Jonathan Smith's construction of the Oregon State program from 2-wins in year one to 10-wins in year five at his alma mater is a big reason why he brought to East Lansing to get Michigan State back on track.
After winning five games last season, narrowly missing bowl eligibility, Smith and company return a junior at quarterback who completed nearly 60% of his passes last season, as well as some key pieces around him to go along with some critical additions from the transfer portal heading into year two.
With all his coordinators returning and the vast majority of the staff back for a second season with the Spartans, Smith has made a hire from a College Football Playoff program to bolster his support staff.
Michael Morales, who spent the past three seasons on Steve Sarkisian's staff at Texas, has joined Michigan State as a player personnel analyst.
With a significant background in data analytics, Morales has worked in player evaluation and football operations as well.
Prior to joining the Longhorns staff, Morales spent time working for Pro Football Focus where he focused on statistical analysis.
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