3 Biggest Concerns for MSU Football Entering 2026 Season

Michigan State football is hardly a finished product.

The Spartans are entering another new era. MSU's first game under Pat Fitzgerald kicks off Friday against Toledo (8 pm ET, FS1), marking the third permanent head coach the program has had since Mark Dantonio's retirement. Fitzgerald has changed a lot this offseason, but there are a few areas of real concern.

Interior Defensive Line Depth

One of my biggest worries is the lack of depth at defensive tackle. Michigan State has only two defensive tackles who have truly proven that they can play at this level before, and only six scholarship bodies overall. This was actually one of the strengths of last year's team -- five defensive tackles played pretty regularly.

I do think things *could* end up being fine. Ben Roberts is an effective defensive tackle when healthy, but he's missed time in each of his two seasons with the program. I like Illinois transfer Eli Coenen, but MSU is banking on some additional growth from him. The same goes for Derrick Simmons, a former 4-star recruit. Nobody else at the position has regularly played before.

Unproven WR Room

April 18, 2026; East Lansing, Mich.; Michigan State Spartans wide receivers coach Courtney Hawkins watches warmups prior to MSU's "Spring Showcase" at Spartan Stadium. | Starr Portice, Michigan State Spartans on SI

Nobody really knows where things are going to swing in Michigan State's wide receiver room. The Spartans seem to have Chrishon McCray, Rodney Bullard Jr., and Charles Taplin as the starters right now, but that label probably won't mean much this year. MSU could probably rotate in another five players or so beyond those three.

What also makes the room so hard to figure out is that nobody in it has started at the Big Ten level before, aside from McCray with Michigan State last year. Bullard and Taplin are the likely internal promotions. KK Smith and Fredrick Moore are Power Four-level portal additions, but they were backups at their previous stops. Bryson Williams, Samson Gash, and Braylon Collier are some of the other young guys in the mix.

Overall Star Power

Jordan Hal — Michigan State's Jordan hall participates in a drill during spring football practice on Tuesday, April 14, 2026, in East Lansing. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

The biggest macro-level question I have is just whether MSU has enough true difference-makers. I think Michigan State has a couple of guys fans can bank on to play at an elite level this year: running back Cam Edwards and linebacker Jordan Hall, but it's another mystery beyond that.

Cornerback Charles Brantley is another candidate, but that puzzling year at Miami (FL) and the fact that he missed a good portion of the offseason with an injury make me wonder whether he'll play at the level he reached in 2024. Left tackle Ben Murawski and free safety Nikai Martinez becoming stars this year wouldn't stun me, either.

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