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LANSING — Jonathan Smith’s annual stop at the Michigan High School Football Coaches Association’s winter clinic gave the Michigan State football coach a chance to reflect on a busy offseason.
New assistants were hired. New players — transfers and early enrollees — are on campus. The work to rebuild the Spartans is well underway a little over two weeks into the new year.
“I am a believer in consistency, in continuity,” Smith told reporters Friday morning at the Lansing Center. “Guys that come in for a year will improve the next year. And so we have a lot of guys on the roster that have been here now, added some pieces. But I’m convinced with way our coaches go, the longer time they spend at our place, they’re going to get better.”
MSU began its winter conditioning program Monday as classes for the new semester opened. That includes 27 players who weren’t on the roster last year, 16 midyear transfers and 11 freshmen who arrived early from high school to get a jump start on their college careers.
Smith and his staff put priorities on three key areas for additions, with a focus on offense:
On offensive line, Smith said adding Conner Moore (Montana State), Matt Gulbin (Wake Forest), Caleb Carter (Western Carolina) and Luka Vincic (Oregon State) will add depth and position versatility to a group that struggled in protection and run blocking a year ago: “We need to create more competition in that room. And with the four guys, they got multiple snaps. I mean, they got career starts. They we wanted to create more in there. And getting the four we got, we feel awesome about them.”
On wide receiver, MSU lost four players to transfer (Jaron Glover, Aziah Johnson, Jaelen Smith and Antonio Gates Jr.). Smith brought in four transfers in Evan Boyd (Central Michigan), Rodney Bullard (Valdosta State), Omari Kelly…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/jonathan-smith-attacked-3-areas-130328400.html
Author : Detroit Free Press
Publish date : 2025-01-18 13:03:00
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