MSU football head coach Jonathan Smith provides update as Spartans wrap up spring ball
Michigan State football is just about done with spring practice, and head coach Jonathan Smith was on hand to provide an update on his program before closing out the spring session.
Smith met with the local media on Thursday to field a wide variety of questions from the local media. Smith is entering his second season as the Spartans' head coach and is looking for a strong year in 2025 than his first as the lead man at Michigan State.
Check out highlights and notable comments from Smith's press conference as well as the full video from Smith's press conference on Thursday below.
Highlights & Notable Comments
Smith is excited about the progress Michigan State has made over the spring practice season
Smith said Michigan State will wrap up the spring session on Saturday with a practice and scrimmage; families of players and coaches will be able to attend the session
Smith said the defense played particularly well in the Spartans' most recent scrimmage
Smith said Michigan State will bring back the "Meet the Spartans" event in August (more details to be provided later on)
Smith shared that there's been a noticeable jump from year one to year two in the program, again acknowledging the growth seen this spring compare to last year
Smith noted improved offensive line play this spring as one of the more significant areas for progress
Smith said next week the coaching staff will meet with the current players and discuss future with program knowing transfer portal is now open
Smith acknowledged Michigan State will be active in spring portal -- he pointed to edge rushers and secondary as key areas for focus
Smith said Michigan State is leaving spring "pretty healthy" which will factor decision-making in spring portal movement
Smith and coaching staff are preparing for a roster size of 105 next year
Smith said starting quarterback Aidan Chiles is bigger and stronger from this time last year; he added that he's really taken a step in his game mentally as well after another year in the system
Smith said Michigan State is operating with an assumption that revenue sharing will be in place in relation to roster management and NIL decisions
Smith pointed to inside linebacker as the "deepest" position group on the Spartans' roster right now; added the wide receiver is also extremely deep
Smith said improvement in red zone play and ball security has been an emphasis throughout the spring and will continue to be an area of focus moving into the summer and fall camp
Full Video
This video is courtesy of SpartanMag
Contact/Follow us @The SpartansWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Michigan State news, notes and opinion. You can also follow Robert Bondy on X @RobertBondy5.
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