Pat Fitzgerald’s first Michigan State team is walking into 2026 with something that can’t be manufactured overnight: age.
The Spartans are the fourth-oldest team in the Power Four, sitting at an average age of 20.64, according to College Football Report. That alone doesn’t win games, but in a year when Michigan State is still being viewed by many as a 3-9 or 4-8 team, it gives Fitzgerald a real path to beat the outside noise.
Experience can cover a lot of gaps, and that matters here because the Spartans don’t need to be loaded to be dangerous. They just need to be solid, organized and old enough to know how to handle the moments that swing a season.
Fitzgerald has already shown he can build that kind of program, turning Northwestern into something bigger than anyone had seen in Evanston. Now he’s in East Lansing with advice from Mark Dantonio and a staffer in Max Bullough who knows what that old-school Michigan State identity looks like.
The roster isn’t empty, either. Michigan State has what the source described as moderate talent, with names like Cam Edwards, Jordan Hall, Tre Bell, Kenny Soares Jr., Chrishon McCray, Ben Murawski, Trent Fraley, Rhys Dakin, Charles Brantley and Nikai Martinez all carrying All-Big Ten potential. For a team with modest preseason expectations, that’s a pretty respectable list of players to work with.
Depth is part of the equation, too. Most of the roster has been addressed, including running back, quarterback, receiver, offensive line, linebacker and defensive line. The one spot that still stands out as thin is the secondary.
Put all of that together - the age, the coaching, the talent level and the depth in most of the right places - and Michigan State has the ingredients for a surprise if it comes together quickly.
That “if” is the key.
We won’t have to wait long to get a feel for whether this group has the kind of maturity Fitzgerald is hoping for. After a pair of MAC opponents, Michigan State heads to South Bend to play top-10 Notre Dame on the road.
That game should tell plenty. If the Spartans hang around and avoid getting overwhelmed early, the buzz around this roster’s experience will start to make sense.
If they look messy and out of sorts, the optimism gets dialed back in a hurry.
There’s a reason this matters. Last year, Indiana’s national title run was fueled by veterans under Curt Cignetti.
That kind of seasoned roster can change the whole shape of a season, turning a team that looks destined for a long fall into one that sneaks into a bowl berth instead. Michigan State’s age may not guarantee anything, but it gives Fitzgerald a real chance to outperform what people expect.
In Other News...
Michigan State Still Has A Receiver Battle Taking Shape Under Fitzgerald
Pat Fitzgeralds arrival has put a fresh spotlight on Michigan States wide receiver room, and Courtney Hawkins is seeing a group that seems eager to make an impression early in the 2026 transition. With the Spartans moving through fall camp, Hawkins said the position group has been working through the usual early-season mix of competition and refinement, with an emphasis on sharper route running and cleaner technique as players try to separate themselves.
Hawkins also pointed to the way individual receivers are progressing, which is exactly what this stage of camp is supposed to reveal. The challenge now is turning that energy into a clearer hierarchy, and in a room that is still taking shape under a new head coach, every rep matters as Michigan State tries to sort out who will be ready when the games start counting. [Read more 🡒]
Michigan State Receivers Face Mounting Pressure Around Chrishon McCray
Montorie Fosters latest NFL grind is playing out on HBOs Hard Knocks, where the former Michigan State receiver is trying to carve out a roster spot with the Seahawks after already spending time on their practice squad and earning a Super Bowl ring along the way. For Spartans fans, it is another reminder of how much turnover this program has absorbed at receiver, with a familiar name from a previous era now fighting for his next opportunity on a bigger stage.
Back in East Lansing, the depth chart looks very different under new head coach Pat Fitzgerald, and the departures have left Chrishon McCray as the most experienced returning wideout. That puts added pressure on the room to develop quickly, because Michigan State does not just need bodies at the position - it needs someone to emerge as a reliable anchor while the rest of the rotation takes shape. [Read more 🡒]
Michigan State Suddenly Faces A Serious Question On Its Offensive Line
Michigan States offensive line picture suddenly comes with an off-field cloud, as projected starting guard Nick Sharpe is being looked at by Bath Township police after a sexual assault allegation from a woman reportedly visiting from Texas. The investigation is still in its early stages, but it has placed one of the Spartans expected front-line pieces under immediate scrutiny at a position group that is supposed to provide stability.
Sharpe has denied the allegation and said the encounter was consensual, while coach Pat Fitzgerald has not made any decision on his status as the matter unfolds. For a team trying to settle its line and build momentum, the uncertainty is the point now, and it leaves Michigan State waiting on a process that could affect both the depth chart and the tone around camp. [Read more 🡒]