There’s a different kind of buzz around Michigan State football this fall, even if the outside expectations remain low. The record projections haven’t suddenly changed, but inside the building, the tone has. Players who have lived through both “before Pat Fitzgerald” and “with Pat Fitzgerald” keep pointing to the same things: practices feel sharper, the group feels tighter, and winning is being treated like a built-in standard rather than a hope.
That shift matters because the Spartans still need a season that surprises people. And if fall camp is any guide, the offense at least has a chance to be more interesting - and more dangerous - than many expected.
Nick Sheridan’s arrival as offensive coordinator looked like a strong hire in the winter, and now the real question is how he pieces together all the moving parts. The most obvious theme so far is flexibility.
Fitzgerald said Monday that as many as nine wide receivers could see the field, with Michigan State likely leaning on a rotation at that spot. The same kind of depth shows up at tight end, where four or five players could realistically contribute, and at running back, where four backs are expected to handle carries.
The offensive line also looks like it might finally be on better footing. Michigan State’s recent slide has gone hand in hand with the play up front, but this group brings some proven starters and enough depth to look more stable than the Spartans have been in a while.
The backfield could feature a true centerpiece in Cam Edwards. Fitzgerald said he expects him "to be the best running back in the country." Edwards is coming off a huge year at UConn, where he ran for 1,240 yards and 15 touchdowns, both top-15 national marks.
Tight end may be the most unusual room on the roster. Brian Wozniak’s group seems built for different jobs rather than one standard role, and that gives Sheridan plenty of options. Jayden Savoury profiles as the every-down piece, Brennan Parachek brings receiving ability, Kai Rios is the strongest blocker in the room, and Carson Gulker can be used all over the formation.
Gulker is the wild card. He arrives from Ferris State, where he was a Division II force in a lot of ways.
He was once a quarterback, owns a 16-touchdown-to-4-interception career passing line, and has piled up 50 rushing touchdowns, including 31 in 2022. Last season, he added another layer to his game by catching 34 passes for 548 yards and seven scores.
Sheridan, though, gave away almost nothing about how he plans to use him this fall.
Savoury has been one of the more noticeable standouts in camp. He’s added 13 pounds over the last year, has shown reliable hands, and held his own as a blocker in a 1-on-1 rep against the Spartans’ rush ends. Still just a redshirt freshman and second-year player, he looks like someone who could matter a lot to Michigan State’s future.
If the Spartans do make a real leap this season, special teams may be part of the reason. LeVar Woods brings a strong reputation from Iowa, where he became one of the best special teams coordinators in college football. Fitzgerald calling him away from his alma mater, where Woods had been on staff since 2008, to run Michigan State’s special teams and serve as assistant head coach was a major get.
The Spartans are giving special teams real practice time, too. Woods is coaching before Fitzgerald is, and he’s running portions of practice himself.
"He starts every day," Fitzgerald said about Woods. "At 8 a.m., we start kick meetings, and he's got the team before I have the team.
It's a little bit by design. I just believe he's got 'head coach' in his future...
There are certain periods that I give him the whistle, I go to drills, and he runs the practice."
The numbers back up why Michigan State wanted him. Since 2016, Iowa has led the FBS in special teams EPA, according to CBS.
Woods became the Hawkeyes’ special teams coordinator in 2017, though he had been assisting there since 2012. Michigan State, by comparison, has ranked 101st in special teams EPA since 2016.
In Other News...
Michigan State Faces An Awkward Late Roster Question Before Camp
A new age-based NCAA eligibility system has created a late-summer wrinkle across college football, but Michigan State is not lining up to use it. The Spartans have no plans to add players under the rule, in part because their former seniors have already moved on to NFL contracts and waived any remaining eligibility, leaving the roster picture largely settled as camp approaches.
Still, the broader uncertainty has put some teams in an unusual spot, and Michigan State is aware of how messy a last-minute addition could be. Pat Fitzgerald acknowledged the situation is unique and pointed out that anyone arriving late would have a difficult time getting up to speed with the rest of the group, which is one more reason the Spartans appear prepared to move forward with what they have. [Read more 🡒]
Michigan States 2026 Offense Comes Down To One Lingering Concern
Michigan States offensive outlook for 2026 starts with continuity, even after a roster shuffle that leaves the unit slightly smaller than it was a year ago. The Spartans are bringing back 26 players on offense and adding 24 more through transfers and high school recruits, with Alessio Milivojevic expected to return as the starting quarterback. New arrivals are also projected to help fortify the offensive line and inject fresh options into the backfield, which points to a run game that could take a step forward.
The concern comes a little farther out on the depth chart, where the picture is less settled. Tight end and wide receiver both carry some questions after key departures from the 2025 group, and those spots will matter more if the Spartans want the passing game to match the rest of the offense. There is enough talent coming in to keep the ceiling intact, but those two rooms remain the lingering issue as Michigan State tries to build a cleaner, more balanced attack for 2026. [Read more 🡒]
Michigan State Has 3 Early Reasons To Ignore That Big Ten Projection
Michigan States mens soccer program got a small but notable preseason boost when Miles Merritt, Brandon Munson and Peter Soudan were all named to the 2026 Big Ten Players to Watch List by the conference office. Its the kind of recognition that gives the Spartans some early validation even as the leagues preseason poll slotted them 10th, far behind Washington at No. 1.
The list also points to why Michigan State might not be eager to buy into that projection. Merritt, Munson and Soudan each bring a different kind of value to a roster trying to push upward, and the Spartans will get their first chance to show where they really stand when they open the season against UAlbany. Preseason labels only go so far, but Michigan State has enough on its side to make the conversation interesting early. [Read more 🡒]