The 2023 Michigan State Spartans football team represented

Michigan State University Michigan State University (Michigan State, MSU) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in East Lansing, Michigan. It was founded in 1855 as the Agricultural College of the State of Michigan, the fi ...

in the East Division of the Big Ten Conference during the

2023 NCAA Division I FBS football season The 2023 NCAA Division I FBS football season is the 154th season of college football in the United States organized by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) at its highest level of competition, the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS). ...

. The Spartans played their home games at Spartan Stadium in East Lansing, Michigan. The Spartans were led by Mel Tucker through the first two games of the season; Tucker was suspended without pay on September 10 and was fired for cause on September 27 following disclosures relating to alleged sexual harassment. Defensive backs coach

Harlon Barnett Harlon T. Barnett (born January 2, 1967) is an American football coach and former player. Barnett previously served as associate head coach/co-defensive coordinator at Michigan State University as well as defensive coordinator/defensive backs c ...

was appointed interim head coach, and former head coach

Mark Dantonio Mark Justin Dantonio (born March 9, 1956) is a former American football coach and player. He most recently served as the head football coach at Michigan State University, a position he had held from 2007 to 2019, presiding over one of the most ...

agreed to return as the team's associate head coach. The Spartans finished the season 4–8, 2–7 in Big Ten play to finish in sixth place in the East division. They failed to qualify for a bowl game for the third time in four years. On November 26, the school named Oregon State head coach Jonathan Smith the team's new head coach.

Schedule

Game summaries

vs Central Michigan

vs Richmond

vs No. 8 Washington

vs Maryland

at Iowa

at Rutgers

vs No. 2 Michigan

at Minnesota

vs Nebraska

at No. 1 Ohio State

at Indiana

vs No. 11 Penn State

Rankings

Personnel

Roster

Coaching staff

Coaching changes

On January 4, defensive line coach

Marco Coleman Marco Darnell Coleman (born December 18, 1969) is an American football coach and former player who is the defensive line coach for Michigan State and former assistant defensive line coach for the Oakland Raiders of the National Football League (N ...

left MSU to join his alma mater, Georgia Tech, as their defensive line coach. On January 25, the school named

Stanford Stanford University, officially Leland Stanford Junior University, is a private research university in Stanford, California. The campus occupies , among the largest in the United States, and enrolls over 17,000 students. Stanford is considere ...

defensive line coach Diron Reynolds the team's new defensive line coach. On March 4, pass rush specialist coach Brandon Jordan left to take a job with the

Seattle Seahawks The Seattle Seahawks are a professional American football team based in Seattle. The Seahawks compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) West, which they rejoined in 2002 as ...

. On March 16, the school named former

Buffalo Bills The Buffalo Bills are a professional American football team based in the Buffalo metropolitan area. The Bills compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) East division. ...

safeties coach Jim Salgado as the new cornerbacks coach.

Transfers

Outgoing

On April 30, the final day to declare for the

transfer portal The NCAA transfer portal is a National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) application, database, and compliance tool launched on October 15, 2018, to manage and facilitate the process for student athletes seeking to transfer between member ...

, two-year starting quarterback

Payton Thorne Payton Thorne (born June 26, 2001) is an American football quarterback for the Auburn Tigers. Thorne played for the Michigan State Spartans from 2019 to 2022. High school career Thorne originally attended Metea Valley High School in Aurora, Illin ...

announced he was entering the portal. Wide receiver

Keon Coleman Keon Coleman (born May 17, 2003) is an American football wide receiver for the Michigan State Spartans. He also plays for the Michigan State Spartans basketball team. High school career Coleman attended Opelousas Catholic School in Opelousa ...

also announced he would transfer. Source

Incoming

Source

2023 NFL draft

Following the conclusion of the season, several players declared for the NFL draft. Three players were selected in the draft. Several other undrafted players signed free agent contracts with NFL teams: * Jarrett Horst, offensive lineman, Miami Dolphins * Jacob Slade, defensive lineman,

Arizona Cardinals The Arizona Cardinals are a professional American football team based in the Phoenix metropolitan area. The Cardinals compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) West division, and play t ...

* Kendell Brooks, safety, Arizona Cardinals * Xavier Henderson, safety, Washington Commanders * Ben VanSumeren, linebacker, Philadelphia Eagles

References

{{Michigan State Spartans football navbox Michigan State Michigan State Spartans football seasons Michigan State Spartans football