Forty five after the hour. Welcome back on a Thursday. Glad you're with
us on x'es and bros. Across the great state of Michigan. Trent Bally
is our producer. I'm Matt Sheppard, and we're proud and honored to welcome
in Jim Camperoni of Spartan mag He's the publisher of that fine publication since nineteen
ninety seven. He's covered MSU football and basketball and recruiting since nineteen eighty eight.
He's a lead analyst and sports editor for Spartan Magazine and he's covered NCAA
tournaments, He's covered final fours, he's covered bowl games. He's got great
stuff. You can follo him on Twitter or on x at Jim Camperoni and
check out a lot of the different things that he does, like on three
dot com where he's really good in breaking down a lot of the things that
Michigan State football has done and their depth chart and things so that everything that
is go green, go white, you can find with Jim Camperoni, and
we welcome him in on this Thursday morning. Jim, appreciate the time very
much. Jonathan Smith has hit the ground running. What's impressed you most in
his first few months at the Helm there in East Lansing. Hey, great,
it's great to be on man. I really appreciate it. Things for
that introduction, helloed everybody, Detroit. This is a lot of fun for
me. I appreciate it. You know Smith, you know, a lot
of things are impressive. His temperament, the things you hear about him from
other people that have played for him as a player or coached with him.
Solid human being which we need more of in college football. You hear a
lot of those things from a lot of people. You know. Demetrius Martin
is his cornerbacks coach. He's coming from the University of Oregon. Demetri is
also coached at UCLA Arizona State. They're both you know, grew up around
the Pasadena area. They've known each other a long time. They're finally coaching
together now. Demetris Martin played at Michigan State in the mid nineteen nineties,
first for Perlis and Entry Statement. So Demetris Martin has coached against Jonathan Smith
a number of times. Jonathan Smith couple from Arizo State and Martin coached out
of the PAC twelfth and Martin says he's a defensive coach getting prepared for those
Oregon State teams, especially his last two teams at Oregon State. He said
it was a headache. Oregon State made you defend every blade of grass vertically,
horizontally, and physically, and then they would hit you with with deep
shots. An interesting style of offense. They'll go under center more than any
at Oregon State. They were under center for the quarterback position more than any
team in the Power five, but they would also go deep off of that
and just keep you guessing. That established the physicality and then go to the
air, you know. Offensive style wise, Oregon State last year reminded me
a lot of the way Jim Harbaugh's offenses were at Michigan the last few years.
So Jonathan Smith, former college quarterback, has I would say like a
Jim Harbaugh outlook on how to attack defenses. And I think that style of
play can play well in the Big Ten and they will recruit to it,
primarily with the Midwest and branching out from there. So the things I hear
about him from people that have played for him and coached against him, coach
with him, good person and competitive, which doesn't always come across when you
talk to him, they always talking about how competitive he is. So all
those things, step by step give Michigan State a chance to rebuild a program
from foundational standpoint. It's going to take a while, but I think they've
had a pretty good person to try to get those things done. Yeah,
I agree, And I think it says an awful lot about Michigan State when
you can take a guy from his alma mater to come to East Lansing in
this type of quote unquote build. Whether we like it or not, Jim,
we're all compared to somebody, Okay, and with Jonathan Smith, he's
going to be compared and every football coach at MSU probably should be compared to
Mark D'Antonio. And you mentioned a good person, So I think that's similar
to D'Antonio because D'Antonio was a good man. Right. There are other aspects
of him as a coach that he will have to adjust to and that he
will have to be in order to try and create his own shadow rather than
Mark D'Antonio. What will be his biggest challenge in his first year? In
his first year, you know, taking over a program that's had a lot
of players leaving and a lot of players coming in I think forty eight or
more new new faces and new scholarship players when he come the incoming freshmen,
So getting a team atmosphere, finding leaders, gaining the trust of the players,
which I think he had as you know, that's that's that's one thing.
You know, the Big ten is strong. Everybody knows that Michigan State
schedule is difficult. Everybody's scheduled that is difficult, but it's also somewhat manageable
in some ways. But in terms of what you said about the biggest challenges,
you know, in the middle of the schedule, dealing with Ohio State,
Michigan, Oregon in Iowa. Those four games come right in the middle
of the schedule. But I think the thing that's going to determine the direction
of the season will be two early season games at Maryland at Boston College.
So those you know challenges is getting off to a good start winning those two
manageable road games difficult Maryland, you know, that's an established program. You
know, it's it's been in Bowl games last couple of years. Going on
the road, that'll be that's gonna be a test to see if to see
where Michigan State is there early in the year doing that with Aid and Child.
New quarterback Giles has all kinds of talent. He needs to show that
he can make reads and lead the team. Offensive line has had a lot
of change over it with somewhat disappointing the last couple of years. Now there's
new people, a lot of unproven parts of that offensive line, So a
lot of question marks in terms of unproven players offensive line and quarterback, and
going on the road for those two early games in September. I think those
are the immediate challenges. Yeah, that's a really good point, especially with
Maryland. I would argue that, you know, what Mike Loxley has done
there has been pretty impressive. If you get a road win there at Maryland
early on in the schedule, I think that's something on which you can build.
You bring up the quarterback Giles, and you said learning to read defenses.
As a former quarterback himself, Jonathan Smith, how much will it help
building a quarterback room in East Lansing And what's the depth chart look like?
You know, Child has all kinds of talent. He was a four star
guy out from California. He's a big time recruit that went to Oregon State
last year backed up DJ huey Ungalalay at Oregon State. When Jonathan Smith and
the staff came to Michigan State, Child came with him. And he's a
dynamic talent, dynamic personality. He does have some natural leadership skills, all
kinds of arm, six foot four, really good quickness, really good speed.
They used him as a backup last year. You know, they'd usually
give him one series per game in the second quarter. I mean he's out
there Utah when Utah was four and oh, and he's got a series early
in the second quarter, so he had some real experience. It was not
just mop up duty. He needs to show he can make reads. That's
something I ate Matt. I went over every pass completion that he made last
year on TATE and I watched the entire Utah gave the entire stand for game,
and you don't really see him make reads and go to a second and
third option. He didn't do that yet and he didn't do it in the
spring game. So in terms of reading a defense and those progressions, that's
something that needs to come around as he gets gets set for his sophomore year
and then it I'll run some you know. No, they began that Utah
game empty, you know, with the receiver and a tight end out five
wide and the defense of scrambling and point decide what they're gonna do because they've
prepared for a team that would go, you know, tight end one back
and ram it down your throat. So they'll do all those things, and
he can run a lot of those things. And they've got the tight end
Jack Velling coming with him from Oregon State. You know, one publication ranked
Velling the Pac twelve tight End of the Year last year, so the tight
end position is in good hands. The center position is also coming from Oregon
State tannem Miller second team of All Pac twelve. So those things helped Smith
as he gets his offense established and it's going to be a physical style of
offense. But that doesn't guarantee immediate success of course. You know at Oregon
State he began too and ten in his first year, then five and seven,
then the COVID year. Then they started getting a lot of momentum seven
and six and twenty twenty one, and then had a big year in twenty
twenty two, going ten and three, beating Florida in a Bowl game Fision
number seventeen in the country and last year eight and four and also the top
twenty five. So it's going to take a while, but I'm impressed with
the offensive line coach and the style of play, Brian Linkred coming with him
from Oregan State to be offensive coordinator. A lot of interesting things to watch
and a lot of new names at Michigan State for Michigan State fans to try
to memorize and become familiar with. Yeah, so much good stuff at Spartan
Mag. We're talking with Jim Camperoni, who is the editor and the main
guy right there right the publisher of Spartan Mag. And he's been doing it
since nineteen ninety seven. It's a amazing how much content you provide. You
had brought up a couple of names and folks. If it's not just Michigan
State players now even the radar like so it's a really good recruiting piece on
Spartan Meg on the Radar for twenty six a four star quarterback Nathan Bernhard providing
an eye full at Michigan State camp. It's worth a read. If you
follow the Green and the White. Now you mentioned the offensive line, which
is it's the backbone. Man, It's the reason you win. I believe
in football. Dan Campbell has proved with the Lions last year. Jim Harbaugh
was a big believer in it. I would assume Jonathan Smith has a similar
philosophy. And you brought up the center Tanner Miller, but also you wrote
about Luke Newman, who's poised to make an impact at right guard. Give
me the overall philosophy you think that Jonathan Smith brings to Michigan State and how
quickly he can implement that in this program. Yes, in a moment ago
he asked me on the death start at quarterback, I wanted to mention all
so that the second stringer is Tommy Schuster from Chippewah Valley High School Macomb Township
Mission. Yeah, transferring in from North Dakota and he went out to North
Dakota through for nine thousand yards you know, school record holder in yards and
touchdowns and you know, sixty seven completions. He's only six feet tall,
you know. I I've not spoken with him yet. I'm pretty sure that
the mac schools did not recruit him coming out of Chippewaba. I think I
think you're right about that. I think he played in the state championship and
I called his game, so I think you're right about that. I was
surprised that No Max school jumped on him. Good point. Yeah. And
by the way, the great job of those high school games. Just last
night, I was I was watching Trey McKenny from Older Lake Saint Mary's McCormick,
and the other guy called that one, but I went over. I
was clearing my DVR, and you know, I didn't really get a chance
to watch. I was covering the NCAA tournament and I watched some of your
calls just last night. It's a great job of their state championship. Cul
Okay, yeah, you call it game with Tommy Schuster, and you know
Shuster. You may remember they won the state title at Schippewa Valley and he
was something like fourteen of fourteen in the state title game. The only person
that's ever done that really good. You talk about making Reeds. I went
back and watch some of the North Dakota games. Makes reds very accurate.
He's only six feet tall and he's not that fast, so that's that's why
he ended up at North Dakota he went there, started for four and a
half years, set school records, you know, graduated there, went into
the portal, and you know, always wanted to play in the Big ten.
I always wanted to see if he could make it at a school like
Mischian State. And Mischigan State did a good job going into the portal and
getting him, presumably as backup. But I tell you what, the coaches
when you ask him about Shoester, they smile and they just kind of nod
and say, man, that guy can play quarterback. So when Smith took
over, miscon State's quarterbacks went into the portal, you know, Noah Kim
and kateon Hauser, and you know when they showed up, they had no
scholarship of quarterbacks on campus. That's the first time that's been the case at
Michigan State since the World War Two. So they had to completely stock the
quarterback position. Chiles was coming in, they went and got Schuster and a
couple of high school guys. So that's that's what the depth chart looks there.
You know, you mentioned Luke Newman. You know, what we're doing
is a series right now in Michigan State. We are going over every single
position on the depth chart. I'm doing this. I'm doing a series of
stories in which I project what I think the depth chart is because Michigan State
has not released an official depth chart since Mark D'Antonio was at Michigan State.
So I'm just going by what I saw in the spring game, what I've
heard from coaches here and there, what I've seen with my own eyes.
A lot of these players coming in as transfers, so you have to imagine
some of these things. Now, Luke Newman. I did ask Michigan State's
off with the Wine coach, Jim Hahltrick, when I saw him at one
of the camps out at Wayne State a few weeks ago. I asked him
about Newman because Newman didn't play for Mischigan State during spring practice. He's transferring
in from holy Cross. He's from Birmingham Brother Rice. Really good offensive lineman,
but we was recruited at kind of that you know FCS level went to
holy Cross three times all Patriot League. I went and watched his film against
Boston College. They're one game against you know, a Power five team,
and he was left tackle for holy Cross, and I think he looked better
at left tackle against Boston College, the Michigan State's left tackles half the last
two years. I think Luke Newman from Brother Rice comes in as a graduate
as a senior. Now, Mahaltick told me he's going to be beginning at
right guard, So that's where I'm writing about him in this depth chart preview.
But I like he's got quickness, he's a mature, mature athlete,
and he's sitting nicely in there at right guard. I don't discount the possibility
that he could end up at tackle. And I think he's a good,
solid, bona fide Big Ten player transferring in a Brother Rice product coming in
from Holy Cross. Yeah, and you wrote about Christian Phillips at left guard.
How does this team you mentioned first year there's going to be some growing
pains. We get it. We understand that he's changing the culture to a
certain extent by bringing some guys in. How does this team, lack of
a better phrase, tread water in year one? Do you think what do
they rely on? Got to get that run game going and from their counter
boot play action, rollout passing quarterbacks, got to make reads. Offensive line's
got to keep them clean to an extent, you know, they got a
couple of good running backs show Nathan Carter's coming back, had a pretty good
year last year. Kay Ron Adams is the guy transferring in from you mass.
Those two running backs solid players. You know, Jalen Berger transferred out.
He was repping behind those guys. And you know, the wide receivers
need to come around. You know, Monty Foster is a senior. More
than forty catches last year, But I'm not sure they've they've got, like,
you know, real game breaking, proven and type wide receivers. And
as you know, over the years of Mission State, whether they've had good
teams or bad teams, they've always had really good wide receivers, proven wide
receivers. This year, going into the year, this might be the most
unproven batch of wide receivers I've seen a Mission State in decades. That doesn't
mean that they won't get it done. But you know, Nick marsh coming
in as a true freshman from River Rouge, the most talented guy in the
room. I would say, I think he's going to have an impact.
So there's a lot of question marks, but you know, there's a smattering
of talent and a lot of these guys want to be coached up. They
want some discipline. I think that discipline and attentiveness was lacking the last two
years with mil Tucker defense, a lot of transfers coming in. The defense
ranked outside the top one hundred the last two years. Scotty Hazelton never really
got his defense, you know, untracked and and you know, tightened up
it. It didn't work out. Joe Rossi coming in as the new defensive
coordinator was good at Minnesota. You know last year they were young at Minnesota
on defense. Prior to that, I thought Minnesota was one of the more
underrated defenses in the Big Ten. And I wrote and told my writers when
they played Minnesota two years ago, everybody, this is after Michigan State had
won the Peach Bowl. Misisters State was the top twenty and they had just
lost out at Washington. Coming back home, I said, I predicted,
Minnesota is going to beat Michigan, mister State. It's gonna be a tough
game. And a lot of my readers gave me a lot of flak for
that. Matt they didn't believe it at all. But that defense that Joe
Rossi had at Minnesota, I was impressed with, reminded me of Iowa defenses
a little bit. I think Jonathan Smith did a really great job going to
get a Big ten defensive coordinator with Midwestern ties to come in and take over
a defense that had been the leaguer for two years. Yeah, that's good
stuff. Man. There's a reason you're the king of East Lansing and Michigan
State. Jim Camperoni, thanks for all the insight. We could talk to
you all day because your knowledge is vast and it's incredible. Folks. You
got to follow him on Twitter, on x at Jim Camperoni and subscribed to
Spartan mag or a Spartan fan. It is the bible of what Michigan State
football and basketball are all about. Have a great weekend, my friend.
All the best to you and your family. Thanks for the time today.
We'll talk again, I hope. Hey. I really appreciate it. You
know, people can at our website. You do have to pay for them,
but it's only one dollar for a month. To give it a try,
go to sparmag dot com. I appreciate it. Matt