Michigan State football Safeties Coach, James Adams, and Assistant Secondary Coach, Ted Flaherty, demonstrate a drill while the players watch during a practice at the MSU Duffy Daugherty practice fields in East Lansing, Mich., on Aug. 6, 2026.
The start of the college football season is always exciting — teams acquire fresh talent, coaches take over new programs and fanbases continuously convince themselves that this year could be their year.
The same remains true for Michigan State University.
Following two coaching changes in three seasons, MSU turned to a Big Ten veteran Pat Fitzgerald, who spent 17 years at Northwestern to lead the Spartans.
Setting a new standard
Fitzgerald brings something to the table no other coaches have been able to bring to East Lansing — an understanding of what it’s like to compete in the Big Ten. After spending nearly two decades in Evanston, Fitzgerald welcomes the competitiveness, toughness and challenge the Big Ten presents.
“MSU is a special place where toughness was born,” Fitzgerald said at his introductory press conference.
But the roster situation he inherited will not be easy to turn around overnight.
The Green and White finished 4-8, closing out the season dropping eight of its last nine games to finish tied for the second-worst record in the conference. Even though the 2026 roster has been almost entirely reshaped by the transfer portal, Fitzgerald has his work cut out for him to turn this football team around.
Roster overhaul
MSU lost many crucial contributors from last season, including wide receiver Nick Marsh, quarterback Aidan Chiles, tight end Michael Masunas and defensive lineman Alex VanSumeren, just to name a few.
Rather than relying on current Spartans to progress into starters, Fitzgerald and his staff filled those deficiencies by attacking the transfer portal.
One of MSU’s biggest additions was redshirt senior running back Cam Edwards who transferred in from the University of Connecticut after rushing for 1,240 yards and 15 touchdowns on 210 attempts. Edwards adds a do-it-all skill set at a position the Spartans will need consistent production. His production also earned him a spot on the 2026 Doak Walker Award watch list, cementing himself among the nation’s top running backs entering the season.
“I expect him to be the best back in the country,” Fitzgerald said at Monday’s press conference.
Outside the running back position, Fitzgerald focused on two main position groups — the offensive line and the secondary.
Redshirt senior offensive lineman Ben Murawski and redshirt senior interior lineman Trent Fraley headline the additions in the trenches. Their success will directly correlate with Edwards’ success on the ground as well as MSU’s passing attack.
The Spartans, however, saw the most significant roster improvement in their new defensive backs room. Redshirt senior cornerback Tre Bell and sixth-year cornerback Charles Brantley create a highly experienced pair of boundary players that should help shut down opposing receivers. Bell was ranked the highest-rated player in MSU’s 2026 transfer portal class.
Familiar Faces
Amid all the change, two core leaders, one on each side of the ball, will be asked to provide stability to this new-look unit.
Redshirt sophomore quarterback Alessio Milivojevic was one of the most impactful players retained by the new regime. Milivojevic showed flashes throughout the final four games of the 2025 season, where he took over as the Spartan quarterback, averaging 246.5 yards per game through the air. His development and ability to get the football out on time will be a major factor in whether or not this team will be able to move the ball offensively.
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Nobody means more to this defense than senior linebacker Jordan Hall. As the captain of the defense, Hall’s impact on the defenders around him is irreplaceable as is his understanding of defensive coordinator Joe Rossi’s scheme.
As Hall enters his fourth season, his role has evolved from leading by example to helping develop the players around him.
“Last year was more so of me stepping into that role of doing it and leading by example,” Hall said on the first day of fall camp. “Where now ... it’s more so of me letting some other guys go and get more reps, and me coaching them up that way.”
Time to prove it
The 2026 MSU football season will be about two things — finding an identity and winning games.
Fitzgerald has spent an entire offseason crafting his vision for the program, and it’s about time to see what the product will look like on Saturdays.
MSU enters the season with a clean slate and a fanbase hungry for a winning football team. Now, Fitzgerald and a roster full of new faces has the opportunity to define this new era of college football in East Lansing.
