Michigan State is starting over again, and Pat Fitzgerald’s first year in charge will be judged fast. That’s the reality in East Lansing now.
The Spartans don’t need perfection to earn some goodwill, but they do need clear signs that something sturdier is taking shape. A 6-6 season would probably count as success.
Even short of that, real movement would matter.
One of the clearest reasons for optimism is up front. If you want to build something that lasts, you start in the trenches.
Michigan State has had trouble keeping its best skill players in place, with Keon Coleman and Nick Marsh standing out as examples. Offensive linemen are a different story, and the portal has made it tough to stockpile elite ones anyway - only 11 of On3’s top 100 overall transfers this offseason were offensive linemen.
Even with that challenge, Michigan State appears to have done solid work in the winter. The projected starting five on the line looks completely remade, and that should be viewed as a positive after last year’s group allowed 37 sacks, the second-most in the Big Ten.
Conner Moore is the lone returning starter, and he looks set to move from right tackle to left guard. Around him, the Spartans added UConn transfer Ben Murawski, one of the best run-blocking offensive tackles in the FBS last season; North Dakota State transfer Trent Fraley, last year’s FCS Rimington Award winner; South Carolina transfer Nick Sharpe, who brings multiple years of P4/5 starting experience; and Robert Wright Jr., who started every game at right tackle for Georgia Southern last fall and didn’t commit a penalty.
The fit is easy to see, and the depth at tackle looks better too.
That line gives Michigan State a chance to be more functional. But teams that take a real step usually have someone who can tilt a game, and the Spartans have a few candidates for that role.
Running back Cam Edwards, linebacker Jordan Hall, and cornerback Charles Brantley are the names to circle. Edwards rushed for 1,240 yards and 15 touchdowns last season, Hall led MSU with 88 tackles and three forced fumbles, and Brantley looked close to lockdown status during his 2024 season with the Spartans.
Edwards and Brantley are the two portal additions that jump off the page. Michigan State has depth at running back, but Edwards looks like the clear RB1, the kind of player who could change a game in a way the Spartans haven’t really had since Kenneth Walker III.
Brantley’s path back is unusual: he left for Miami (FL) in 2025, played in only three games there, and because he had not taken a traditional redshirt before - he medically redshirted in 2023 - he still had his final year of eligibility available. That brought him back to East Lansing.
Fitzgerald also seems to be connecting in ways that matter beyond the roster. One of Jonathan Smith’s issues was that he never fully clicked with the school or the fan base.
Fitzgerald has made his leanings plain. He has set the bar high for himself and the program, embraced the importance of the Michigan game, and been open about wanting to build around the blueprint Mark Dantonio used, with the modern updates needed now.
That has already shown up with alumni. The crowd at “Spartan Dawg Con,” an alumni golf outing, was noticeably larger this summer than it was at either one during Smith’s tenure, based on pictures posted on both coaches’ Twitter/X accounts.
Finding a coach who “gets it” is not the whole job, but it matters. So far, Fitzgerald’s goals and the fan base’s expectations seem to line up. More than that, it’s already easier to see what he’s trying to build than it ever was under Smith.
In Other News...
Michigan State Has One Defensive Worry Fans Cant Ignore
Big Ten Networks fall camp stop at Michigan State put the defense under the microscope, and the concern that came up was hard to miss. Dave Revsine pointed to the Spartans defensive depth, especially up front on the defensive line, as a real question entering the season, even with a few proven pieces in place.
Jordan Hall and Kenny Soares give Michigan State some needed star power, and the secondary looks steadier than the groups in front of it. The issue is how much the linebacking corps and defensive line can hold up when so much of the front seven is still built around transfers and less experienced players, leaving the Spartans with a thin margin for error if injuries or inconsistency show up. [Read more 🡒]
Michigan State Finally Looks Like A Pat Fitzgerald Team
Dave Revsines recent stop at Michigan State practice offered a useful snapshot of where the Spartans stand as the 2026 season approaches: not polished, but noticeably more defined. The biggest takeaways centered on two areas that have often determined whether the program can settle in on one identity or chase one all year, with the offensive line looking improved and the quarterback situation showing real signs of progress.
What stood out most was the sense that the Spartans are beginning to take shape around a clear blueprint, one built on defense, the run game and efficient play under center. Pat Fitzgeralds influence, along with the defensive staff around him, has started to show up in the culture and the way the group works, even if this is still very much a team in progress. [Read more 🡒]