EAST LANSING – Free Press sports writer Chris Solari looks back at Michigan State football’s 41-14 season-ending loss Saturday at home to Rutgers and ahead to the Spartans’ offseason and 2025 season.
Next up: Western Michigan Broncos
Matchup: Michigan State (5-7, 3-6 Big Ten) vs. Western Michigan (6-6, 5-3 MAC)
Kickoff: Time TBD, Aug. 30, 2025; Spartan Stadium, East Lansing.
TV/radio: TV TBA; WJR-AM (760).
Chris Solari’s 3 things we learned
SPARTANS INSIDER: Aidan Chiles promises change in 2025 as Michigan State football misses bowl game again
Chiles blossoming: In the aftermath of missing a bowl berth for the third straight season, quarterback Aidan Chiles delivered a postgame news conference that pulled no punches — about his play this season; about his teammates’ attitudes; about a fair-weather fanbase that, at points, called for his benching; and about the need for big changes in the offseason. He no longer sounded like a 19-year-old first-time starter but a burgeoning leader with the fervor of Kirk Cousins and the fire of Mark Dantonio. However, Chiles also knows he now must back up his promises after showing flashes of brilliance interspersed with wild inconsistency guiding an offense that ranks 123rd out of 133 in the Football Bowl Subdivision in points per game (19.3), 120th in red-zone offense (73.7%), 110th in total offense (333.4 yards) and 110th in rushing (115.3 yards).
Injuries continue: Already missing eight defensive backs due to injury, including three starters, the Spartans suffered another loss in Saturday’s first half when safety Jaylen Thompson got hurt late in the second quarter and had to leave the field on a backboard and cart. (Coach Jonathan Smith said after the game that the true freshman had been released from care but was in concussion protocol.) It was another big loss that proved costly on Rutgers’ long touchdown drive and 2-point play to open the second half that ostensibly put the game away. MSU also allowed the Scarlet Knights to convert on seven of 13 third-down chances, including a 4-for-4 mark on that first drive of the third quarter, ending in a 9-yard touchdown pass. The Spartans’ offensive line depth remained problematic, as it has all fall with attrition from offseason transfers and early-season injuries, and the run game evaporated after the first drive. And the season-ending injury to long snapper Kaden Schickel proved costly, with backup Jack Carson-Wentz sending a ball over punter Ryan Eckley’s head for a turnover on downs at MSU’s 2-yard line late in the first quarter, leading to a field goal that gave Rutgers the lead for good.
Senior farewell: MSU will lose its top four tacklers from Saturday’s game with the eligibility expirations of nickel back Angelo Grose, linebackers Jordan Turner and Cal Haladay and cornerback Ed Woods. Other key defensive departures include starting defensive end Khris Bogle and defensive tackles Maverick Hansen and D’Quan Douse. On offense, leading rusher Kay’ron Lynch-Adams (69 yards on nine carries Saturday) and top receiver Montorie Foster Jr. won’t return, with Foster’s streak of 24 straight games with a catch ending against Rutgers. Three starting offensive linemen — center Tanner Miller, left guard Luke Newman and right guard Brandon Baldwin — also are out of eligibility, as well as kicker Jonathan Kim and backup quarterback Tommy Schuster. Defensive end Quindarius Dunnigan could petition for an extra year of eligibility due to an injury-lost season at Middle Tennessee State.
Chris Solari’s 3 things to watch in offseason
MSU GRADES: Microcosm of 2024 — strong start, flat finish
Early/late signing periods: Wednesday marks the start of the three-day early signing period for high school players, and the Spartans currently have 16 commitments — all three-star prospects — in their 2025 class. Their top in-state pledges include Frankenmuth defensive lineman Derrick Simmons and a pair of linebackers in DiMari Malone of Macomb Dakota and Charles White of Orchard Lake St. Mary’s. Top national commits include quarterback Leo Hannan from Anaheim, California, and defensive backs LaRue Zamorano from Corona, California, and Terrance “Deuce” Edwards of Richmond, Virginia. Edwards was a late flip from a West Virginia pledge, and Smith and his staff have until Friday to try and land a few more. After that, the regular signing period reopens Feb. 5 and lasts till April 1, 2025 — a chance to mine for some off-the-radar and late-blooming prospects or others who balk at signing next week. The junior-college midyear transfer window also opens Wednesday and runs through Jan. 15.
Portal potential: Smith talked about ensuring key young players in the secondary who got valuable snaps with all of the injuries remain with the program, but the same can be said about the importance of roster retention at every other position in the portal era. Some could be tied to NIL money and some to playing opportunities, but keeping the younger talent who got experience — such as receiver Nick Marsh, offensive linemen Stanton Ramil and Ashton Lepo and linebacker Jordan Hall, among many others — is how to build a program and not just fill gaps. That said, there are a number of holes that need plugging immediately, which makes Smith’s ability to pluck players from the portal vital. Two particular needs: additional upper-class depth on the offensive line and edge pass rushers.
Offseason gains: Smith also talks about returning MSU to a developmental program, something Mark Dantonio and his staff did expertly over 13 seasons. That work begins with offseason conditioning in January, and Chiles pointed to that being a pivot point when the 2025 season will begin in earnest. Beyond lifting and cardio, it will mean players diving into playbooks and schemes to hone the “little details” most talked about the Spartans misfiring on throughout the season. They also need to get healthy — offensive linemen Kristian “Big Dooley” Phillips and Gavin Broscious were major losses up front, as were defensive backs Dillon Tatum and Chance Rucker. That quartet featured potential impact players who missed the majority of the season. Smith and his staff also must get last year’s portal additions with eligibility left prepared for larger roles next fall while accelerating the learning for MSU’s 2024 class beyond Marsh and the young defensive backs, to start assembling depth from within the program.
Contact Chris Solari: csolari@freepress.com. Follow him @chrissolari. Read more on the Michigan State Spartans and sign up for our Spartans newsletter.
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This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Michigan State football: What we learned, what to watch in 2025
