Michigan State’s offseason may still be in full swing, but the Spartans already have a few built-in fireworks waiting for the fall and winter.
Start with football, where UConn transfer Cam Edwards looks like the kind of back who can flip a game with one touch. Edwards arrives after putting together one of the most productive rushing seasons in the FBS last year, piling up 1,240 yards and 15 touchdowns on the ground for the Huskies.
Those totals ranked 15th and tied for 13th nationally, and the big-play production was part of the appeal. He ripped off a run of at least 20 yards in eight of UConn’s 13 games, including carries of 51 yards against Delaware, 67 yards against Ball State and 73 yards against FCS Central Connecticut State.
The numbers behind the burst are just as loud. Per PFF, Edwards forced 49 missed tackles last season, almost matching the combined total of MSU’s top three backs from last year - Makhi Frazier, Brandon Tullis and Elijah Tau-Tolliver - who finished with 51.
He also logged 28 rushes of at least 10 yards and collected 67 first downs. Even with a crowded backfield that includes Tullis, Iowa transfer Jaziun Patterson and Western Kentucky transfer Marvis Parrish, Edwards is still the clear lead option right now.
He’s also Michigan State’s top-rated player on College Football 27 at 90 overall.
In men’s basketball, Coen Carr remains the guy who can change the mood in a building in a single possession. There’s a reason he’s described as the most exciting player to watch in college basketball right now.
When Carr gets out in transition, the finish is usually coming - you can see it before it happens, and that’s part of the fun. Last season, he threw down 67 dunks in Michigan State’s 35 games, according to Torvik, which worked out to nearly two per game.
Those dunks made up 31.8% of his points.
Carr’s athletic profile is rare enough that it stands out even in a program that has seen plenty of talent. The next step is clear: the three-point shot.
He started taking threes with real frequency for the first time last season, but hit just 27.6% from deep. If that number climbs into the mid-to-high 30s, or wherever it needs to land to earn real respect, Carr’s stock will rise fast.
Then there’s hockey, where Michigan State’s roster is stacked with high-end talent. The Spartans are currently set to have 10 first-round picks on the 2026-27 team, and Ryker Lee is one of them. Nashville took him 26th overall in the 2025 NHL Draft, and he’s getting ready for his sophomore season in East Lansing.
Lee brings the kind of offensive creativity that makes every shift worth watching. His stick-handling and feel in the offensive zone can turn a routine possession into something dangerous in a hurry.
He can score with a spin-o-rama one moment and slip past multiple defenders the next. Lee is also MSU’s top returning scorer, with 15 goals and 15 assists for 30 points, both team highs among returners from the 2025-26 squad.
He’ll be part of the push for a fourth straight Big Ten regular-season title, even as the program’s Frozen Four and national championship droughts, both dating back to 2007, remain in place.
In Other News...
Frankie Fidler Gets Another NBA Shot After His Michigan State Year
Frankie Fidler is getting another crack at the NBA after his lone season at Michigan State, this time with the Portland Trail Blazers Summer League roster. The former Spartan wing spent the past year playing professionally in Latvia, where his scoring punch stood out far more than it did during his one season in East Lansing, and now he gets a fresh stage to show he belongs against NBA-caliber competition.
For Fidler, the timing matters because Summer League is often where overlooked players can turn a good summer into a real opportunity. He will be on the floor with and against several familiar Spartan names as Portlands schedule rolls on, including a July 12 meeting with Orlando, and the next step is clear enough: make enough noise to put his name in the conversation for his first NBA contract. [Read more 🡒]
Jeremy Fears Just Weighed In On Tom Izzo's Future At MSU
Tom Izzo is heading into his 32nd season at Michigan State, and the conversation around his future is starting to sound a little different when it comes from one of the Spartans own. Jeremy Fears Jr. said he expects Izzo to be around for a while, a vote of confidence that carries some weight from an All-American point guard who has seen up close how the program operates and why players keep buying in.
Fears also made his own future clear by choosing to return to East Lansing, giving Michigan State another major piece in a roster that already has plenty of momentum. He pointed to the mix of returning talent and a strong locker-room environment as reasons the Spartans can chase a national championship, and for a team built around Izzos standard, that kind of belief from a lead guard matters. [Read more 🡒]
Michigan State's Leadership Mess Just Keeps Getting More Awkward
The leadership shuffle around Michigan State has turned into a drawn-out waiting game, with Kevin Guskiewicz and J Batt both still on campus even after being announced elsewhere weeks ago. Guskiewicz was named Clemsons next president more than a month ago, while Batt was tabbed as Kentuckys new athletic director about three weeks ago, yet neither move has actually taken effect.
Part of the delay comes from the fine print. Guskiewiczs contract gives him six months notice before he has to depart, which could push his exit well into the fall, and Batts arrangement includes a buyout clause tied to Guskiewiczs status. The result is an awkward overlap for Michigan State, where the top two leadership roles are in limbo at the same time and the timeline for any clean handoff still feels murky. [Read more 🡒]