A pair of Michigan State alums found their way back onto NFL rosters after a rough Sunday.
Jack Velling and Jacoby Windmon were both waived when their teams trimmed to 53 players, then landed on practice squads the next day. Velling is headed back to the Atlanta Falcons’ practice unit, while Windmon is back with the Pittsburgh Steelers.
For Velling, it’s a quick turn after becoming the first of Michigan State’s rookie undrafted free agents to be cut and then brought back in some form. He appeared in all three of Atlanta’s preseason games and made his mark with six catches for 41 yards and a touchdown. The Falcons also moved on from running back Nate Carter on Sunday, even though he had made their active roster as an undrafted free agent last summer.
Windmon’s path has been more familiar. The Steelers have had him around before, and he’s spent parts of the past two years on their practice squad.
He also had a stint with the Carolina Panthers in 2024 and 2025, getting into nine regular-season games for them. That included two starts in eight appearances in 2024, followed by just one game last fall.
The New Orleans native then played the 2026 offseason in the UFL with the Columbus Aviators.
Velling’s college resume was split right down the middle between Oregon State and Michigan State. The Seattle native started 20 of 24 games for the Spartans and finished his 2025 season with 36 receptions for 359 yards and three touchdowns, good enough for third-team All-Big Ten honors from the league’s media. Before that, he had his big breakout as a sophomore at Oregon State in 2023, when he caught 29 passes for 438 yards and eight scores.
Windmon’s final two college seasons came at Michigan State after he began at UNLV. Injuries limited him to 11 games in green and white, including only three in 2023. His best college season came in 2022, when he piled up 49 tackles, 10.5 tackles for loss, 5.5 sacks and six forced fumbles.
Michigan State had two players selected in the 2026 NFL Draft, both in the sixth round: center Matt Gulbin went to the Washington Commanders, and punter Ryan Eckley was drafted by the Baltimore Ravens.
In Other News...
Michigan States New Era Already Comes With An Uncomfortable Opener
Pat Fitzgerald opened his first game week press conference at Michigan State by giving Toledo its due, calling the Rockets a strong program and making clear the opener will not be a soft landing for a new coaching staff. For a fan base already trying to get a feel for a fresh era, the broader framing mattered almost as much as the matchup itself, because the first game always becomes a referendum on how quickly a new coach can settle a team and a season.
The early betting move toward Toledo only added to the uneasiness around a game that had already taken on extra weight. Michigan State supporters know this kind of opening has a history attached to it, with past season debuts under new coaches often carrying the same mix of hope, uncertainty and pressure, and now Fitzgeralds staff gets its first chance to answer all of those questions at once. [Read more 🡒]
Michigan Just Took A Brutal Hit Before The Big Ten Race Begins
Michigans hopes for a fast start to the season took a major blow overseas, where freshman Brandon McCoy suffered an ACL injury in an exhibition game and has since been ruled out for the year. The injury lands especially hard because McCoy was expected to step in as an immediate difference-maker for a team with big goals in the Big Ten and beyond.
McCoy also arrived with legitimate pro buzz, with some around the program viewing him as a potential first-round NBA draft pick if his season went the right way. Instead, Michigan now has to rework its early-season outlook without one of its most important newcomers, a setback that could ripple through a conference race that already promises little margin for error. [Read more 🡒]
Spartan Stadium Is Finally Fixing A Game Day Frustration Fans Hated
Michigan State is making a noticeable offseason change at Spartan Stadium after taking a hard look at what fans were saying last season. The university has partnered with Levy to run concessions for the 2026 football season, a move aimed squarely at cutting down the long waits and uneven game-day experience that have frustrated people heading to East Lansing on Saturdays.
The upgrades go beyond staffing and management, too. Fans will see expanded food options from new restaurant partners like King of the Grill and Ohana, plus a wider selection of alcoholic beverages. The most intriguing piece is the technology side, where new checkout systems are set to be tested in a couple of sections as the Spartans try to make the stadium experience feel less like a chore and more like part of the attraction. [Read more 🡒]