Big Year Ahead for Michigan State's Ramil

Offensive line is a thankless job.

They get recognized within the locker room, and that’s all o-linemen really want, but they don’t often get their flowers like the ones they protect. But in the end, they know what they signed up for, and they know their role in the grand scheme of things.

Last season, Michigan State’s offensive line was purely abysmal. The Spartans gave up 3.1 sacks per game, which ranked 14th-most in the FBS and nearly a full sack worse than 2023.

Granted, the Spartans faced several injuries in the trenches, so much so that it forced veteran left tackle Brandon Baldwin to play on the interior, and then-redshirt freshman Stanton Ramil to take over on the outside.

It’s among the hardest positions to play in football. Depending on which side the quarterback throws, you might be blocking his blind side. Asking a young kid with hardly any experience to do that is an awfully tall ask. But then again, coach Jonathan Smith may have already envisioned Ramil for that role all along.

Ramil had the pedigree and the profile to be the top guy protecting quarterback Aidan Chiles. And now, as the lineman who’s been in East Lansing the second-longest, he’ll do it again.

As a prospect, he was deemed a four-star by On3, with a 91.82 rating, and he made it count in his first year as a starter.

In 600-plus snaps, Ramil received a 58.7 pass-blocking grade and a 55.4 run-blocking grade. While those numbers could be better, they open the door for top-tier progression as he matures.

Look at left tackle Kadyn Proctor of Alabama.

Coming in, Proctor was a five-star recruit with all the potential in the world to be one of the class’s best linemen. And in his freshman season? He struggled mightily.

He was too slow, carried too much weight, and despite his enormous size, defenders were still running through him. That year, he allowed 12 sacks, tied for the most in D-I football, and gave up 36 pressures.

In his sophomore season, Proctor improved significantly, allowing just one sack and six pressures.

What a difference a year makes.

Now, Proctor’s entering his junior year as a projected top-10 pick in the NFL Draft. And while the point here isn’t to compare Proctor and Ramil, it’s to show how offensive linemen often take longer to develop.

You need to have the fleet of foot, while also carrying all that weight. It takes time to learn how to use your body to do the job right.

It’s a major year for Michigan State, not just for the program’s future, but for the guys in the trenches. A lot of eyes will be on them.

Stay up to date on all your Michigan State football news when you follow the official Spartan Nation page on Facebook, Spartan Nation, WHEN YOU CLICK RIGHT HERE, and feel free to share your thoughts on Stanton Ramil when you join our community group, Go Green Go White, as well WHEN YOU CLICK RIGHT HERE.

Be sure to also like and share our content when you follow us on X @MSUSpartansOnSI.