Michigan State’s first season under Pat Fitzgerald opens with a lot still unsettled, and that’s exactly why the Spartans enter 2026 with real questions hanging over the roster.
The new era starts Friday against Toledo at 8 pm ET on FS1, and while Fitzgerald has already made plenty of changes this offseason, there are a few spots that still look shaky. The most immediate concern is up front on the defensive line, where depth at defensive tackle stands out as a major issue.
Michigan State has only two defensive tackles who have truly proven they can handle this level before, and just six scholarship players total at the position. That’s a sharp drop from last year, when five defensive tackles were in the regular rotation.
There is at least some reason for optimism there. Ben Roberts can be an effective piece when he’s healthy, but he has missed time in both seasons he’s been at Michigan State.
Illinois transfer Eli Coenen looks like a useful addition, though the Spartans are clearly counting on more development from him. The same goes for Derrick Simmons, a former 4-star recruit.
After that, the group gets thin in a hurry, with nobody else at the spot having regular game experience.
Wide receiver is just as tough to pin down. Right now, Chrishon McCray, Rodney Bullard Jr., and Charles Taplin appear to be the starters, but that probably won’t mean much once the games start and the rotation gets rolling. Michigan State could easily use another five players or so beyond that trio.
Part of the uncertainty is that the room lacks proven Big Ten starters. McCray is the only one of the group who has started at that level, and that came last year at Michigan State.
Bullard and Taplin are expected to move up internally. KK Smith and Fredrick Moore came in as Power Four portal additions, but both were backups at their previous schools.
Bryson Williams, Samson Gash, and Braylon Collier are also in the mix as young options.
At the broader level, the biggest question is whether Michigan State has enough players who can tilt a game. Cam Edwards at running back and Jordan Hall at linebacker look like the two guys fans can count on to play at an elite level this season, but beyond them, the picture gets murky.
Cornerback Charles Brantley is another name in that conversation, though his puzzling year at Miami (FL) and the fact that he missed a good portion of the offseason with an injury make it fair to wonder whether he’ll reach the level he showed in 2024. Left tackle Ben Murawski and free safety Nikai Martinez would not be surprising breakout names either.
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Alessio Milivojevic is among the players drawing the most interest as the season begins, with the quarterback position carrying plenty of intrigue in a fresh system. Cam Edwards also figures to be part of the conversation right away, especially if Michigan State wants to lean on the ground game and keep things simple in week one while the new pieces sort themselves out. [Read more 🡒]