Michigan State football OL Hayden Lorius no longer with the program

It’s been confirmed that backup offensive lineman Hayden Lorius is no longer with the Michigan State football program.

It has been confirmed on Monday afternoon that backup offensive lineman Hayden Lorius is no longer with Michigan State football as the 2025 season begins.

Lorius, listed at 6-foot-4, 305 pounds, was a 2023 graduate of Brighton. He spent all of the 2024 season with the Spartans, including this past spring.

Prior to last season’s Week 2 contest at Maryland, Lorius was recognized as one of the scout team players of the week. Whilst it’s a thankless job, a scout team POTW can play an influential role in the result on Saturday. Perhaps Lorius’ efforts throughout the week gave the Spartans’ defensive line an edge in that thrilling victory in College Park. He received the same award in Week 4 of last year, possibly contributing to another stout defensive effort against Boston College.

Lorius’ departure is unlikely to affect the on-field offensive personnel this coming season. Johnathan Smith and Co. addressed the interior offensive line heavily via the transfer portal, thus likely pushing Lorius out of his spot.

The Spartans landed a trio of transfers that will all be in the mix right away. Matt Gulbin (Wake Forest) will start at center, while Caleb Carter (Western Carolina) and Luka Vincic (Oregon State) are taking the right guard reps. On top of these transfers, the Spartans are deep with returning interior lineman. Guys like Kristian Phillips, Gavin Broscious, and Cooper Terpstra will compete for jobs.

In the ever-changing landscape of college football, roster turnover is inevitable. While we do not know exactly what caused Lorius’ departure, it’s reasonable to assume it could be due to a variety of reasons. This summer, the NCAA removed the 85 scholarship limit, and instead implemented a roster “hard-cap” of 105. However, Hayden was technically exempt from this limit as he was “grandfathered in” via the health settlement.

Whatever the specific reason for his departure, Spartan Nation thanks Lorius for his time in the green and white, and wishes him the best of luck in his future endeavors.

Go Green.