There were many things for the new coaching staff at Michigan State to change. The offensive line was one of the first priorities.

Pat Fitzgerald and offensive line coach Nick Tabacca pretty much rebuilt the unit in one offseason. MSU will have four new starters this year, and all five starting spots will look different this coming season. Here's a quick breakdown of each starter, as well as the key reserves:

Position Coach: Nick Tabacca

Tabacca is one of the most experienced hires Fitzgerald made this offseason. He didn't hold a college job last season, but had previously been the offensive line coach at Wake Forest from 2014-24. Tabacca was also in charge of the O-line at Ball State from 2012-13. He helped develop four NFL picks across his 11 seasons at Wake, most notably Zach Bako-Bewele of the Green Bay Packers.

Projected Starters

LT Ben Murawski

The very first transfer portal addition of the offseason was a big one. UConn transfer Ben Murawski is expected to be the Spartans' very best offensive lineman this season. He was the starting left tackle for the Huskies last year and became one of the best run-blocking offensive tackles in the country. His 86.4 PFF grade as a run-blocker was the fifth-best among all FBS offensive tackles last year (min. 100 snaps).

Michigan State's UConn transfer duo of Murawski and running back Cam Edwards will be a huge part of this year's offense. Edwards averaged 8.0 yards per carry when he ran to the left B and C gaps that Murawski was responsible for opening up.

LG Conner Moore

One interesting tidbit from fall camp has been Conner Moore's move to left guard. A shift back to right tackle, where Moore started last year, at some point wouldn't be a stunner, but Moore is repping on the left side of the offensive line right now.

Moore has 175 snaps' worth of experience at left guard, all of which came at the beginning of the 2024 season at Montana State. His 78.9 run-blocking grade last year from PFF with MSU was significantly higher than his 52.8 mark as a pass-blocker.

C Trent Fraley

North Dakota State transfer Trent Fraley is the new centerpiece of the Spartans' offensive line. He began his career at Marshall, hardly playing for two years there before breaking out in Fargo with the Bison. Fraley helped lead NDSU to a national title in 2024 before becoming the FCS's Rimington Award winner last year, making him the subdivision's top center.

Fraley is a little undersized at "just" 6'1", but he's made a career out of being a great pass-blocker for an interior offensive lineman. PFF says he only allowed one sack in two years as North Dakota State's starting center, and his 85.5 pass-blocking grade last year ranked fifth among FCS centers.

RG Nick Sharpe

Another transfer portal addition the staff seems to be high on is South Carolina transfer Nick Sharpe. He played for Tabacca at Wake Forest for four years, exclusively at right guard. Sharpe was moved to left guard while with the Gamecocks in 2025, but he seems to be moving back to his old spot now.

RT Rakeem Johnson

Seemingly holding onto the last starting spot is third-year player/redshirt sophomore Rakeem Johnson. He started the final four games of last fall at right guard for Michigan State. Johnson has been known as a very versatile offensive lineman since he arrived on campus, and this would be a very important step for him if he's able to hold onto the starting spot.

Key Reserves

OT Robert Wright Jr.

Johnson holding onto the right tackle spot, at least from what I've seen during practice, is a minor surprise. With Moore leaving his spot vacant, I would have figured it would go to Robert Wright Jr. He was the starting right tackle at Georgia Southern last year, going 752 offensive snaps without committing a penalty.

OT Rustin Young

Rustin Young is another option Michigan State has at left tackle. He got five starts for the Spartans last year -- four of them at left tackle and one at right tackle. Young got a lot of playing time after injuries kept previous starting left tackle Stanton Ramil out for most of the year. He held his own for a redshirt freshman in 2025, but Young could use another year of development before taking on a starting role.

OG Luka Vincic

Luka Vincic is another big piece of the puzzle. The former Oregon State transfer was probably set to become MSU's starting right guard last year before he suffered a season-ending injury in Week 3 against Youngstown State. Vincic seems to be mostly healthy heading into the 2026 season, though there is still a mental factor involved with coming back from a severe injury.

C Drew Nichols

Second-year player/redshirt freshman Drew Nichols seems to be Michigan State's backup center entering the season, given that he's getting reps there following Fraley. Vincic would be another option at center for MSU if Fraley becomes unavailable, but it's intriguing to see Nichols rise a bit headed into his second season with the program.

All Other Scholarship O-Linemen: Antonio Johnson, Jack Ziarko, Collin Campbell, Eli Bickel, Andrew Dennis, and Tristan Comer