3 Notes from MSU Football's First Day of Training Camp
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EAST LANSING, Mich. --- Football is back at Michigan State.
New head coach Pat Fitzgerald looked to set the right tone during his first official fall practice as the Spartans' head coach. The lead-up to the 2026 season is certainly going to be interesting, as yet another new staff and a team with 62 new players will look to snap MSU's four-season bowl drought. These were a few things I noticed from the limited window the media got to observe practice:
Savoury, Whiting Looking Sharp at TE
One player who was sticking out is second-year tight end Jayden Savoury. He and Brennan Parachek were the first two tight ends getting reps during a few drills, which was followed shortly thereafter by Kai Rios and true freshman Eddie Whiting. That does not necessarily mean Savoury and Parachek are the top two right now, but coaches are purposeful about who gets which reps, and that's definitely a sign Savoury is starting training camp in a good spot.
Savoury and Whiting both looked impressive to me. Both of them are pretty fluid movers for being tight ends on the younger side. Savoury can get vertical quickly and will box out his fair share of defenders at 6'5" and 253 pounds. His only catch last season was pretty impressive; Savoury had to extend upward to catch a high pass and then eventually gain 16 yards against Boston College.
Whiting had a big spring, and it's easy to see why. He also moves pretty easily at 6'6" and 254 pounds, and he already looks pretty built up physically for a freshman tight end. His development seems ahead of schedule, and he's one of the main true freshman to watch on this year's roster.
His three-star rating, 1,067th overall on the 247Sports Composite, is around the middle of the pack in MSU's incoming class, but Whiting was in that four-star range when he verbally committed to the Spartans in February 2025. His offer list of Alabama, Iowa, Michigan, Wisconsin, Florida, Colorado, and plenty of other Power Four schools is not typical of someone of his rating, either.
Conner Moore Working on Left Side
One drill that caught my eye had Conner Moore working on the left side of the offensive line. This drill features just three linemen: a center and then two others who were probably far enough away to be slot receivers. Moore was getting his reps on the left side of that. Perhaps I'm just reading too much into it, but everybody else during the drills seemed to be on a natural side, and maybe the Spartans are getting him ready to switch positions if need be.
Moore was Michigan State's starting right tackle last year, though there were times he filled in at left tackle. The Spartans have UConn transfer Ben Murawski on the left side now, though. South Carolina transfer Nick Sharpe played left guard last season, but he played at right guard when he was at Wake Forest and playing for offensive line coach Nick Tabacca.
Luka Vincic is another part of the equation. He was in line to be MSU's starting right guard last year before suffering a season-ending injury. Fitzgerald wouldn't definitively indicate whether he'd be ready for Week 1 or not, but Vincic was out there and not in a non-contact uniform on Thursday morning.
If Moore doesn't stay put at right tackle, Robert Wright Jr. and Rakeem Johnson would both make sense as replacements. Johnson was getting work there during the spring, and Wright was the starting right tackle at Georgia Southern during the 2025 season.
Length at Cornerback
The group of corners around Charles Brantley also impressed me on Thursday. Iowa State transfer Tre Bell and Houston Christian transfer Tyran Chappell were two of Michigan State's better gets this offseason. Chappell brings an especially interesting frame at 6'3" (pretty tall for a corner) and 189 pounds. Bell intercepted two passes at ISU last year and started eight games. Chappell had four interceptions as a redshirt freshman in 2025 and was a first-team All-Southland honoree.
Beyond that, Keshawn Williams and Andrew Brinson IV also looked like intriguing options in the secondary. Williams has hardly played during his two years with the program, and when he has gotten on the field, it's been for the special teams units. Brinson played in five games during his true freshman season, but missed all of last season due to an injury. They'll be looking to help add to the team's depth at corner this season.
Pat Fitzgerald Press Conference
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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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