The Big Ten Network’s annual camp tour made its way to East Lansing on Thursday, and the visit left studio host Dave Revsine with a clear read on Michigan State: this group is ahead of where plenty of people think it is.
Revsine, who had also been in Ann Arbor on Wednesday, spent the day around Spartans practice and came away encouraged by what he saw from the new era in East Lansing. He spoke with Mark Dantonio and Tom Izzo, praised the offensive line, and pointed to depth on defense as the biggest concern he sees for 2026.
His bottom line was simple: Michigan State is “more ready to compete” than the outside conversation suggests.
Overall takeaway - MSU more ready to compete than some might be anticipating. Not a finished product, but a solid group.
Blueprint is obvious - play great D, run the ball, get smart QB play and win in the margins. Excited to see how it comes together in years to come pic.twitter.com/0T7NV5XNCm
- Dave Revsine (@BTNDaveRevsine) August 13, 2026
Revsine was careful not to call it a finished product, but he said the blueprint is there. That, in itself, stands out.
He didn’t say that when Jonathan Smith was still in charge. Under Smith, there was no real sense of direction or identity for the future, and that absence was hard to ignore.
Now, under Pat Fitzgerald, the message is much clearer: toughness and accountability are back at the center of the program.
Fitzgerald has often said “toughness was born in East Lansing,” and he appears to mean it.
That same hard-edged identity is something Dantonio helped restore after a pair of coaching staffs allowed it to fade, and Fitzgerald is trying to do the same thing now.
The strongest reason for optimism starts up front. Michigan State’s offensive line appears to be the most improved unit on the roster, and that matters. A better line changes everything, and in this case it could be the difference in a couple of wins compared to the last 4-5 years, when the line was the biggest problem outside of the defense overall.
There’s also more confidence under center. The Spartans return Alessio Milivojevic, who ripped the job away from Aidan Chiles and brings plenty of promise to the position.
The rest of the offense should move in the right direction too. The receiving corps is expected to be better even with Nick Marsh gone, and the run game should take a major step forward. Cam Edwards gives Michigan State an upgrade at running back, which only strengthens that side of the ball.
Defensively, Revsine sees progress there as well, though he singled out depth as the main issue. Still, with Joe Rossi and Max Bullough working together, the expectation is that the unit will be slightly better.
Put it all together and the case is straightforward: improved line play, a better quarterback situation, a more dangerous run game, and a defense that should be better than last season. That’s why Revsine walked away believing Michigan State is more ready to compete than many are expecting.
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