Earlier this offseason, Mark Dantonio talked about moving one of his top first-year offensive linemen to the defensive side of the ball.
JD Duplain came in as one of the most sought-after lineman recruits for the Spartans in 2019 and landing him was a considerable victory for the coaching staff. He could immediately help the depth up front, but in order to get him on the field sooner, Dantonio wanted to shift him to the defensive line and he did just that.
It was a questionable move, but not the first time Dantonio changed a player’s position to help him see the field sooner.