Michigan State football is heading into camp with a different kind of buzz around East Lansing. Training camp is set to begin in the coming weeks, and with it comes the start of a new era under Pat Fitzgerald, the coach brought in to steer the Spartans back toward the Mark Dantonio standard that has felt out of reach in recent years.
There are real reasons to think Michigan State could be better than people expect. Fitzgerald built a reputation at Northwestern for squeezing the most out of his teams, keeping the Wildcats competitive year after year through discipline and strong coaching.
The Spartans have not had that kind of steady edge over the last four seasons, but Fitzgerald arrives with more resources than he had in Evanston, and that matters. If he can establish the kind of culture he’s known for early, Michigan State has a path to playing meaningful, competitive football all season and getting back to a bowl game this fall.
The quarterback situation is another reason for optimism. Alessio Milivojevic stepped into the starting job midway through last season and held it.
In limited action, he threw 10 touchdown passes, one more than former No. 1 recruit Bryce Underwood, and he was picked off only three times. Now that he’s the clear starter, the redshirt sophomore has a chance to become much more than a placeholder.
He has already shown poise, accuracy, and arm talent, and if that starts showing up consistently in 2026, Michigan State can stay in games and push past last year’s win total by a few victories.
The backfield got a major boost this spring with the addition of former UConn running back Cam Edwards. That was a big get for Fitzgerald and gives the Spartans a true workhorse to build around.
The offense under coordinator Nick Sheridan looks ready to lean on the run game, and the personnel up front fits that plan. Michigan State is big on the offensive line, with size, length, power, and leg drive all part of the package.
If the Spartans are going to beat expectations, the ground game is going to be a big part of it.
On the other side of the ball, Joe Rossi is back as defensive coordinator, and there’s room for this group to move forward. The Spartans were in the bottom half of the Big Ten in points allowed last fall, but they finished the season better than they started it.
The return of cornerback Charles Brantley and veteran linebacker Jordan Hall helps, and the transfer portal brought in more help for the pass rush. Even getting average play across the three levels of the defense would be a step in the right direction.
There’s also no shortage of names who could shape how far this team goes. Defensive tackle Ben Roberts could be a force inside.
Transfer left tackle Ben Murawski, wide receiver Chrishon McCray, center Trent Fraley, and transfer pass rusher Kenny Soares Jr. are all expected to be among the program’s most important starters. If those players deliver quality production, Michigan State has a chance to surprise people and go well beyond what many are expecting from this roster.
In Other News...
NCAA Rule Change Could Reshape How Tom Izzo Builds Michigan State
The NCAAs latest eligibility tweak could end up changing the way Michigan State and Tom Izzo think about roster construction for years to come. Under the revised rules, athletes will have five years to play five seasons within a five-year window that begins no later than the academic year after their 19th birthday, a shift that effectively moves college sports further away from the old redshirt model and gives players one more season than before.
The change does not kick in until fall 2027, though some schools can apply it earlier for incoming freshmen and players still covered by the old system in 2025-26. There are also carve-outs for military service, pregnancy and religious missions, but the bigger question for programs like Michigan State is how the new math will affect recruiting and retention, especially as some athletes who already ran out of eligibility keep pushing for another year through the courts. [Read more 🡒]
Michigan State May Have Found The Leader It Needed At Quarterback
Pat Fitzgeralds arrival in East Lansing naturally raised the usual questions about roster stability, especially at quarterback, but Alessio Milivojevic has helped quiet some of that uncertainty. The new starter showed enough promise in 2025 to put himself in position for a bigger role, and he has already begun acting like more than just the next man up as Michigan State settles in under a new staff.
Milivojevic has leaned into the job in a way that matters to a program trying to build momentum, taking on a leadership presence and helping the coaching staff in recruiting efforts. Fitzgerald has noticed the buy-in, and for a team that needed its quarterback room to feel steady rather than fragile, Milivojevics approach may end up being just as important as what he does once the season starts. [Read more 🡒]