Michigan State’s offseason has brought a different feel around the program, and first-year head coach Pat Fitzgerald is the reason why. Between roster turnover and staff changes, the Spartans have opened the door to a new way of doing things on both sides of the ball.
The biggest question now is whether those changes can actually matter right away. Based on the way Michigan State is reshaping its offense and defense, there’s a case that they can.
On offense, the run game is the part that stands out most. Cam Edwards looks like the kind of back who can become the Spartans’ top playmaker this season, and offensive coordinator Nick Sheridan brings a background that points toward a more varied attack. Sheridan spent the last two years at Alabama in the same role, and that style suggests more misdirection, counters, pulling guards, trap concepts, and wide zone concepts are coming.
That matters because the offense is also expected to be more creative overall. If Michigan State can pair that creativity with a stronger ground game, it gives the Spartans a better chance to be competitive in games that have gone sideways for them in recent years.
Defensively, the secondary has enough pieces to be a real factor. Charles Brantley and Tre Bell could give Michigan State two tough outside cornerbacks for opposing receivers to handle, and the idea is for the defense to be more aggressive when it drops into zone coverage. Instead of simply sitting back and trying to prevent explosives, the Spartans may be more willing to attack from those shell looks.
That approach only works if the pass rush shows up. Fitzgerald made a point of adding talent there, and Kenny Soares Jr. is expected to play a key role in helping the secondary be more decisive in coverage. The belief here is that Michigan State can finish with at least 30 team sacks.
All of that ties back to the broader outlook for the season. Michigan State has not played good football over the last few years, and some fans still wonder whether 2021 was more of an outlier in the post-Mark Dantonio era, especially after what happened with Mel Tucker. Even so, the Spartans appear to have improved enough on both sides of the ball to make themselves more than just competitive in 2026.
There’s also the culture piece. Fitzgerald has a reputation for building a disciplined, competitive locker room where players and coaches are held accountable. Put that together with the offseason schematic changes, and Michigan State looks like a team with a real shot to get back to a bowl game this winter and possibly finish at least .500.
In Other News...
Michigan State May Finally Be Breaking A Camp Problem Fans Know Too Well
Jordan Hall has seen enough Augusts at Michigan State to know when things feel different, and this one has stood out to the senior linebacker and team captain for the right reasons. Hall said this fall camp has been the healthiest he has experienced, pointing to a more methodical and careful approach under coach Pat Fitzgerald. After moving through three coaching staffs, Hall has a strong frame of reference for how camp usually goes, and he made clear this one has gone better than the injury-heavy summers Spartans fans have grown used to.
Fitzgeralds caution appears tied to more than just preference. Michigan State does not have the kind of depth that allows it to shrug off camp injuries, so a slower, more deliberate pace makes sense if the goal is to keep key players available when the season starts. Halls comments do not guarantee the problem has vanished, but they do suggest the Spartans are at least trying to break a familiar cycle, and that alone is worth watching as camp winds down. [Read more 🡒]
Michigan States New Defense Has One Problem Fans Cant Ignore
Michigan States new era under Pat Fitzgerald is starting with the kind of defensive reset that usually brings more questions than answers, but this group does have a few things going for it. The Spartans have blended returning veterans with transfers across the defensive line, linebacker, and secondary, and there is enough experience in the starting spots to suggest the unit should look more organized than it did a year ago. With the season opener against Toledo approaching, the early focus is less on schematic mystery and more on whether the front, the linebackers, and the back end can settle in quickly enough to support the rest of the team.
The concern is what happens after the first wave of starters. Michigan State has done a good job rebuilding the defense around veteran leadership, but depth still looks like the part of the roster most likely to be tested, especially if injuries start to pile up. For a defense that is counting on seasoned pieces to stabilize the transition, the margin for error could get thin in a hurry, and that is the one issue fans are likely to keep watching as the opener gets closer. [Read more 🡒]
Tom Izzos Long Fight On Eligibility Just Got New Life
The Big Tens latest move on eligibility has put a long-running issue back in the spotlight, and it lands in a way Michigan State fans know well. Conference officials announced a new rule aimed at football players who have signed professional contracts, been placed on probation rosters or declared for the NFL draft as underclassmen without withdrawing, cutting off a path that has stirred debate about how far college eligibility should stretch.
For Tom Izzo, who has long been vocal about professional athletes finding ways to exploit loopholes, the decision reads like a win for a position he has argued for publicly. The bigger question now is whether the conference will widen that approach beyond football, with basketball among the sports under consideration, which would make the ripple effect on college athletics even more significant. [Read more 🡒]