Kristian Phillips injury update: Michigan State offensive lineman out long-term

The Michigan State Spartans offensive line took a major blow with the injury to offensive lineman Kristian Phillips. Now, he’s going to be out and unable to play for the long term.

As head coach Jonathan Smith explained, it’s a big blow to the offense to lose Phillips. On top of that, he’s likely done for the season. So, the Spartans are going to need to quickly try and find a way to replace him.

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“Yeah, it was big… It was coming out of the game there that was kind of late identification of how serious it was,” Jonathan Smith said. “He’s long term.”

Smith chose not to get specific with the exact nature of the injury. However, he did not that it is a “lower body” injury and that he likely won’t play again this season.

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“You probably won’t see him again this year,” Smith added. “So, it’s next man up. I think we did rotate again o-line wise at tackle and at guard with those guys. That’s where I’m back to. We can keep on jelling. We’ve got to keep on working on that group.”

Through two games this season, one of which was a Big Ten Conference game, the Spartans are averaging 154.5 yards per game on the ground, which is 72nd in the country. Michigan State has also given up 1.5 sacks per game, which is 59th in the country.

Michigan State is 2-0 to start the season, having beaten FAU at home and Maryland on the road. Both were close games, and with the wins Michigan State has won its first Big Ten game of the season for the first time since 2021.

Kristian Phillips came to Michigan State as a three-star recruit in the Class of 2022, according to the On3 Industry Ranking. He was the 82nd-ranked interior offensive lineman and the 995th-ranked player overall in that cycle. In 2023, as a redshirt freshman, he played in 11 games. That included 33 snaps at right guard.

Next week, Michigan State will host Prairie View A&M where Smith will look for a way to replace Phillips.