What to know about Michigan State heading into 2025
Here's a look at the Spartans as the 2025 season draws closer.
2024 in review
Michigan State struggled to take care of the ball last season and quarterback Aidan Chiles failed to live up to expectations after following Smith from Corvallis to East Lansing. The Spartans finished just 5-7 and failed to make a bowl game for the third consecutive season, leaving fans hungry for improvement. The offensive line struggled again, as it has for several years, but there's hope it'll take a step forward this fall. Nick Marsh was the team's leading receiver as a true freshman, and he'll have more help around him after some transfer additions. The signs are pointing toward a significantly improved offense in 2025 and a return to a bowl game.
Head coach profile
Smith was considered a big hire after the success he achieved with Oregon State, a program with fewer resources and worse facilities, but the move hasn't paid off yet. His six-year stint with the Beavers marked his first head coaching experience, and after going 2-10 in 2018, he led the team to steady improvement. Oregon State improved to 5-7 in 2019, took a slight step back during the COVID-19 season and then went 7-6 in 2021 with the team's first bowl appearance since 2013. The team peaked at 10-3 in 2022, followed by an 8-5 campaign before he left for Michigan State. His experience rebuilding a program from the basement of a conference should come in handy with the Spartans.
Top offensive player
Marsh was a highly coveted 4-star recruit who earned praise for his elite track speed. The Spartans are rumored to have dropped a large NIL bag to land Marsh, and the investment paid off with 41 receptions, 649 yards and three touchdowns as a true freshman. With an improved offensive line and more targets to take the pressure off, he should see elevated success this season, potentially eclipsing 1,000 yards.
Top defensive players
Michigan State struggled defensively last season but one of the bright spots was safety Nikai Martinez, who transferred in from UCF and had a seamless transition to Big Ten play. Martinez amassed 51 tackles and two interceptions last season, including at least three tackles in every game. Entering his senior season, Martinez is viewed as one of the veteran leaders of the unit.
2025 schedule
The battle for the Land-Grant Trophy returns, with Michigan State hosting Penn State after the two took a gap year in 2024. The two have a surprisingly even history, with the Nittany Lions leading the Spartans 19-18-1 in the all-time series, including winning the last two. This year's matchup will pit an improved Michigan State offense against one of the top defenses in the country, although it's unlikely the Spartans' defense will be able to match up against Penn State's rushing attack when the two clash in mid-November.
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Chicago Tribune
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- Chicago Tribune
Shane Smith goes from Rule 5 draft pick to representing the Chicago White Sox at the All-Star Game: ‘An amazing story'
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'Just extremely proud of him, proud of the organization, happy for everybody.' Smith started Sunday's series finale against the Colorado Rockies, allowing five runs on five hits with two strikeouts and two walks over 4 1/3 innings in the 6-4 loss in front of 25,662 at Coors Field. The Rockies scored a run in the first and second innings. The Sox had a 4-2 lead in the fifth, but the Rockies tied it on a two-run triple by Mickey Moniak. Smith exited after retiring the next batter on a grounder to shortstop Colson Montgomery. The Rockies went ahead later in the inning with a two-run home run by Michael Toglia against reliever Dan Altavilla. Montgomery and Mike Tauchman each had two hits and one RBI in the loss. The Sox (30-60) had to settle for taking two of three in the series. Smith said the outing 'felt like a step in the right direction.' 'I don't think the box score shows it,' he said. 'I think I did some things well today. I feel better now than I did probably 20 innings ago. You get through that rough patch and then come out better on the other half.' Smith learned of the All-Star honor before the game. He is one of 19 players earning their first All-Star nod. Smith is the first rookie pitcher in Sox history to be selected to an All-Star team. He is the seventh Sox rookie to be named an All-Star, the first since first baseman José Abreu in 2014. According to Elias, Smith is the second player since at least 2000 to become an All-Star in the season after being selected in the Rule 5 draft. He joins Dan Uggla, who earned his first All-Star selection in 2006 with the Marlins. 'Just fighting for a roster spot in spring, to be in Atlanta in July is not something I envisioned or expected by any means,' Smith said. 'Just to be able to put my best foot forward and have it work out well is incredible.' Today in Chicago History: Comiskey Park hosts major league baseball's 1st All-Star GameThe Sox selected Smith with the top pick of the Rule 5 draft in December. He was previously in the Milwaukee Brewers system, going 13-7 with a 2.69 ERA and 203 strikeouts over three minor-league seasons. Smith, 25, turned heads in spring training to gain a spot in the Sox rotation. 'What he showed in spring training and even his live BPs, it was like we've really got something special here,' Sox pitching coach Ethan Katz said. One particular Cactus League outing, March 8 against the Los Angeles Dodgers, stood out. Smith struck out five over three scoreless innings, including Shohei Ohtani twice. 'The spring training outing against the Dodgers was kind of where I feel he kind of set the tone for what he was going to be,' Venable said. 'That was the one that sticks out, like, 'Oh, this dude is legit,' and he's just followed up ever since then with quality outings.' Smith allowed two runs on two hits in 5 2/3 innings in his major-league debut on April 1 against the Minnesota Twins at Rate Field. 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USA Today
2 hours ago
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BTN analyst shares positive remarks on Michigan State hoops entering next season
One Big Ten Network basketball analyst seems to be pretty high on the Spartans heading into next season. Former Purdue Boilermaker and current Big Ten Network analyst Rapheal Davis shared some positive remarks on the Spartans for next season this week. Davis took to social media platform X to note he's expecting big things from Coen Carr, Jeremy Fears Jr. and Carson Cooper this upcoming season. Here's the exact post on X from Davis: This is the first time this offseason that Davis has provided positive insight on the Spartans from his point of view. He recently was praising the growth he was hearing for Carr and has also previously said he's expecting a breakout season for Fears. Michigan State is coming off a Big Ten championship winning season, where they also reached the Elite Eight of the NCAA Tournament. The Spartans, though, lost a number of key contributors off last year's team, including Jaden Akins, Jase Richardson and Tre Holloman. It's clear Davis is high on Michigan State entering next season and would assume he'd consider them a solid value pick to make some noise in the Big Ten. It'll be interesting to see if Carr, Fears and Cooper can live up to this hype this season, and truly elevate their game to lead the Spartans to another strong year on the hardwood. 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.
USA Today
4 hours ago
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Dolphins' Jonnu Smith dealt where he's 'most valued and appreciated'
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