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Michigan State in a 'much better space' in terms of player availability this spring

On3 imageby:Jake Lyskawa•03/28/23•

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Spencer Brown in the Spring Game
Michigan State is enjoying greater health and depth amongst many position groups this spring, especially offensive line (Getty Images).

East Lansing, Mich. – The Michigan State football team wrapped up its seventh day of spring practice Tuesday morning, marking a rough halfway point until the Spring Game on April 15. The first few spring practices have left offensive coordinator Jay Johnson feeling confident about the team’s depth and quality of work, thanks to better health and availability of players. 

“We’re a completely different team from where we were a year ago,” Johnson said. “Because of some circumstances with injury and whatnot, we had like six or seven o-linemen (last season). Now we have, like, 19. We have some really good players. The defense, too, is in the same mold – we’re a completely different level there (and) with the running backs and receivers. We feel like we’re getting some really good, quality work in.

“To me, it’s night and day. We’re lightyears ahead of where we were last year just because of the way things are set up. We’ve got our guys here and guys are working hard to prove it.”

The offensive line was a position group particularly decimated by injury last spring. Now, with close to 20 offensive lineman available to practice, coach Chris Kapilovic’s group is hoping to reach a point where they can rotate through two separate offensive line groups throughout the season. 

“I think it’s extremely important,” Johnson said of the offensive line’s health and availability. “One (lineman) that I’d bring up is Kevin Wigenton, who’s been around. Ethan Boyd, Brandon Baldwin, all those guys who have kind of now been here – I think they’re going on year three. But yes, it’s huge, because if you look back to 2021, we were playing, like, 10 o-linemen for the first 10 games and they were all getting a bunch of snaps. If we can put ourselves in that position again, that would be big.

“Keyshawn (Blackstock) is here and doing some great things. And then you look at the next group behind them, the Ashton Lepos, the Braden Millers, all those guys. I think we’re in a good spot there with Coach Kap and his room. Those guys are getting a lot of great opportunities, and so I think our depth is going to be at a completely new level once we enter the fall.”

This spring, the entire team has focused on something that head coach Mel Tucker has stressed since he arrived in East Lansing three years ago – the details.

“There’s been a lot of emphasis on the individual technique part of it that we can transfer over once we put the entire scheme together,” Johnson said. “I feel we’re making some very positive influences in that area. That’s kind of the main focus.”

Johnson said he can’t confidently say that the availability issues Michigan State faced last spring affected the team’s performance in the fall, but he admitted that this year’s team is in a “much better space” as far as health and depth go. 

The team had its first scrimmage of the spring on Saturday, and Johnson expects the team to have another one before the Spring Game in mid-April, depending on its health and availability at that point. 

“Obviously we kind of take that day-by-day as far as the state of the team and where we’re at injury-wise, but I think right now that’s kind of the plan,” Johnson said of hosting another scrimmage. “But then, like I said, we’ll kind of adjust accordingly.”

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