Michigan State’s roster is full of names that once drew plenty of buzz on the recruiting trail, but the 2026 picture is murkier now that the Spartans are sorting through a crowded depth chart.
That reality is especially sharp on the offensive line, where Pat Fitzgerald made clear this offseason where his attention went. The first transfer portal addition he landed after taking over as MSU’s head coach was UConn transfer Ben Murawski, and Murawski’s arrival immediately pointed to a new starting left tackle for 2026.
That development leaves Rustin Young in a tricky spot. Young finished as a 4-star prospect and ranked 347th overall in his class on the 247Sports Composite, then went on to start five games for Michigan State in 2025 - four at left tackle and one at right tackle.
The day after Murawski committed, Young entered the transfer portal, then withdrew four days later. For now, he looks positioned to back up Murawski this season after serving as a reserve behind Stanton Ramil last year.
Even in that backup role, Young was heavily involved. He played 448 offensive snaps in 2025, which ranked ninth on the team. With Murawski’s eligibility ending after the 2026 season, another year of growth could set Young up to step into the starting job when that window opens.
Linebacker is another spot where the numbers are working against some former headliners. Brady Pretzlaff looked like he was headed for a real defensive role in 2025 before a season-ending injury in Week 3 against Youngstown State derailed that momentum.
A 4-star recruit in 2024, Pretzlaff finished ranked 476th in his class. Now, he could wind up fifth or sixth on the linebacker depth chart.
Michigan State is expected to lean most on Jordan Hall, Caleb Wheatland, and Dion Crawford this season, with Cam Stodghill and true freshman Adam Shaw appearing to sit in a similar tier as Pretzlaff.
Jace Clarizio is in a similar fight for snaps. The East Lansing High School product came out as a high-3-star, low-4-star recruit, and his profile only grew after he flipped from Michigan State to Alabama and then back to MSU in the final stretch of his recruitment.
His other offers included Indiana, Iowa, Boston College, USC, Pitt, Wisconsin, Iowa State, Louisville, and Kansas. Last season, he didn’t play a snap as a true freshman, in part because of a nagging calf injury.
This year, he’s currently slotted as the team’s RB6, which means any carries would likely come in garbage time or mop-up duty.
DeJae White is another young linebacker trying to break through. He was ranked 487th overall in the class of ’25 on the 247Sports Composite and didn’t appear in a game last season, though he did earn Scout Team Player of the Week honors once.
There’s still time for White to move into the rotation, but it may take another season before he’s truly in position to play. Wheatland is the only linebacker on this year’s roster whose eligibility is expiring, and there’s also a strong chance Hall is NFL-bound after this fall.
At receiver, Braylon Collier is another former recruit whose role remains unsettled. He ranked 821st overall in the country in Michigan State’s 2025 class and saw just one snap last year, working as a punt returner in the season finale against Maryland. Fitzgerald said in camp that the Spartans will likely use a rotation at receiver, and the bigger question now is whether Collier can work his way into that group and what his role would be if he does.
In Other News...
Former Spartan Tre Holloman Took A Turn Michigan State Fans Never Saw Coming
Tre Hollomans path since leaving Michigan State has already crossed more than one basketball map, and it keeps finding new ground. The former junior point guard helped the Spartans win a Big Ten title before transferring out, then committed to NC State to play for coach Will Wade, a move that briefly pointed him toward the ACC and a fresh start.
Now Holloman has been granted a fifth year of eligibility and has committed to Grand Canyon University, sending his journey into the Mountain West. For Michigan State fans who watched him grow into a dependable piece of that title team, it is another reminder of how quickly a college career can change course once a player leaves East Lansing. [Read more 🡒]
Michigan Injury Scare Could Shift The Big Ten Race
A routine exhibition took an uneasy turn when Michigan freshman Brandon McCoy had to be carried off the court after slipping on a wet spot and hurting his right leg. For a team already trying to sort out its rotation and absorb the loss of key pieces, any injury in late summer is the kind of setback that can ripple well beyond one game.
Michigan had already been navigating the absence of Moustapha Thiam, who was injured during the programs European tour, so the latest scare only deepens the concern around the groups early-season stability. Replacing production and leadership is hard enough before the Big Ten grind begins, and the margin for error looks thinner now as the Wolverines try to line up their new pieces in time for league play. [Read more 🡒]
Michigan State Stayed Unbeaten But One Concern Just Got Bigger
Michigan States womens soccer team kept its unbeaten start intact Thursday night, but the scoreless tie with Eastern Michigan at DeMartin Stadium came with a familiar kind of frustration. The Spartans controlled the run of play, piling up the edge in shots and corner kicks, yet never found the finish to turn possession into a breakthrough, while the Eagles goalkeeper helped keep the sheet clean.
For a team sitting at 3-0-1, the result still fits the kind of early-season steadiness that builds confidence, but it also sharpened the one issue that can linger once Big Ten play starts to tighten. Michigan State will get another chance to sort that out in its next scheduled doubleheader against Colorado, where the pressure to convert chances will only feel a little more real. [Read more 🡒]