Pat Fitzgerald’s first availability report of the season brought the kind of early-week bulletin no team wants to see, and for Michigan State, the headline is Brady Pretzlaff.
Pretzlaff is among six Spartans listed as out ahead of the Big Ten opener against Nebraska, and his absence stands out because he’s been Jordan Hall’s right-hand man. He left the Notre Dame game with an injury and is now set to miss at least one game. That matters, especially after Michigan State’s tackling fell apart the last time Hall and Pretzlaff weren’t on the field together.
The Spartans’ list of outs also includes a fullback, some young offensive line depth, and a starting linebacker. That leaves Michigan State leaning hard on the “next man up” message Pat Fitzgerald has been repeating each week.
KK Smith’s absence would sting, too, since the receiver group has only gotten real production from a couple of players through the first three weeks. Tyran Chappell would also be a notable loss, though the secondary has at least been bending without breaking lately and seems to be inching toward some confidence.
Michigan State isn’t the only team dealing with attrition. Nebraska will also be without seven players, so neither side heads into Saturday at full strength - which is about par for the course in Week 4. The only real hope now is that the injury list doesn’t grow any longer before kickoff.
The biggest concern for Michigan State is linebacker depth, because the room is already thin and Pretzlaff’s absence comes right after Hall missed time. That means the Spartans may have to turn to younger players and newcomers, with DeJae White, Adam Shaw, and DiMari Malone all potential options against Nebraska. Caleb Wheatland, Cam Stodhill, and Dion Crawford also need to be ready.
If Hall needs a breather on top of Pretzlaff being out, Saturday could turn into a steady rotation at linebacker for Max Bullough’s group. Hall has been banged up a lot through three weeks, so Michigan State may need to mix and match on the fly.
Nobody wants to lose a key defender, especially not the leader of the defense, but this also gives Michigan State a chance to build trust in some depth pieces it may need later. For now, the hope is simple: Pretzlaff’s absence won’t last long, because this defense needs him and Hall healthy at the same time to be at its best.
In Other News...
Michigan State's Road To March Just Got A Lot More Interesting
Michigan States path to March is already taking shape, and the latest look at the 2026-27 schedule gives Tom Izzo another familiar challenge to navigate. The Spartans will open the season Nov. 2 at home against Quinnipiac, then move into a non-conference slate that should give the group an early gauge of where it stands before Big Ten play takes over.
For a team entering Izzos 32nd season with returning All-American point guard Jeremy Fears Jr. at the center of it, the mix of new transfers, freshmen and scheduled opponents only adds to the intrigue. The full calendar now gives Michigan State a clearer road map, but it also leaves plenty of questions about how quickly the pieces will fit and how battle-tested the Spartans will be by the time the stakes rise. [Read more 🡒]
Nebraska May Be Ready To Lean On One Freshman A Lot More
Nebraskas offense is already leaning on a true freshman in a way few teams would expect this early in the season, and offensive coordinator Dana Holgorsen made it clear Jamal Rule has done more than merely keep up. Through Week 3, Rule has emerged as the third-leading rusher in the Big Ten, a development that speaks as much to his readiness as to Nebraskas willingness to trust him in meaningful spots.
Holgorsen also pointed to the offensive line rotation as part of the plan, while expressing confidence in quarterback Anthony Colandreas play and the broader experience on the roster. With several veterans and transfers in the mix, Nebraska appears to have the kind of depth that lets a freshman like Rule take on a bigger role without the offense having to slow down around him. [Read more 🡒]
Michigan State Fans Have A Real Offensive Debate After Notre Dame
Michigan States loss to No. 3 Notre Dame was about more than a lopsided final score. The Spartans managed only 167 yards and held the ball for just over 22 minutes, a rough offensive night that made it hard to find many bright spots in the 27-10 defeat, the first setback of the Pat Fitzgerald era. Still, Pro Football Focuss postgame grades offered a little more texture than the box score, as the site broke down the Spartans top five offensive performers from the matchup.
Cam Fancher, Ben Murawski, Rakeem Johnson, Rodney Bullard and Kai Rios all landed in that group, which should give fans something to chew on as they sort through where the offense is actually headed. The debate now is less about what went wrong in South Bend and more about which pieces looked usable against a defense as good as Notre Dames, especially with the line play and quarterback performance drawing the most scrutiny from a fan base looking for answers. [Read more 🡒]