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Michigan State Spartans commit Drew Nichols praises Jim Michalczik

Michigan State Spartans commit Drew Nichols praises Jim Michalczik

Three-star offensive lineman Drew Nichols was a key commitment to the Michigan State Spartans’ 2025 recruiting class. The 6-foot-1, 275-pound interior offensive lineman is athletic and smart, and offensive line coach Jim Michalczik has a lot to work with.

Nichols is the No. 96 interior offensive lineman in the country and the Spartans had to beat out numerous Power 5 programs to land the prospect. Nichols’ recruitment was led by Michalczik, who Nichols had a crush on from the start.

Now, the second West Coast commit in head coach Jonathan Smith’s 2025 class is a senior at Murrieta Valley High School, playing his final high school season. His summer commitment has helped ease the stress.

Nichols told me that Michalczik told him to focus on his team and representing his community instead of giving the prospect homework for his future time with the Green and White. Nichols said Michalczik has always been encouraging when they’ve spoken.

“He’s a genuine guy. When I was on my official visit, I could really see that he was a genuine coach,” Nichols said. “And I can really imagine being coached by him because I think if you support the person, everything will work out. If he tries to make that genuine connection between coach and player, and that’s really special. It’s really cool and I respect him a lot. It’s nice that he has respect for high school ball, even though he’s the offensive line coach at Michigan State and this is a huge deal.”

Michalczik’s concern confirms what Nichols told me back in May, just a month before he joined the Spartans.

“It was just the culture of the school and how beautiful the location was,” Nichols said. “And you know, I love (offensive line coach Jim Michalczik) too. Coach M is a great coach; I love the culture there, it’s beautiful. So many trees. The business school is really good and that kind of fits in with what I want to do. I just had a great time, I liked the guys there. And it just seems like something I want to be a part of.”

Michael France is Sports Illustrated’s Michigan State recruiting beat writer, covering all things Big Ten recruiting for Spartan Nation. Follow him on Twitter/X@michaelfrancesi for exclusive Spartans recruiting coverage.

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