Examining MSU's Pat Fitzgerald's Job at Retaining Talent So Far
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Something relatively common in the days of the transfer portal is the "mass exodus" when a head coach is fired and a new one comes in.
That does not appear to be happening at Michigan State, as Pat Fitzgerald settles into his new job. MSU's 2026 recruiting class has remained mostly intact, and the number of players who have announced their intentions to enter the transfer portal is not very high (this could change once the portal opens on Jan. 2).
On this episode of the Michigan State Spartans Insider Podcast, let's break down the job that Fitzgerald has done so far at keeping the pieces he wants in East Lansing, and what else he is going to have to do to prepare for the 2026 season.
Video of the entire episode can be found below.
Watch the MSU Spartans Insider Podcast here:
MSU's 2026 Class
One of the first impressive things Fitzgerald has done is keep the Spartans' 2026 recruiting class together, for the most part.
A few recruits reneged on their verbal pledges following the firing of Jonathan Smith, but getting 18 scholarship players to sign with you while having little to no staff (yet) behind you to sell on is pretty impressive work from Fitzgerald.
Some of the credit here might actually fall to Smith, despite his firing. This is a sign that he was recruiting guys to play at Michigan State, not to play for him, necessarily. A good portion of the recruits never wavered in their commitments throughout the coaching change.
Some others reopened their recruitments in the days leading up to the early signing period while remaining committed to MSU and eventually signed, as well.
Current Roster Situation
Another promising sign is that a ton of players haven't been shooting out transfer portal decisions yet. A few have, most notably running back Makhi Frazier and wide receiver Nick Marsh, but it has not been an absurd amount.
The transfer portal does not officially open until Jan. 2, but nothing is stopping a player from announcing their intention to enter the portal.
Fitzgerald has also seemed to get a few players on the current roster to say they will be coming back, which is just as good as getting somebody out of the portal when rosters are so in flux. The most notable case is starting quarterback Alessio Milivojevic's post on his Instagram with the caption, "run it back."
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Previous Episode - Postgame Reactions, Thoughts on MSU's Loss to Duke
A 2025 graduate from Michigan State University, Cotsonika brings a wealth of experience covering the Spartans from Rivals and On3 to his role as Michigan State Spartans Beat Writer on SI. At Michigan State, he was also a member of the world-renowned Spartan marching band for two seasons.
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