Michigan State’s first two games have already shaken up the pecking order, and a few names are making that top-30 conversation look different than it did before camp.
At the very top, though, nothing has changed. Linebacker Jordan Hall is still the best player on the roster, even with his early-season right arm injury slowing him down.
Hall was hurt against Toledo, missed the Eastern Michigan game, and Pat Fitzgerald said after that matchup that he was close to playing. A return next week against Notre Dame feels likely.
The biggest mover in the bunch is defensive tackle Eli Coenen. He has surged fast, looking like Michigan State’s best defender in both games so far, with Hall mostly unavailable.
Coenen already has 3.0 sacks as an interior lineman, which is a huge number for that spot. Nobody on last year’s team finished with more than 2.5.
Running back Cam Edwards has been every bit the spark Michigan State expected from the UConn transfer. He leads the Big Ten through Week 2 with 250 rushing yards, three touchdowns and a conference-high 48 carries. Against Eastern Michigan, he piled up 152 yards and two scores.
Quarterback Alessio Milivojevic has also given the Spartans exactly what they needed early on: stability. He has 417 passing yards, three touchdown throws and no turnovers through two games.
He did leave some plays on the field and forced a few risky throws against Eastern Michigan, but his 88.3 PFF passing grade still ranks 14th in the FBS among quarterbacks with at least 30 dropbacks and fourth in the Big Ten. Notre Dame will be, by far, the toughest opponent he has seen in his career so far, but Milivojevic has looked like a steadying force.
Up front, center Trent Fraley has been Michigan State’s most dependable blocker. The North Dakota State transfer owns the best PFF grade among the offensive linemen at 75.9, and that matches the eye test through two games. New right guard Nick Sharpe has settled in nicely too, not allowing a pressure in 57 pass-blocking snaps and posting the team’s best pass-blocking grade at 88.7.
On the edge, rush end Kenny Soares Jr. has answered the questions that came with his move from linebacker. He grabbed an interception in the opener against Toledo and then beat Eastern Michigan with a spin move for a sack. That’s a strong start for a player who had some uncertainty around his transition.
Wide receiver Rodney Bullard Jr. has been one of the bigger surprises. He wasn’t even included in the original top 30 because his eligibility was still in doubt, but he has quickly become a clear starter. Bullard leads the team with 10 catches and 116 receiving yards through two games.
Strong safety Devin Vaught has been solid as well, aside from one bust against Toledo when he filled the same gap as Soares on a long Rockets touchdown run. Outside of that, he has been steady and is tied for the team lead with 13 total tackles.
Chrishon McCray rounds out the group as a reliable slot option. He has 10 receptions for 79 yards and has been Michigan State’s most dependable underneath target. Week to week, he looks like the receiver with the highest floor on the roster and should keep seeing plenty of work.
In Other News...
Eli Coenen Is About To Face Michigan States First Real Test
Eli Coenen has wasted no time making his presence felt in East Lansing. After arriving as a transfer addition, he has already piled up three sacks in Michigan States first two games of the 2026 season, a total that tops any individual mark from last years Spartan defense and has helped set the tone for a unit that has been one of the early bright spots of the season.
Now comes the part that should tell everyone a lot more about just how real this start is. Coenen and Michigan State are about to run into a stiffer challenge against Notre Dames offensive line, a matchup that will demand the same disruption he has brought so far while offering a much better measuring stick for where the Spartans defense truly stands. [Read more 🡒]
Michigan State Suddenly Has A Bigger Jordan Hall Concern
Jordan Halls status has become a little more important than Michigan State probably wanted this early in the season. The linebacker sat out the Week 2 win over Eastern Michigan after hurting his right arm against Toledo, and head coach Pat Fitzgerald said Hall was close to being available but still had not been cleared by the medical staff.
Michigan State handled the gap just fine in a 35-7 victory, with other linebackers picking up the slack, but Halls absence still leaves a question going forward. For a defense trying to settle in, the bigger issue now is whether one of its key linebackers can get back on the field quickly without the injury lingering into the weeks ahead. [Read more 🡒]
Michigan State May Have Found A Passing Weapon Defenses Must Respect
Through the first two games, Jayden Savoury has given Michigan State something every offense wants from the tight end spot: a player defenses cannot simply ignore. The Spartans have leaned on him as their leading tight end, and his early production has already put him near the top of the Big Ten at the position in receiving yards.
Savourys 46-yard catch-and-run against Eastern Michigan offered a glimpse of why the Spartans keep looking his way. Quarterback Alessio Milivojevic is beginning to trust him as a real target in the passing game, and offensive coordinator Nick Sheridan has shown plenty of confidence in making Savoury a primary option as the season gets rolling. [Read more 🡒]