.
“We didn’t get it done how we wanted to,” Baldwin said about the ground game. “I feel like the O-line chemistry this year is getting better and our run game will be better.”
Baldwin also gave his running backs some compliments based on what he has seen so far in spring practice.
“We've got some new backs, some real good explosive backs, who will be helpful to the run game,” Baldwin said. “All we gotta do is open a hole for them and give them a crease and they’re gonna make a big play.”
He mentioned, by name, UConn transfer Nathan Carter, South Florida transfer Jaren Mangham, Jalen Berger, Davion Primm and others.
“I like all my running backs,” Baldwin proclaimed.
Baldwin was also a touted basketball player in high school. As a high school senior in 2019, he was named to the Detroit Free Press All-North Team.
“Basketball helped me a lot with having good hips, having good feet and being able to be mobile,” Baldwin said. “As a football player, you just have to add on the strength and the pad level to my game.”
MSU’s offensive line is in good hands for many years down the road. The Spartans brought in a few highly-rated recruits this offseason, such as junior college transfer tackle Keyshawn Blackstock, Stanton Ramil and Cole Dellinger. Baldwin has seen Dellinger and Ramil stay after practice and after weight room sessions.
“I feel like the future is good for the O-line,” Baldwin said. “They push me to elevate my game.”
He also said that he “relates” to Blackstock because both came to MSU from junior colleges.
Baldwin had an opportunity to break through the proverbial glass ceiling last season and he now can parlay that into a starting role in 2023.
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