Michigan State’s offense will go as far as Alessio Milivojevic takes it, but he can’t carry the whole thing by himself. Pat Fitzgerald’s first offense in East Lansing has a few pieces that matter a whole lot, and the Spartans will need them to hit if this group is going to function the way it wants to.
The biggest one may be Cam Edwards. Michigan State brought in two more running backs through the portal and still returned Brandon Tullis and Jace Clarizio, giving the Spartans real depth in the backfield.
But Edwards is the one with the top-end juice. He arrives after piling up more than 2,000 rushing yards and 23 touchdowns over the last two seasons at UConn, and he looks built for an All-Big Ten kind of year.
Fitzgerald and Devon Spalding even joked during fall camp that after Edwards pulled off a wild play in practice, they should shut him down until the regular season. That’s the kind of talent Michigan State doesn’t want taking unnecessary hits.
Chrishon McCray is the next name that matters. He transferred in after producing 1,315 yards and 13 touchdowns on 81 catches over two seasons at Kent State, and he came on late last year once Milivojevic settled in.
The quarterback and receiver connected eight times for 99 yards and two scores over the final two games of the regular season. With the receiver room looking different now, McCray is the guy who has to steady it.
He’s also being asked to operate as the WR1 with Nick Marsh and Omari Kelly both gone and Rod Bullard still fighting for eligibility in court. If McCray can’t play for some reason, that’s a major problem for the offense.
Up front, Ben Murawski has a critical job at left tackle. That’s the spot that protects Milivojevic’s blindside, and Murawski is stepping into it after ranking among the better run-blockers in the Group of Five last season.
He’ll be asked to open lanes for Edwards, his former UConn teammate, who is chasing another 1,000-yard season. If Murawski gets hurt, Michigan State would be forced to turn to a young player at a premium spot, and Rustin Young is still too much of an unknown for that kind of pressure.
In Other News...
Former Michigan State QB Just Changed A Big Ten Game On The 2026 Schedule
Aidan Chiles is getting a fresh start in the Big Ten after Northwestern officially named the former Michigan State quarterback its starter for the 2026 season. Chiles, who transferred to the Wildcats after stops at Michigan State and Oregon State, is set to open his Northwestern career against South Dakota State on Sept. 5, giving one of the conference's more intriguing quarterback storylines an immediate stage.
For Michigan State, Chiles' move adds another layer to a matchup that already carried plenty of interest on the 2026 schedule. It also puts him back under the spotlight in a system run by Chip Kelly, where the hope is that a new setting can unlock the kind of play that made him such a notable name in the portal in the first place. [Read more 🡒]
Bell Is Giving Michigan State A Dangerous New Edge Early
Bell has given Michigan State a quick boost in the early going, and the recognition is already following. The senior was named Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week and landed on Top Drawer Soccers Team of the Week after scoring twice in a 3-2 win over No. 7 North Carolina, a result that stands out even before the broader season picture comes into focus. She has three goals in three games, a strong start for a player who was already on the Hermann Trophy Forwards to Watch list and the Big Ten Player to Watch list.
For Michigan State, the bigger takeaway is what Bells form means as the schedule moves forward. The Spartans have upcoming games ahead, and having a senior forward who is producing early can change the way opponents approach them from the opening whistle. Bell has already shown she can tilt a game against a ranked team, and now the question is how much more dangerous this attack can become if that level holds. [Read more 🡒]
Michigan State Just Showed What It Wants This Team To Be
Michigan States leadership picture for 2026 is already taking shape, and it says plenty about what the program wants to emphasize on both sides of the ball. The Spartans announced six captains for the upcoming football season, spreading the responsibility across offense, defense and special teams with quarterback Alessio Milivojevic, center Trent Fraley, linebacker Jordan Hall, safety Nikai Martinez, linebacker Kenny Soares Jr. and punter Rhys Dakin all earning the role.
It is a group that reflects balance as much as talent, with Michigan State trusting voices from the huddle, the trenches, the back end and the kicking game to help set the tone. Pat Fitzgerald weighed in on the leadership group and where the team is headed after the announcement, a reminder that the Spartans are not just picking captains for show. They are signaling the kind of identity they expect this roster to carry into the season. [Read more 🡒]