Experts need to start believing in Michigan State’s 2026 offensive line

Spartan Avenue · Jul 21, 2026 12:00 · 3 min read

Experts need to start believing in Michigan State’s 2026 offensive line — Michigan State's Ben Murawski and the rest of the offensive line participate in a drill during spring football practice on Tuesday, April 14, 2026, in East Lansing. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Michigan State’s offensive line is already being overlooked on the national stage, but I think that’s going to be a huge mistake.

We’ve heard for a few years now that Michigan State’s offensive line is going to be one of the most improved in the Big Ten and (finally) a strength for the first time since Mark Dantonio’s glory years.

Unfortunately, the offensive line has been a major disappointment during that span.

The talk of preseason camp was about how good the offensive line looked and then when the season starts, quarterbacks are running for their lives and running backs can’t find an open running lane with a magnifying glass. It’s led to this recent four-year bowl drought that Pat Fitzgerald is hoping to stop before it becomes five.

If the Spartans are going to go bowling this year, it’ll have to be due to an improved offensive line really opening up the offense for Nick Sheridan and Co.

And given who Fitzgerald was able to get in the transfer portal, I believe that the Spartans’ offensive line is actually going to walk the walk this season. We’ve heard the past two offensive line coaches talk the talk, but Tabacca has the pieces to construct a starting unit that should sit somewhere in the top half of the conference, in my opinion.

Experts, unfortunately, disagree with me. Phil Steele doesn’t even have Michigan State’s offensive line ranked in the top 50 nationally.

If that’s not bad enough, Pick Six Previews has the Spartans’ offensive line ranked near dead-last in the entire Big Ten in its preseason rankings.

Experts are going to miss out on the low stock price that Michigan State’s 2026 offensive line currently has and I’m going to be the majority stockholder. I don’t care that the line has been disappointing for years, I trust Fitzgerald and his coaching staff to get it back to competing in the Big Ten, starting right away.

Michigan State’s offensive line room is intriguing

Forgive me if I’m a little more excited about Michigan State’s offensive line room than the average Spartan fan, but the sky is 100 percent the limit for this unit.

Fitzgerald landed Nick Sharpe, Trent Fraley, Robert Wright Jr., and Ben Murawski in the transfer portal and each one of those guys is good enough to start in 2026. All of them were plus linemen at the previous programs and I think two have a decent chance to earn All-Big Ten honors (Fraley and Murawski).

Then you have guys like Rakeem Johnson, Conner Moore, Luka Vincic, Andrew Dennis, and Rustin Young all returning from last year’s team. Moore is an All-Big Ten candidate along with Vincic and Young, in my opinion.

And then there’s four-star offensive tackle Collin Campbell who committed to Jonathan Smith but decided to stick with the new staff. He’s the second-highest-rated player in Michigan State’s 2026 recruiting class and many believe that he’s going to be a star in East Lansing.

After hearing all of this, how could you not buy into what some people (Pick Six Previews) are considering the second-worst offensive line in the entire Big Ten.