Michigan State football’s first training camp under Pat Fitzgerald opens Thursday morning, and there’s no shortage of moving parts as the Spartans try to build toward their first bowl trip since 2021.
The roster makeup alone tells the story. Michigan State has 62 new players and 49 returning from last season, which makes August a critical stretch for sorting out the depth chart. That uncertainty runs through several key spots, starting with wide receiver.
A big piece of that puzzle is Rodney Bullard Jr., whose NCAA waiver decision is still pending after waiting since January. If Bullard is cleared, he could push for a starting role on offense.
He and second-year player Charles Taplin were in the starting group for Michigan State’s spring game in April, though that came without Notre Dame transfer KK Smith available. Smith is listed as a projected Week 1 starter, but that’s tied in part to Bullard’s unresolved status.
There’s a real path for Michigan State to open the season with three returning starters at wideout if Bullard gets the green light. Chrishon McCray looks set at slot receiver, while the X and Z jobs are up for grabs.
The Spartans added three transfer receivers this offseason in Smith, Fredrick Moore of Michigan, and Jameel Gardner Jr. of Jackson State. Smith and Moore are both in the mix to start, while Gardner figures to provide experienced depth.
True freshman Samson Gash is also part of the conversation.
Up front, the Spartans may also shuffle Conner Moore around, at least for now. Right guard is an open spot while Luka Vincic continues working back from the injury he suffered last fall, and Moore took reps there during spring practice.
He has experience at left guard from Montana State, but most of his college work has come at tackle, and he’s never played right guard in a college game. Nick Sharpe brings a similar kind of flexibility after playing left guard at South Carolina last year and right side at Wake Forest with Nick Tabacca.
Moore still looks like a candidate to slide back to right tackle once Vincic is ready, but the timing is unclear. Fitzgerald didn’t say whether Vincic will be available for the opener, though he did say the reports from his rehab have been "A+" so far.
Another freshman to watch is linebacker Adam Shaw, who was one of the spring’s biggest standouts. He saw plenty of action in the spring game, often with the second unit, and could work his way into the mix even with a strong linebacker group already in place.
Jordan Hall, Dion Crawford, and Caleb Wheatland are all set to rotate through the two starting spots, and all three are fourth- or fifth-year players. Shaw, the son of former Michigan State team captain and All-American Scott Shaw, could still make a case for snaps as a true freshman.
Special teams could get interesting, too. LeVar Woods may end up forcing a real competition between the two kickers on the roster, or at least dividing responsibilities based on situation.
Michigan State added Charlotte transfer Liam Boyd from the portal and also signed Stephen Gonzales in its 2026 class. Boyd is 10-for-13 on field goals in his career, though two of those misses came from inside 30 yards, and his college long is 42 yards.
He did make a 50-yarder in high school. Gonzales brings the bigger leg after drilling a 57-yarder last high school season, and he could be the long-range option, with kickoff duty also fitting his profile.
Tight end may be another room that takes time to settle. Carson Gulker, Brennan Parachek, Kai Rios, and Jayden Savoury all have a legitimate shot at playing time, with Eddie Whiting as a possible wild card.
Michigan State’s first two games against MAC opponents could give the staff a chance to rotate the group and see who performs in live action. A clear TE1 might never emerge; a committee approach would not be surprising.
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Tom Izzos Plan For Michigan States Future Is Starting To Show
Tom Izzos long view for Michigan State is becoming easier to see, and it starts with how aggressively the Spartans are working the 2027 class. The latest move was a scholarship offer to Kamsi Awaka, a 6-foot-10 center from New Jersey who already has a growing list of major suitors, including Arizona, UConn and Florida. He is one of several high-end targets Michigan State has identified early, as Izzo continues to put real emphasis on building the next wave rather than waiting for the cycle to come to him.
The Spartans have now extended nine scholarships for 2027, a sign that this is not a token effort but a true priority for the programs future. Awaka is part of a broader board that includes players like Jaydn Jenkins, and the competition is already thick enough to show how ambitious Michigan States approach is. The next step is obvious enough, even if the finish line is not, because the Spartans are trying to turn early offers into actual momentum before other bluebloods can close the gap. [Read more 🡒]
Michigan State Camp Opens With Key Roles Still Up For Grabs
Michigan State is opening official training camp with plenty of the lineup still in motion, and the first real days of practice figure to matter as much as any preseason projection. Pat Fitzgerald and his staff have a handful of decisions to sort through before the opener against Toledo, with starting jobs still unsettled at wide receiver, linebacker, tight end and punt returner.
The most crowded discussion is at receiver, where Chrishon McCray is part of a group trying to claim spots and establish some early separation. Jordan Hall is among the other players in the mix at different positions, while the staff is also waiting on NCAA eligibility confirmation for Rodney Bullard Jr., a wrinkle that could affect how the room settles once camp gets moving in earnest. [Read more 🡒]