Michigan State’s 2026 outlook may hinge on one transfer who looks built to carry a heavy load: UConn running back Cam Edwards.
The Spartans have spent this offseason trying to climb back toward respectability, with upgrades along the offensive line and defensive trenches and Pat Fitzgerald bringing the kind of old-school edge that helped define his best Northwestern teams. But if Michigan State is going to do more than just flirt with a bowl game, the offense may need to run straight through Edwards.
That’s a big ask, but the numbers point in that direction. Edwards, a redshirt senior, rushed for 1,226 yards and 12 touchdowns, and more than half of those yards came after contact, with 763 credited by Pro Football Focus. He arrives as Fitzgerald’s top transfer addition and, in this view, the clearest source of hope for a team still trying to find its footing.
Quarterback Alessio Milivojevic has his supporters as the most important piece of the puzzle, and that case is understandable. Still, the moves Michigan State made this offseason suggest a different identity. The Spartans should want to pound the ball, lean on the backfield, and make life easier on the passing game by forcing defenses to respect the run.
Edwards looks like the back to make that work. A quick look at his film points to a runner who fits Nick Sheridan’s offense, especially with zone-blocking concepts that let him make a one-cut decision and get downhill. He also brings the kind of versatility that plays in gap schemes, including wham, trap, and pin-pull looks.
That blend of power, feel, and football intelligence is why Edwards could matter so much in East Lansing. Michigan State’s best shot at wins this season may come through him and the rest of the backfield, including in matchups with Notre Dame and Oregon, where the Spartans will likely lean heavily on the ground game as they try to scare or upset two National Championship contenders.
The idea that a running back can rescue a program sounds extreme. But Edwards may be the rare player who can set the tone for this fall and, with his college career likely pointing toward the NFL next offseason, leave a mark that stretches beyond 2026.
In Other News...
Former Spartan Thomas Kithier Lands Intriguing New Coaching Opportunity
Thomas Kithiers basketball path has taken another turn, and the former Michigan State big man is staying in the game in a new way. After his playing career, Kithier moved into coaching and spent time working under Dwayne Stephens at Western Michigan, a stop that helped build his rsum behind the scenes. For Spartans fans who remember him as a steady rebounder during his time in East Lansing, it is another reminder that his connection to the sport has carried well beyond his college days.
Now Kithier is headed to Utah State, where he is set to join the Aggies staff as a video coordinator and assistant coach. The move keeps him on the rise in the coaching ranks after an early end to his playing career, one shaped by a back injury following his transfer to Valparaiso. The transition has not always been viewed the same way by Michigan State fans, but Kithier is clearly finding a lane in the profession and giving himself another shot to make an impact. [Read more 🡒]
Mat Ishbia Is Quietly Turning The Suns Into A Spartan Operation
Mat Ishbia has never been shy about making the Phoenix Suns reflect his roots, and the latest version of that vision has a familiar East Lansing feel. The Michigan State alum now has Bryan Gregory in the front office, Jordan Ott on the bench, Mateen Cleaves as an assistant coach, and Miles Bridges in the roster mix, giving the franchise a small but notable Spartan footprint in a major NBA market.
For Michigan State fans, it is the kind of cross-sport connection that is hard to miss, especially with Tom Izzo still patrolling the sideline in East Lansing after weighing his own future last offseason. Izzo stayed, and the Spartans kept moving, but Ishbias orbit continues to widen around names that matter in both programs, leaving plenty of reason to watch how deep that Michigan State influence ultimately goes. [Read more 🡒]
Michigans Bryce Underwood Rumor Has Spartans Rolling Their Eyes
Rumors have a way of racing ahead of reality around Michigan, especially when the quarterback conversation gets loud, and this latest one has plenty of people in Ann Arbor and beyond shaking their heads. The talk started on Utah message boards, where an anonymous poster claimed to have heard from a quarterbacks father that Michigan might already be eyeing another answer at the position, even though nothing about the speculation has been confirmed.
For Michigan State fans, the whole thing is mostly useful as a reminder that the Wolverines quarterback picture still feels unsettled. Bryce Underwood remains at the center of the discussion, but Michigan is also looking at other options, including freshman Tommy Carr and transfer Colin Hurley, which only adds fuel to the outside chatter. Whether any of it amounts to more than message-board noise is the part everyone is still waiting to find out. [Read more 🡒]