Competition bringing the best out of Michigan State tackle Spencer Brown
East Lansing, Mich. – At this time last year, Spencer Brown was an offensive tackle with limited game experience preparing for role as a full-time starter for Michigan State. Twelve months later, Brown is an experienced veteran fighting to stay in the starting line-up.
That suits the 6-foot-6, 315-pound senior well. Brown is more than happy to earn his way as a fifth-year Spartan with the knowledge that competing against rising underclassmen on the o-line, and NFL-sized defensive linemen is making him better.
“The difference between this year and last year is that we’ve got a lot more depth, a lot more dudes in the room, and a lot more dudes that can play multiple positions,” said Brown, a 12-game starter at right tackle as a junior in 2022.
With added depth, bigger players, and better experience, Brown and his teammates on the o-line are determined to run the football effectively this season. Disappointment still lingers from the 2022 season, which saw the Spartans ranked outside the Top 100 in average rushing yards per game (113.0) and ranked outside the Top 75 in rushing touchdowns (16) and per-carry rushing average (3.76).
“It’s the Big Ten, it’s big-boy ball, and we are going to dominate the run this year,” Brown said. “I am excited for that. We have a lot of versatile backs. The size we have up front is very good, and it is going to help us with the run.”
Brown, however, is taking nothing for granted. And there have been no signs of complacency on the o-line during training camp, as the entire room follows the lead of demanding offensive line coach and run-game coordinator Chris Kapilovic.
“He is always on us, man,” Brown said. “He is probably the hardest coach in the building because the offensive line is a position where one mistake, you must pay. Sometimes he gets on us hard, but we’ve got to understand that is almost a compliment. If a coach stops talking to you, that’s not good. It is really just being able to be a pro and accept coaching. You’ve got to take the feelings out of it. It’s not personal, it’s business.”
A leader among Michigan State tackles
During training camp Brown is sharing tackle reps with Brandon Baldwin, Ethan Boyd, Keshawn Blackstock, and Stanton Ramil. As he prepares for his senior season, Brown and his teammates are approaching each day as an opportunity for collective improvement.
“Them guys push me a lot, and we try and critique each other on our techniques, when we’re not in there doing reps,” Brown said. “It’s all about sharpening iron and helping guys. It is not about competing with them. We are competing against the defense because we need everybody for 12 games.”
Brown broke into the playing group on the Michigan State offensive line in 2021, playing 155 total snaps at offensive tackle, nearly half of which came in his lone start in the Peach Bowl against Pittsburgh. Last season, Brown was a 12-game starter for the Spartans at right tackle, totaling 783 reps as a junior.
“It was difficult being in there the whole time,” Brown said. “You know being an offensive lineman, it’s a position where you don’t get too many subs. You are in there for a long drive, and then you see a lot of d-ends rotate in, and you’re like, ‘oh my God, I’ve got to line up again.’ Now, we’ve got a lot of depth in at tackle and on the interior because dudes can snap and play different positions. Last year, the situation was different.”
Two years ago, Michigan State had a surplus of veteran offensive linemen with comparable skills and levels of experience. As such, the Spartans were able to use a liberal rotation of offensive linemen with good success. Given the increased depth on the offensive line going into the 2023 season, the Spartans are moving toward being able to rotate offensive linemen once again.
Brown welcomes a large playing group on the o-line and understands that rotating and cross-training players at multiple positions is the best way for the Michigan State front five to maintain a high level of play in the face of injury and attrition that unavoidable during most seasons.
“The one thing I’ve noticed about playing offensive line is that you can’t do it by yourself,” Brown said. “It is not just one out of five. You are only as good as the dude next to you, and you are only as good as the unit. This summer, we’ve been kicking it. Going out to eat, going to baseball games, and doing different things.
“Having that continuity and understanding that I am only as good as the dude next to me and that I am my brother’s keeper. To get what I want I’ve got to help somebody else get what they want.”
Different way of seeing things
With an entire season as a starter to build upon, Brown enters his senior season with a better big-picture understanding of the entire offensive line. He is confident in his ability to play either tackle position for Michigan State, and understands how each of the o-line positions fit together on each play.
“I’ve got to be able to do that at the next level,” Brown said. “It makes me more versatile, and I took a lot of reps at left tackle in the spring and in practice too. But another part of my game that has grown is just IQ and awareness of the game. I know more, I see more. Instead of just looking at my man and saying, ‘I’ve got him,’ I am looking at safety, I am looking at corner, nickel, the whole triangle outside the box. I am looking at the whole offensive line, not just me.”
As an offensive tackle, Brown is working hard to improve upon the fine details of his craft.
“Technique, fundamentals, and being a professional, and being consistent,” Brown said. “I would also say the other thing is helping the guys that are behind me, so when it is their time that they can come in and ball out. The biggest part of my game that I have improve on his being a great teammate.”
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