Michigan State OL Caleb Carter acclimating to FBS football after playing at the FCS level

A recent transfer from Western Carolina, redshirt senior offensive guard Caleb Carter made his second start as a Michigan State Spartan in the nail-biting 42-40 overtime victory against Boston College last Saturday. Carter's first start in Week One versus Western Michigan came as a bit of a surprise to many fans, but he has certainly earned his role. He has played on both sides of the offensive line thus far.

In last weekend's game, the Spartans fell behind a score to the Eagles during the second overtime period, but the defense did not allow Boston College to convert it's two-point attempt, which gave the MSU offense a chance to seal the game with a touchdown and two-point conversion.

The defensive stop on Boston College's two-point try had the Spartans feeling confident in the next offensive possession. What happened next was a Michigan State victory, thanks to quarterback Aidan Chiles running in a game-tying touchdown and then finding wide receiver Omari Kelly for the winning two-point conversion.

Carter discussed what that moment was like.

“It was crazy,” Carter said about the overtime sequence. “Having that faith that we're going to come back and we're going to win was awesome. And you can feel it on the sideline, too.”

For Carter, it's been an interesting journey going from Western Carolina in the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) to Michigan State, where he plays in front of crowds of 75,000-plus people in Spartan Stadium and now competes in the Big Ten, one of the best conferences in the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS).

During Carter’s first visit to East Lansing back in December of 2024, he immediately felt the fit was right after speaking with offensive line coach/run game coordinator Jim Michalczik ("Coach M").