REPORT: Third Offensive Lineman At Michigan State Leaves Transfer PortalSpartans quarterback Jonathan Smith is beginning to reassemble the pieces.

Following a turbulent 2023 campaign and an already turbulent summer, Michigan State and their new head football coach, Jonathan Smith, have begun to put the puzzle pieces back together.

The third Spartan offensive lineman to do so in the past two days is Kristian Phillips, a redshirt freshman, who removed his name from the NCAA transfer portal, according to reports from Chris Solari of the Detroit Free Press and Corey Robinson of 247Sports. Alongside him are redshirt junior tackle Brandon Baldwin and redshirt sophomore tackle Ethan Boyd, who also removed their names from the portal on Monday. On December 6, redshirt junior linebacker Darius Snow became the first Spartan to remove his name from the portal after becoming the first to do so this offseason.

Before Boyd, Baldwin, and Phillips withdrew their names, Michigan State’s 2024 offensive line appeared to be in serious trouble. Before this latest development, the Spartans had lost seven games to the position group since the conclusion of the 2023 season. One of the hardest things in football is developing a great offensive line, and for a while it seemed like Jim Michalczik, the new O-line coach at MSU, would have to start from scratch. Now that this three is back together, Michalcizik has a place to start.

Phillips appeared in 11 games for Michigan State last season, primarily on special teams. He is a former three-star prospect out of Salem High School in Conyers, Georgia. The 6-foot-4, 315-pounder has good size and could compete for a larger role on the interior of MSU’s offensive line next season.

East Lansing native Boyd may start at right tackle for Michigan State in the upcoming year. As a redshirt junior, the 6-foot-7, 320-pound player will bring experience to the field next season. As a redshirt freshman in 2022, Boyd played 23 offensive snaps in 10 games, mostly on special teams. Boyd assumed a more significant position as a primary backup and occasional starter this past season. He participated in all 12 MSU games, starting three of them and racking up 313 snaps at right tackle.

Baldwin, on the other hand, returns to Michigan State with a wealth of experience, and he may start at left tackle in place of Boyd in 2024. As a redshirt sophomore in 2022, the 6-foot-7, 315-pound player saw action in nine games, starting five of them at left tackle and totaling 405 plays. Baldwin played for the Spartans in ten games, starting all of them in 2023; he missed two because of injury. This season, he has 533 snaps overall.

Twenty-three players from Michigan State’s 2023 roster have so far registered and are still active on the transfer site. Along with tight end Evan Morris and wide receivers Jaron Glover, Christian Fitzpatick, Tyrell Henry, and Sebastian Brown, the Spartans have witnessed the entry of all three scholarship quarterbacks, Sam Leavitt, Katin Houser, and Noah Kim, through the gateway. Keyshawn Blackstock, Spencer Brown, Geno VanDeMark, and Kevin Wigenton are the offensive lineman who are still in the portal.

The following players have left Michigan State: cornerback Charles Brantley, linebacker Jacoby Windmon, defensive ends Zion Young and Khris Bogle, defensive tackles Derrick Harmon and Dre Butler. Michael O’Shaughnessy, the backup punter, also went through the portal. Click here for a complete, up-to-date glance at our Michigan State transfer tracker for 2024.