Michigan State football starting lineup: List of players starting for Jonathan Smith’s team in Week 1

The Michigan State Spartans are set to open their 2024 college football season on Friday against the FAU Owls. Kickoff is set at 7 p.m. ET.

Michigan State hired a new coach in Jonathan Smith and has a new quarterback. The Spartans are coming off a 4-8 season and went 2-7 in conference play.

Entering Week 1, Michigan State is a 13-point favorite to defeat FAU. Here is what the Spartans starting lineup is projected to look like.

Michigan State Week 1 starters

Offense

• QB: Aidan Chiles
• WR: Jaron Glover
• WR: Montorie Foster Jr.
• WR: Alante Brown
• TE: Jack Velling
• RB: Nate Carter
• LT: Brandon Baldwin
• LG: Luke Newman
• C: Tanner Miller
• RG: Kristan Phillips
• RT: Ashton Lepo

The Spartans' new QB is Aidan Chiles. He transferred from Oregon State as he followed his coach to Michigan State.

“I think he’s definitely ready for this,” Smith said via LindysSports. “He’s a competitive player. And a true competitor understands it’s not going to go perfect every snap, and things are going to take place. There’s gonna be some really good plays, too. But there’s nothing like experience. And the guy’s been out on the field playing big-time football before.”

Chiles went 24-for-35 for 309 yards and four touchdowns in nine games at Oregon State in his freshman season.

Defense

• DE: Quindarius Dunnigan
• DE: Khris Bogle
• DT: Maverick Hansen
• DT: D'Quan Douse
• LB: Wayne Matthews III
• LB: Jordan Turner
• LB: Jordan Hall
• CB: Chance Rucker
• CB: Ed Woods
• SS: Amorion Smith
• FS: Dillon Tatum

Michigan State Spartans defensive coordinator Joe Rossi is pleased with his defense.

“The cool thing is, I think there's a mix of abilities. I think there's some mix of ages,” Rossi said via Detroit Free Press. “We got a guy who's in his last year, a guy who's got two years left, we got a guy with three years left and we got a guy with four years left.

"And that was kind of important to us, that it wasn't three guys with a year, because then all you're doing is creating your own problems for the next year. So there's different skill sets. They're all great people. We got some years on him. So it's a good group."

Special teams

• K: Jonathan Kim
• P: Ryan Eckley
• LS: Kaden Schickel
• KO: Jonathan Kim
• KR/PR: Alante Brown