One of Michigan State’s newest additions is already off the roster.
Freshman wide receiver Rai’shawn Elmore has been suspended indefinitely, a program spokesperson confirmed to Spartan Nation. The reasons have not been disclosed.
The update was first reported by Emmett Matasovsky of Spartan Shadows, and Elmore is no longer listed on the team’s online roster. A 404 error now appears when his old profile link is accessed through a Google search.
Elmore arrived late to MSU’s 2026 recruiting class and was a former three-star prospect. He had been verbally committed to East Carolina for about five months before backing off that pledge and committing to the Spartans in November 2025. He still signed early with Michigan State after the program fired Jonathan Smith and hired Pat Fitzgerald.
According to the final 247Sports Composite rankings for the 2026 class, Elmore was ranked 1,568th overall, 222nd among wide receivers and 56th among prospects from North Carolina. That made him the second-lowest ranked scholarship commitment in MSU’s last cycle. A native of Indian Trail, N.C., he played at Porter Ridge High School.
Elmore was not expected to play a major role in the offense this season, but his removal from the roster is still a notable setback for his future with the program.
He was one of three scholarship wideouts Michigan State signed in the 2026 class and one of five true freshman receivers on the roster. The others are Samson Gash, Zach Washington, Colin Charles and Darelle Cochran, with Charles and Cochran both listed as preferred walk-ons and Cochran having switched over from defensive back.
Wide receiver is still viewed as a spot where a young player could climb the depth chart, and MSU is expected to use a rotation of about 6-8 players at the position this year because the competition is so tight. Elmore cracking that mix would have been a surprise, but it would not have been fair to say his chances were zero, especially with the 5-in-5 era making redshirting a thing of the past.
For now, the suspension appears unlikely to change Michigan State’s immediate outlook for this season or Friday’s opener against Toledo at 8 p.m. ET on FS1.
But for Elmore, it is a rough early turn in East Lansing. Fitzgerald will not be available to speak to the media until after Friday’s game.
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