Four weeks into the Pat Fitzgerald era, Michigan State is still fighting the same battle: the offense has too many empty possessions, the defense is stuck out there too long, and the transfer portal haul has been a mixed bag. A few newcomers have flashed, but the rest of the group hasn’t moved the needle nearly enough.
That’s part of why the Nebraska game stood out so sharply. The gap between Michigan State and the Big Ten’s best still looks wide, and the Spartans haven’t found a quick fix the way programs like Indiana, UCLA, or Oklahoma State have in recent coaching transitions.
In those cases, the portal helped reshape the roster fast. Michigan State fans are still waiting for that kind of payoff.
One name that keeps coming back into focus is Ferris State transfer Carson Gulker. Before the season, he looked like the kind of versatile offensive piece Nick Sheridan could build around, but his role has been limited so far. That may not last much longer.
Nick Sheridan: "We're looking to utilize the entire roster. He (Carson Gulker), alongside other guys, they keep getting better. We're looking to maximize the guys we have."
- Emmett Matasovsky (@E_Matasovsky57) September 29, 2026
That’s the first real sign that Gulker could be headed for a bigger role. Michigan State’s offense has hit a wall over the last two weeks, and any extra spark would matter for Alessio Milivojevic and Sheridan. Gulker seemed like a natural fit when he committed in the winter, and the staff finally sounding open to using him more is a step in the right direction.
The injury to Cam Edwards doesn’t change Gulker’s outlook, but Sheridan’s comments do show he’s at least in the conversation for more snaps. Michigan State could use a true do-it-all H-back type, and Gulker has the kind of skill set that brings Connor Heyward to mind. The missing piece is blocking, because as the old saying goes: No block, no rock.
Gulker’s background makes him intriguing. Since arriving for offseason workouts and conditioning, he’s looked like a tight end with more juice than the usual profile, especially since he also played quarterback at Ferris State. Still, his quiet start has been a surprise.
The Spartans have mixed in different looks with Cam Fancher under center, and that’s where Gulker seems like he could make the biggest impact. He could be used in trick plays, motion-heavy packages, or simply get the ball in space and see what happens. A double pass would not be out of the question.
For now, Jayden Savoury and Brennan Parachek have held things down, and Kai Rios has stepped into the third-tight-end spot. But Michigan State needs more than solid. It needs someone who can tilt the field a little.
Per Sheridan, Gulker may finally get that chance soon.
In Other News...
Michigan State Has A Busy Week Fans Will Want To Track
Pat Fitzgerald spent part of the week looking ahead to Michigan States next football test, with the Spartans set to visit Wisconsin on Saturday at 12:30 p.m. ET. It is the kind of stretch that keeps a fan base checking multiple calendars at once, because the football schedule is not the only thing pulling attention around East Lansing.
Michigan States homecoming game against Illinois is already set for Oct. 10 at 3:30 p.m. on FS1, giving the Spartans another notable date to circle soon after the trip to Madison. Away from the gridiron, the department has also had reasons to celebrate, with the mens tennis team receiving its Big Ten championship rings and the mens golf team sitting in second place at the Windon Memorial tournament. [Read more 🡒]
Former Spartans Are Turning Week 3 Into An NFL Showcase
Former Michigan State standouts kept making noise across the NFL in Week 3, with a familiar group of Spartans giving the weekend a strong Green and White flavor. Kirk Cousins, Kenneth Walker III and Cody White all turned in performances that helped remind the league how many former Spartans are still shaping games on Sundays.
Cousins has been on a steady scoring run early in the season, Walker continues to sit at the top of the league rushing conversation through three weeks and White has found himself in the middle of winning moments for his team in back-to-back weeks. For a program that has long prided itself on sending pro-ready players to the next level, this was the kind of NFL snapshot that stands out, even before the finer details of each showing come into view. [Read more 🡒]
Michigan State Suddenly Has A Backfield Problem It Can't Ignore
Michigan States backfield took a major hit early in the Nebraska game when Cam Edwards went down with a knee injury, and the Spartans have now had to come to grips with the fact that they will be without him for the rest of the 2026 season. Head coach Pat Fitzgerald confirmed the news, leaving a noticeable void for a run game that had been counting on Edwards to help steady things through the fall.
The next question is how Michigan State reshuffles the workload from here. Transfer additions Jaziun Patterson and Parrish are expected to see expanded opportunities, and the Spartans will need one or more of those newcomers to settle in quickly if they want to keep the ground game from becoming a weekly problem. [Read more 🡒]