Week 1 of the 2026 college football season gave former Michigan State players plenty of chances to make noise in new uniforms, and a few of them wasted no time doing it.
Nick Marsh, Katin Houser and Sam Leavitt all put together eye-catching openers, while Aidan Chiles turned in a solid stat line for Northwestern even if he said there was still plenty to clean up. That was the headline from a long list of ex-Spartans who saw action across the country as Week 1 wrapped up and Week 2 approached.
Houser may have been the most efficient of the bunch. The Illinois quarterback went 13-for-17 for 182 yards and three touchdowns, and he also added 29 rushing yards and a score on three carries. Leavitt, now at LSU, flashed in a different way: he threw for 230 yards on 16-of-28 passing with a touchdown and an interception, then piled up 113 yards and two touchdowns on the ground across 12 carries.
Chiles, meanwhile, showed off the dual-threat profile that made him one of the more notable former Spartans to track. He completed 14 of 24 passes for 273 yards, a touchdown, and also ran eight times for 18 yards and another score. Marsh found the end zone for Indiana with two catches for 17 yards and a touchdown.
There were plenty of other former Michigan State players contributing in smaller but still meaningful ways. Noah Kim handled a heavy workload for Eastern Michigan, finishing 24-for-43 for 174 yards with a touchdown and an interception while adding 10 rushing yards on three carries. Dillon Tatum made five tackles for Miami(OH), Aydan West had a tackle and a pass breakup for Minnesota, and Marcellius Pulliam was active all over the field for Coastal Carolina with 10 tackles.
On the defensive line and in the secondary, several ex-Spartans also made their presence felt. Jalen Thompson recorded three tackles and a sack for Arizona State.
Jeremiah Hughes posted four tackles and a pass breakup for Hawaii. David Santiago came up with four tackles, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery for Kansas, while George Mullins picked off a pass for Delaware and added two tackles.
Some former Spartans were already locked into starting roles up front. Stanton Ramil started at right tackle for Auburn against Baylor, Cole Dellinger started at right guard for Eastern Michigan against San Jose State, Kristian Phillips started at right tackle for Boston College against Cincinnati, Ashton Lepo started at right tackle for Oklahoma State against Tulsa, Braden Miller started at right tackle for Duke against Tulane, and both Kaden Schickel and Jack Wills opened as long snappers for Vanderbilt and Nebraska, respectively.
A few more names chipped in with their own opening-week production. Malcolm Jones had five tackles for Iowa State.
Andrew Depaepe logged four tackles in UMass’ upset win over Rutgers. Tyrell Henry caught four passes for 42 yards for Wisconsin.
Ken Talley finished with three tackles for UCF. Anthony Jones had three tackles for Nebraska.
Eddie Pleasant recorded three tackles for Marshall, and Philipp Davis did the same. Brandon Lewis added five tackles for Saginaw Valley State, while Semaj Bridgeman made one tackle for Kent State.
There were also a handful of former Spartans who didn’t show up in the box score in a big way. Michael Masunas had no catches for Texas, and Alante Brown had no stats for Memphis.
All told, it was a busy opening weekend for the former Michigan State crowd, with a few stars at the top, a long list of contributors behind them, and several players already settling into key roles at their new stops.
In Other News...
Michigan State Volleyballs 6-0 Start Looks More Dominant Every Match
Michigan States volleyball team kept rolling with another clean result, handling Western Michigan in a 3-0 sweep to extend its perfect start. The Spartans are now 6-0 and have won 17 straight sets, a run that has made the opening stretch look less like a hot start and more like a group that has settled in quickly on both sides of the net. Senior contributors Alanna Bankston, Zora Hardison and Karolina Staniszewska helped keep the momentum steady as the match went along.
The dominance showed up everywhere, from kills to digs to service aces and blocks, with Michigan State controlling the key areas that usually decide whether a match stays close. Five straight sweeps is the kind of early-season stretch that can build real confidence, and for a roster leaning on experienced players, it also suggests the Spartans are finding a clear identity before conference play starts to sharpen every test. [Read more 🡒]
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Kansas has taken control of the tournament through two rounds at 5-under par 571, leaving Michigan State with a little work left if it wants to climb before the event ends. Pojanalai gives the Spartans a foothold, but the challenge now is getting the rest of the lineup to produce enough support to turn a middling team finish into something better. [Read more 🡒]
Michigan State Faces A Few Battles That Could Make This Uncomfortable
Michigan States trip into this matchup comes with a few familiar faces and a few pressure points, starting at quarterback. Alessio Milivojevic will have to navigate an Eastern Michigan defense that has shown it can make life difficult in the secondary, while the Spartans also have to keep an eye on how their own coverage holds up against a passing game that has been productive enough to demand attention. The game sets up as one where execution matters as much as talent, especially with both teams trying to establish some control early.
The intrigue only grows because the other sideline brings its own layer of familiarity and confidence, even if the Spartans have the deeper overall roster. Matchups at wide receiver and in the defensive backfield could decide whether this stays routine or turns into something more annoying for Michigan State, and Eastern Michigans defense will need to hold up if it wants to keep the game within reach. For a Spartans team looking to avoid a messy afternoon, the margins feel thinner than they should in a game like this. [Read more 🡒]