The college football offseason has been going on for a little over a month now, and this is a big offseason for the Michigan State football team. The Spartans have a new head coach coming in as Jonathan Smith is taking over for the fired Mel Tucker. Smith is coming to Michigan State from Oregon State, and he did a great job there of making the Beavers a solid, competitive team in the Pac-12. Now, he is tasked with the same job with the Spartans. The past few seasons have been quite the roller coaster in East Lansing, and the program is eager to get back to competing for Big Ten championships.
So far, Jonathan Smith has done a good job of utilizing the transfer portal since taking the Michigan State football job. We will discuss that, but first, let's take a look at how the Spartans got to where they are right now.
Mel Tucker was hired prior to the 2020 COVID season, and the Michigan State program wasn't in a good spot when he took over. Obviously, Mark D'Antonio was a great coach for the Spartans, and he led them to a lot of success. However, the final couple years that he was in East Lansing weren't great, and Tucker took over a program that wasn't in a good place.
The 2020 season wasn't a good one for Michigan State, but they beat their rival, Michigan, and that can change the perception of a season in East Lansing. Outside of that game, however, there weren't many positives to take away, and the Spartans entered the 2021 season with a lot of doubters. It had been a few years since they had a good season, and no one was expecting them to win more than a few games. However, the 2021 season ended up being a great one for Michigan State.
The Spartans came out of the gates hot in 2021 and kept winning football games. A lot of them were close and they weren't against the hardest teams, but they just kept winning, and they found themselves undefeated and ranked in the top-10 when rival Michigan came to town. The Wolverines also weren't expected to be very good that season after an abysmal COVID year, but they also came into the game undefeated and ranked in the top-10. That game would tell us a lot about each team, and the Spartans ended up erasing a big deficit, and they won a thriller.
After beating Michigan, it looked like the Spartans could make a run at the Big Ten title. Unfortunately, things unraveled a bit as they lost to Purdue and then to Ohio State in a game where they trailed 49-0 at halftime. To make matters worse for the Spartans, Michigan was the team that ended up winning the Big Ten and making the College Football Playoff. Still, Michigan State ended up finishing the season 11-2 and they won the Peach Bowl. They also beat Michigan. Mel Tucker had arrived, and he was rewarded with a massive 10-year, $95 million contract. The future was bright for Tucker and the Spartans.
The 2022 season arrived, and it quickly became apparent that Tucker's contract was a bit premature. Michigan State was ranked high to start the season as they returned some good talent from their 11-2 2021 squad, but the Spartans just couldn't find it. They lost by 22 points to Michigan that season, and they couldn't hit the six win mark to get into a bowl game. It was surprising to see after such a successful campaign the year prior, but it certainly put the pressure on Tucker and the Spartans for the 2023 season.
This past season was an absolute disaster for the Michigan State football team. The Spartans on-field product was well below par, and Mel Tucker was fired during the middle of the season. Tucker faced sexual harassment accusations from a university vendor that was also a sexual assault survivor. It obviously wasn't a good look, and Tucker was fired. Michigan State went on to lose 49-0 to Michigan in front of their home crowd, and they finished the season with a 4-8 overall record and a 2-7 record in Big Ten play. It was not a good season in East Lansing.
Despite all of that, the future is actually looking pretty bright for Michigan State football. Jonathan Smith was a great hire for the Spartans, and he has already done a great job hitting the transfer portal as he brought some key players with him from Oregon State, including quarterback Aidan Chiles. When you take over a team that has been struggling and doesn't have a lot of talent, the transfer portal in the first offseason becomes crucial. Smith knows that, and he's taking advantage so far. Here is the sneakiest pickup that he landed in the first round of the transfer portal.
LB Wayne Matthews III, Old Dominion
When it comes to Michigan State's transfer class, most people are talking about the players that are coming over from Oregon State that have already played with Jonathan Smith. The Spartans have three players that have transferred from there so far. However, Smith hit the jack pot by picking up Wayne Matthews III. Matthews is transferring from Old Dominion, so he will have to adjust to the talent level in the Big Ten, but he just had a monster sophomore season. Matthews finished the 2023 season with 135 total tackles, 3.5 sacks and three forced fumbles. He was a force for Old Dominion, and he should be a great addition for the Spartans next season.
Wayne Matthews III is exactly the type of player that teams are looking for in the portal. He will be a junior next year so he is coming in with good experience, he has proven that he can be a very good player even if it was at a smaller school like Old Dominion, and now he gets the chance to prove himself in the Big Ten. The defense wasn't a strength for the Spartans last season, and they need some talent on that side of the ball. Matthews was a great pickup, and Spartans fans are going to enjoy watching him play.
Follow Us
Subscribe