Jonathan Smith: Michigan State guard Gavin Broscious likely out for season with injury

East Lansing, Mich. – Michigan State received more bad injury news following Saturday’s 40-0 win over Prairie View A&M. Redshirt sophomore guard Gavin Broscious will likely miss the rest of the season with a lower-body injury, head coach Jonathan Smith confirmed on Monday.

“You probably won’t see him the rest of the year,” Smith said of Broscious. “Which is unfortunate, again, because he’s been working really hard. He has overcome some things, started the last couple of games for us. Feel bad for that, but it’s an opportunity for others to get into the game. We’ll kind of see what that looks like by the end of the week, on knowing how we can work that right guard position into the rotation.”

Broscious, who started the last two games at right guard in place of the injured Kristian Phillips, went down following a one-yard Kay’Ron Lynch-Adams run midway through the third quarter of Saturday’s contest. Broscious could be seen laying on the field immediately following the play. He proceeded to take off his helmet and throw it to the ground in frustration. 

Michigan State staffers then called for medical assistance. As medical personnel drove a cart toward the seven-yard line to assist Broscious, Michigan State’s entire team huddled in prayer on the sideline. Afterward, the players ran out on the field to wish Broscious well. 

Broscious – a native of Surprise, Ariz. – received his first taste of collegiate action last week against Maryland, when he started in place of Phillips, who is out for the season. The 6-foot-4, 302-pound Broscious redshirted his freshman season in 2022 and did not appear in a game. He missed all of last season with an injury.

Broscious ended up splitting time with reserve guard/center Dallas Fincher against Maryland. Fincher started the second half of that game for Michigan State and was on the field for the Spartans’ game-winning drive. Smith said that Fincher will be among the candidates to take over for Broscious at right guard. Fincher, who again split time with Broscious during Saturday’s game, permanently filled in for Broscious at right guard following his injury.

“He’s gotten in multiple games here, so that spot will be himself, some of these younger guys like potentially Rakeem (Johnson) getting some looks there,” Smith said. “We’re still deciding if some of these guys at tackle, moving them inside. We’re going to try to put the best five out there and by the end of the week we should have that settled.”

Michigan State is very thin at the guard position with Phillips and Broscious injured. Outside of Fincher and starting left guard Luke Newman, Michigan State had no other players at the position with game experience prior to Saturday’s win.

Redshirt freshman guard Cole Dellinger, the next-oldest scholarship option at guard, missed most of fall camp and all of spring ball with injury and has yet to appear in a game this season. He redshirted last season, his first as a Spartan, and did not appear in a game. The rest of Michigan State’s scholarship offensive linemen are true freshmen.

True freshmen Rustin Young (left guard) and Rakeem Johnson (right tackle) repped with the second-string unit during warm-ups prior to last week’s game against Maryland. Johnson received his first snaps as a college player early in the fourth quarter of Saturday’s game against Prairie View A&M. He played right tackle. 

“We think he can play both guard and tackle,” Smith said of Johnson. “He played really well in the scrimmages, so we have some confidence. We’ll see how this plays out toward the end of the week. With the setbacks we’ve had, we think he has some flexibility at guard and tackle. You might see him out there some. You might.”

Michigan State will likely place more emphasis on the development of true freshmen Mercer and Charlton Luniewski, as well as Andrew Dennis, in the event that they need to fill in during a game. Charlton Luniewski (left rackle) and Dennis (right tackle) played limited snaps late in Saturday’s win.

Walk-on Cooper Terpstra received his first snaps of game action when he filled in for starting center Tanner Miller late in Saturday’s blowout. Terpstra could provide some relief at guard if needed. Walk-on Jacob Merritt received the first game snaps of his three-year career on Saturday when he filled in for Newman at left guard.

Merritt is 6-foot-6, 289 pounds, a redshirt sophomore from Northville. He served as the second-string left tackle during spring practice, when Stanton Ramil’s availability was limited. Merritt redshirted in 2022 and did not see action last year.

Michigan State listed six other players as “out” ahead of kickoff against Prairie View A&M: wide receiver Alante Brown, wide receiver Jaron Glover, defensive back Dillon Tatum, safety Khalil Majeed, defensive end Avery Dunn and cornerback Chance Rucker. Phillips and Majeed were the only players listed as out for the season.

Glover, a redshirt sophomore, missed Saturday’s game after starting the first two games of the season. Glover has six receptions on the season, through two games. Glover missed the end of the Maryland game due to an undisclosed injury.

Smith said Glover could return this weekend at Boston College.

“That will kind of be at the end of the week,” Smith said. “We will see what it looks like the first couple of days of work. I’m optimistic but you never know how long you bounce back from something. But it’s not long-term.”