Michigan State’s incoming 2026 class has a real chance to matter early, and the new NCAA “5-in-5” eligibility rules only sharpen that possibility. With the old four-game redshirt limit gone, the Spartans can use freshmen whenever they need them without playing the old counting-game around eligibility.
“There's no more redshirting, so we have access to our entire roster,” Pat Fitzgerald said at Big Ten Football Media Days on Wednesday. “I think that will be a huge change as we move forward throughout the year... [You can use it] as a motivator for no matter who's on your roster, young or old, there's an opportunity for you to play.”
MSU’s class includes five recruits who earned four-star, or blue-chip, ratings from at least one of 247Sports, ESPN, or Rivals/On3. Rivals/On3 ranked the class 58th nationally and 14th in the Big Ten. Here’s the early read on what each of those freshmen could bring in year one.
Collin Campbell enters as the class’s highest-ranked prospect, landing 221st nationally on the Rivals Industry Rankings. The offensive tackle signed early even after Michigan State’s coaching change, though he did not enroll early or take part in spring practice. He’s listed on the preseason roster at 6-foot-6 and 290 pounds.
Even with that profile, Campbell may have to wait for his turn. Michigan State appears to have a decent amount of experience and depth on the edge of the offensive line, with UConn transfer Ben Murawski and Conner Moore looking like the likeliest starters. Robert Wright Jr., Rakeem Johnson, and Rustin Young are also in the mix, which means Campbell has multiple older bodies to climb over before he sees meaningful snaps.
Samson Gash is the other name in the class with four-star grades across all three major recruiting sites, and his calling card is simple: speed. That kind of burst doesn’t need much explanation, and it’s the sort of trait that can get him on the field quickly. Michigan State had to fend off Penn State in the winter to keep his commitment, and the Spartans have plenty of reason to look for ways to get him involved.
Receiver is still unsettled enough that Gash could make a real push up the depth chart, and a starting role is not out of the question. Punt returner also looks like a natural fit, especially after what he did at Detroit Catholic Central. He’s the fastest player on the roster, and when he gets the ball in space, something usually happens.
At quarterback, in-state signee Kayd Coffman already showed a little of why Michigan State likes him during the spring game in April. He flashed a strong arm and the ability to run. Still, the top of the depth chart is spoken for right now: Alessio Milivojevic is the starter, and Fitzgerald said this week that UCF transfer Cam Fancher is the primary backup.
That leaves Coffman battling second-year quarterback Leo Hannan for the QB3 job. Coffman was listed ahead of Hannan during the spring game, which at least suggested where things stood then. A starting chance may not come soon if Milivojevic plays well, but the transfer portal has already made college depth charts more fluid, and the end of redshirts only adds another wrinkle.
Tight end Joe Caudill may have one of the highest ceilings in the class, but patience will likely be part of the process. He is still getting comfortable at the position after playing quarterback at Lexington High School in Mansfield, Ohio. On the recruiting side, he was a four-star prospect on On3/Rivals and a three-star recruit for ESPN and 247Sports.
There is still a lane for immediate snaps, though, because tight end is one of the least settled spots on the roster. Carson Gulker, Kai Rios, Jayden Savoury, and Brennan Parachek are all in the mix, and incoming freshman Eddie Whiting also drew positive reviews during the spring.
Then there’s Eli Bickel, whose ranking varies quite a bit depending on the service. Rivals/On3 lists him as the top prospect in Michigan, while 247Sports has him 23rd in the state. Michigan State is expected to use him inside on the offensive line, and he brings plenty of mass with him: he’s listed at 6-foot-6 and 312 pounds, tied for the fourth-heaviest player on the roster.
Unlike tackle, the interior of Michigan State’s offensive line does not come with the same level of proven depth. That gives Bickel a real shot to push for the two-deep right away this fall, and it wouldn’t be a shock if he does.
In Other News...
Tom Izzo Faces A Tough Roster Call As NCAA Fight Looms
A federal ruling out of Colorado has added another layer of uncertainty to Michigan States long-range planning, because it opened the door for college basketball players in the 2022 class to seek an extra year of eligibility. For Tom Izzo and the Spartans, the issue is not about the coming season so much as the one after that, when roster math could get complicated if veterans decide they want to come back for a fifth year.
The NCAA, for its part, has said it will stick with its original eligibility rules and may challenge the decision, which leaves the whole situation in limbo for now. Michigan State can only plan so far ahead with that kind of legal cloud hanging over it, and the potential impact on the 2026-27 roster is real even if the final shape of the ruling is still unresolved. [Read more 🡒]
Pat Fitzgerald Sounds Like Exactly What Michigan State Fans Wanted
Pat Fitzgerald used Big Ten Football Media Days to lean right into the standard Michigan State fans tend to want from a head coach: belief, pressure and a clear-eyed insistence that the goal is bigger than just being respectable. He spoke about his excitement for the season ahead, said the expectation in East Lansing should be to chase championships and pointed to the rivalry game against Michigan as one of the defining markers of the year. Even with ESPNs College Football Power Index giving the Spartans long odds to win the Big Ten, Fitzgerald made it clear he does not see that as a reason to shrink the message.
What stood out was how much confidence he projected in the programs foundation, from the resources around it to the fan base waiting for something bigger. Fitzgerald also drew on his own playing days at Northwestern as part of that broader point about what it takes to build a winning culture in the Big Ten. For Michigan State, the interesting part now is whether that kind of public certainty turns into the kind of season that lets the Spartans stay in the conversation deeper into the fall. [Read more 🡒]