No school and athletic department is pressing the reset button harder than Michigan State.
Not to bore you with the details, but the school lost both its president and athletic director. This all happened just as Pat Fitzgerald returned to head coaching life after three years off.
Can Pat Fitzgerald Make Michigan State Tough Again?
Fitzgerald was fired by Northwestern following a hazing scandal within the program, which he claimed to have no knowledge of. He later won an unreported amount in a wrongful termination suit.
And then there’s the on the field aspect. Fitzgerald’s 2022 Northwestern team went 1-11, and was 7-29 combined in 2019, 2021, and 2022 – he went 7-2 in that bizarre 2020 season.
So yeah, it’s do-over time. But it’s also a fresh start for a program coming off four straight losing seasons.
Michigan State Quick Hits
- Head Coach: Pat Fitzgerald (1st season; 18th year overall, 110-101)
- Best Case / Worst Case: Bowl eligibility as one of the Big Ten’s better stories/A fifth straight losing season
- Key Player: Ben Murawski, OT Sr.
- 2025 Record: 4-8
- Biggest Question: Can the lines be far better right away?
Michigan State Key 2025 Stats
- Tackles For Loss: Opponents 93 for 425 yards, Michigan State 55 for 226 yards
- 4th Quarter Scoring: Opponents 91, Michigan State 65
- Kickoff Return Average: Michigan State 25 yards, Opponents 16.5
Offense
The Michigan State offense needs to be tougher and more effective overall. It had explosive parts last year, but there wasn’t enough punch on the ground – there wasn’t any push from the offensive front.
Enter new offensive coordinator Nick Sheridan, who spent the last two seasons working on Alabama’s attack.
There’s a lot to get in place, but the Spartan offense should be better than 99th in the nation this season.
What’s Working
There are veterans up front. This bunch has to be better – more on this in a moment; the line lost a ton of players – but at least the starting five is full of grown men.
The right side is set with tackle Conner Moore and guard Luka Vincic, and the rest of the projected front five – tackle Ben Murawski (UConn), center Trent Fraley (North Dakota State), and guard Nick Sharpe (South Carolina) are ready right out of the box.
Everything was okay when the Spartans ran the ball. Sheridan’s Bama teams weren’t great on the ground, but Michigan State will pound a bit.
It was 4-1 last year when running for more than 115 yards. Cam Edwards was a big-time back for UConn over the last three seasons.
The passing game should be sneaky-good. Quarterback Alessio Milivojevic was good when stepping in for Aidan Chiles last year – throwing ten touchdown passes with just three picks – and the portal brought in some nice ideas with KK Smith (Notre Dame) and Fredrick Moore (Michigan) to work around the speedy Crishon McCray.
What Needs Work
The offensive line has to be night and day better. Again, the starting five should be strong, but considering how lousy last year’s production was up front, the rest of the college football world was all over a slew of Spartan linemen, with seven blockers snapped up.
Keep defenses out of the backfield. It was partly due to the indecisiveness of Aidan Chiles at times, but the line didn’t provide much help, finishing 124th in the nation with 37 sacks allowed, and was 129th in tackles for loss given up with 93.
The top pass catchers are gone. Star tight end Jack Velling is an Atlanta Falcon, second-leading receiver Omar Kelly is trying to hang on with the Miami Dolphins, and Nick Marsh, with his first-round NFL Draft upside, is an Indiana Hoosier.
Player to Watch
Cam Edwards, RB Sr.
The Spartans lost Makhi Frazier to Ole Miss, but they loaded up on running backs through the portal, getting Jaziun Patterson from Iowa, Marvi Parrish from Western Kentucky, and Kenneth Williams from Nebraska.
But it’s Edwards who has the upside to be a shining star right away. The former UConn Husky ran for 2,688 yards and 27 touchdowns over the last three seasons, averaging 5.6 yards per carry.
Defense
It’s a Pat Fitzgerald team. The defense is about to get nasty.
Effort wasn’t a problem last year under defensive coordinator Joe Rossi, and now he’s getting a slew of good transfers coming in to go along with a decent base of players.
There are upgrades to make in several areas, but this should be more of a tweak than a total overhaul to get much, much better.
What’s Working
You can’t play linebacker on a Pat Fitzgerald team without being amazing. Jordan Hall is back after leading the team with 88 stops from his spot in the middle.
Dion Crawford made 40 tackles and 12 sacks over his last two years at Buffalo, and former Maryland thumper Caleb Wheatland steps in after spending last year banged up at Auburn.
The staff filled the secondary gaps through the portal. Corner Tre Bell from Iowa State was the best signing, and Louisiana Tech safety Michael Richard should fit in right away.
It’s a strength in numbers class, with several options looking to fill in the safety spots around veterans Nikai Martinez and Aveon Grose.
Can the run defense be stronger? The Spartans had a hard time when they were getting rumbled over, going 0-7 when allowing 100 yards on the ground and 4-1 when they didn’t.
What Needs Work
The pass rush needs to show up. The Spartans came up with just 22 sacks on the season, with the pressure non-existent a few too many times.
There aren’t that many true big-time veteran pass rushers coming in through the portal, but any production will be an improvement.
No Michigan State player came up with more than 2.5 sacks last season.
A few takeaways would be nice. Four fumble recoveries, five interceptions, and almost none of them made a huge difference.
The Spartans came up with two takeaways in the 20-17 loss to Iowa. That was the only time they generated more than one turnover.
Where are the defensive tackles? There are a few – 335-pound Ben Roberts has to be great as one of the few key holdovers – and a few are coming in through the portal, but losing Alex VanSumeren to USC hurts. A steady rotation has to start working right away.
Player to Watch
Kenny Soares, EDGE Sr.
The former Northwestern Wildcat made 57 stops and 2.5 sacks in his three years, and last year he was more of a run stopper, coming up with 80 tackles with four tackles for loss at NC State. The Spartans need him to get into the backfield and be disruptive.
Keys to the Season
- The offensive line has to be better, but without much depth to count on.
- A dangerous pass rusher or three have to emerge.
- The skill players have to be more explosive.
Player Who Needs To Shine
Alessio Milivojevic, QB Soph.
This was supposed to be when Aiden Chiles kicked it into gear and made the Michigan State program his. But he was too inconsistent last season, the offense needed a boost, and in came Milivojevic.
He doesn’t run, but he’s accurate, was solid late, and stuck around to be a key leader of the attack, unless Florida Atlantic transfer Cam Fancher makes a huge move in fall camp.
Biggest Concern
Can the Spartans be more physical as games go on?
It wasn’t just the 4-8 record last season. It was that there always seemed to be a point when things would come to a stop, and then the score got out of hand.
The offense didn’t have the ability to keep up, the defense couldn’t come up with a stop, and too many games turned into routs.
Out of the eight losses, six were by double-digits – even though a few turned into blowouts late. As a program, there have been 24 double-digit losses over the last 46 games.
Biggest Game
Nebraska, September 26
The Pat Fitzgerald date against Northwestern will be a thing, and going to Notre Dame matters, and going to Michigan really matters, but realistically, this will be a grind of a season.
Sandwiched in between trips to South Bend and Wisconsin, beating the Huskers would be a moment under the new regime.
– 2026 Michigan State Schedule Analysis
Transfer Portal
It’s not like Michigan State won anything with the star players it lost through the portal.
However, it would’ve been nice to have a few of them still around – particularly wide receiver Nick Marsh (Indiana), edge rusher Jalen Thompson (USC), and defensive tackle Alex VanSumeren (USC).
Losing quarterback Aidan Chiles might not be a huge deal, unless he rocks for Northwestern when it faces the Spartans.
The staff didn’t get a slew of huge talents through the portal, but there’s enough experience coming in to help patch some holes right away.
Best Signing
Ben Murawski, OT (UConn)
The new cornerbacks – Charles Brantley (Miami) and Tre Bell (Iowa State) are among the team’s newest stars, and running back Cam Edwards from UConn was a great get, but for a team that desperately needs good linemen, landing the 6-7, 335-pound Murawski for the left tackle gig was tremendous.
Biggest Loss
Nick Marsh, WR (Indiana)
He’s different. He worked at a faster level with a different gear over his first two years with the Spartans, catching 100 passes for 1,311 yards and nine touchdowns. He’ll be an All-American with the Hoosiers.
Other Names to Know
- Trey Lisle, EDGE (SE Missouri State)
- Kenny Soares Jr., EDGE (NC State)
- Fredrick Moore, WR (Michigan)
CFN Season Prediction
How much magic can Fitzgerald create?
There’s a shot his team blocks and tackles better than last year’s MSU squad did. Maybe it goes all mid-2000s Northwestern and finds a way to pull out games once the other side blinks.
The developed depth is almost non-existent, the starting 22 has a slew of transfers who need to be amazing from jump, and overall, the team needs to find something it can do well right away.
CFN Prediction: 4-8
There’s no Indiana, Iowa, Penn State, or USC on the slate – all four of those were losses last year – and missing Ohio State is a gift. Overall, the schedule isn’t awful, but Michigan State isn’t there yet personnel-wise.
However, going to Notre Dame a week before the Big Ten season starts is brutal, and going to Michigan and dealing with Oregon isn’t a plus.
Fitzgerald needed a year to get up to speed at Northwestern. Give him a season, and then look out.
Related: Big Ten Football Win Totals 2026: Spring Predictions for All 18 Teams
This story was originally published by College Football News on Jun 21, 2026, where it first appeared in the College Football section. Add College Football News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
