Michigan State’s rebuild under first-year head coach Pat Fitzgerald has been aggressive, and that’s putting it mildly. After four straight years without a bowl game and without even reaching .500, the Spartans have gone heavy into the transfer portal, bringing in 32 newcomers as Fitzgerald tries to drag the program back into relevance in 2026.
That kind of volume usually means a few hits and a few misses. Michigan State should absolutely expect some useful pieces out of the group, but with that many additions, there’s also room for a few moves that could age poorly.
One of the more intriguing names is Fredrick Moore, who is making the jump from arch-rival Michigan to East Lansing after redshirting last fall. Moore’s time on the field for the Wolverines produced only limited results, and now he’s hoping a change of scenery can unlock more from his career.
The upside is obvious enough: the tape shows a quick receiver with a good reach at the catch point. But the profile comes with real risk, too, because there just isn’t much production to lean on.
It’s the kind of high-risk, high-reward swing that can work out - or come back to haunt a staff.
Another transfer that could leave Michigan State with more questions than answers is Zeeland native Gulker, who is taking a huge leap from NCAA Division II to the Big Ten. He arrives after serving as Ferris State’s all-purpose weapon on the way to a National Championship, putting up 500 yards receiving and rushing and scoring 12 total touchdowns.
The talent is there, and the versatility adds some intrigue to the room. Still, the real issue is fit.
He looks like an H-back, but if offensive coordinator Nick Sheridan doesn’t have a clear plan for how to use him, this could end up being a frustrating sixth-year stop.
Then there’s Edwards, and the concern here isn’t about ability. It’s about time.
The former Huskies star enters his final year of eligibility, which means Michigan State may only get one season with him in the offense. That’s why this move could be the one the Spartans regret most down the line.
Edwards is expected to be the team’s top offensive playmaker this fall, but Sheridan won’t have the luxury of building around him for long. Edwards will be aiming at the 2027 NFL Draft, and that short runway is what makes this addition feel like a limited opportunity rather than a long-term answer.
In Other News...
Michigan States Rebuild Has One Surprising Edge For Pat Fitzgerald
Michigan States rebuild is taking a route that looks a little different from the usual long-term college football project. Instead of leaning mostly on youth and waiting for classes to mature, the Spartans have built one of the oldest rosters in the FBS, with an average age of 20.64 years, and theyve done it by adding 32 players through the transfer portal. A lot of those newcomers already have plenty of college football behind them, which gives the program a chance to compress the timeline and look more seasoned right away.
The most obvious example is up front, where Michigan State is replacing four starting offensive linemen and appears set to roll out a group made entirely of fifth- or sixth-year seniors. That kind of experience can matter in a league where the difference between a promising rebuild and an immediate step forward often comes down to how quickly a roster can handle the details. The Spartans have clearly chosen the faster path, and the bigger question now is how well all that age and experience translates once the games start for real. [Read more 🡒]
Draymond Green Took Another Shot At A Michigan Rookie
Draymond Green has never been shy about weighing in on younger players, and the latest name to draw his attention is Warriors rookie Yaxel Lendeborg. The tension has been building around a strange little side plot involving Lendeborgs role in a pitch to LeBron James, with Green publicly taking a skeptical stance and making it clear he was not impressed by the whole episode.
What makes it linger is the back-and-forth around whether the two had even connected after Lendeborg reached out, since Green pushed back on that version of events. For a veteran with Greens profile, it is the kind of exchange that can turn into a distraction fast, and it puts even more pressure on him to keep the noise from becoming the story. [Read more 🡒]
Tom Izzo May Have A New Moneyball Dilemma After Latest Scare
The Moneyball pro-am has long been one of those summer hoops stops that gives Michigan State fans a chance to see Spartans players in a loose setting, but this week it turned into something more serious. After Coen Carr had already gone down on the floor last Thursday, another slip by Carlos Medlock Jr. put the events conditions back under the microscope and made the gym feel a lot less like a harmless showcase.
Poor floor conditions have become the real story, with heat and humidity only adding to the concern about player safety. Moneyball suspended play for the rest of the day to sort through scheduling and the court situation, and it is fair to wonder whether Tom Izzo will look at future participation a little differently after this latest scare. [Read more 🡒]