Latest news with #JimMichalczik
USA Today
2 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Spartans bringing a better O-Line to the table this year per comment from position coach
Spartans assistant coach Jim Michalczik provided an optimistic report on his offensive line on Thursday One of the areas that could make or break the Spartans this year is the offensive line, and it sounds like things are looking pretty good there as we progress through fall preseason camp. The Spartans have a number of weapons at the skilled positions this year, but if you're offensive line isn't any good then it doesn't mean much. Good thing for Michigan State is that offensive line coach Jim Michalczik is confident in that bunch after the first few weeks of fall camp. He met with the local media on Thursday and expressed some strong confidence in his offensive line compared to the unit from a year ago, while noting there is still room for improvement as they approach the season. "We have a bunch of dudes that can play," Michalczik said during his media availability. "The fun thing with this camp is that every day the bar just got higher. Every day we have improved, (but) I still think we have a lot of improvement to go... We are so much further advanced in understanding the offense, understanding football. We are talking about things we never talked about last year. We have so much more of the offense in now so (I'm) optimistic, yeah, but still have a lot more work to do." Michalczik added that a number of starting spots are still up for grabs, and that they should get some decisions made out of Saturday's second fall camp scrimmage. This goes in line with a comment from head coach Jonathan Smith earlier this week where he stated there's roughly 10 guys in the mix for a starting spot after the first two weeks of fall camp. Michigan State has a few more weeks of fall camp remaining before they open the 2025 season on August 29 against Western Michigan. Kickoff from Spartan Stadium in that matchup is scheduled for 7 p.m. ET. Check out the full video from Michalczik's press conference on Thursday below. 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.
Yahoo
01-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Michigan State Spartans Lose Class of 2026 Recruiting Battle to Missouri for Coveted Offensive Tackle Khalief Canty Jr.
Michigan State Spartans Lose Class of 2026 Recruiting Battle to Missouri for Coveted Offensive Tackle Khalief Canty Jr. originally appeared on Athlon Sports. After beating out SEC's Alabama for in-state wide receiver Samson Gash, the Michigan State football team was hit with the news that another in-state prospect decided to take his talents elsewhere. Advertisement Not only did the offensive tackle commit to a different school, the Spartans went 1-1 with the SEC conference on Tuesday. Michigan State offensive line coach Jim King/Lansing State Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images Khalief Canty Jr., a three-star out of Detroit, Mich. decided that Missouri was the place for him on June 24. He is the No. 434 overall recruit, No. 38 interior offensive lineman from the class of 2026, and No. 9 student-athlete out of his state. Michigan State made it down to the wire in his commitment decision. The Spartans were of the top two schools Canty Jr. was considering, and home advantage definitely gave Michigan State an edge over the other schools he received offers from. Advertisement Despite going with Missouri, he teased the Spartans on Monday with a post stating, "Hometown Hero?" in the green and white uniform. However, it's been a pattern this season of recruits fostering excitement among fanbases just to switch entirely and go with another school. So, it can't be too surprising that Canty Jr. chose the Tigers instead of following through with the sequence of his social media. Not landing Canty Jr. isn't the end of the world for head coach Jonathan Smith. Michigan State already has four offensive tackles committed from the class of 2026, including Collin Campbell, Quinn Buckey, Eli Bickel, and Tristan Comer. While Canty Jr. would've been a nice addition, five tackles work a fine line between security and overkill. Related: Michigan State Lands Its Second Wide Receiver and 19th Recruit From the Class of 2026 Related: Spartans Miss Hopeful Running Back Target to Big Ten Foe and Are Forced Back to the Drawing Board This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 24, 2025, where it first appeared.
