3 Reasons MSU Can Make Progress in Year 1 Under Fitzgerald
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Coaches don't really get much of a grace period anymore.
Michigan State is hitting the reset button (again) with its hiring of Pat Fitzgerald, and the Spartan fan base, starving for a crumb of success on the football field, will want to see progress quickly. The bar for a "successful" season is probably 6-6, but just signs that a real program with a real identity is being built would perhaps be enough. Here are a few reasons to be optimistic.
Rebuilt Offensive Line
Building a program with some lasting power starts in the trenches. Recent history has shown that MSU cannot consistently hold onto its upper-tier skill guys it's able to develop -- see Keon Coleman and Nick Marsh.
It's a little bit easier to hold onto quality offensive linemen, though. Only 11 of On3's top 100 overall transfers this offseason were o-linemen. This also means it's a little harder to build an offensive line through the portal, but Michigan State did a good job making some upgrades during the winter.
The starting five on the line for MSU right now seems entirely different. That's a good thing when last year's o-line allowed the second-most sacks in the Big Ten (37 of them). Conner Moore is the only returning starter from last season, and he seems to be preparing for a shift from right tackle to left guard.
UConn transfer Ben Murawski was one of the best run-blocking offensive tackles in the FBS last year. North Dakota State transfer Trent Fraley won the FCS Rimington Award (given to the subdivision's top center) last season. South Carolina transfer Nick Sharpe has multiple years of P4/5 starting experience and seems to be making a positive impression. Robert Wright Jr. started all season at right tackle for Georgia Southern last fall and didn't commit a penalty.
It's easy to see the vision with every offensive line transfer Michigan State brought in this offseason. On paper, the starters look like an improvement over last year, and I also like the depth MSU has at tackle.
Potential Star Power
Quality teams need those top-tier players to lean on, though. Not many good or great teams in any sport at any level don't have at least one "star" player. We don't necessarily know who the "star" for the Spartans will be in the 2026 campaign, but a few players could step into that role.
The prime suspects to be "the guy" are running back Cam Edwards, linebacker Jordan Hall, and cornerback Charles Brantley. Edwards was one of the most productive running backs in the country last season, totaling 1,240 yards and 15 touchdowns on the ground. Hall was probably MSU's star last year, leading the team with 88 tackles and three forced fumbles. Brantley was close to lockdown corner status when he was with Michigan State during the 2024 season.
Edwards and Brantley were the two most exciting portal additions this offseason. The Spartans have some nice depth at running back, but Edwards seems like the clear-cut, potentially game-breaking RB1 the team hasn't truly had since Kenneth Walker III.
Brantley left MSU for Miami (FL) for the 2025 season, but for whatever reason, things didn't work out for him in Coral Gables. He only appeared in three games during his lone year with the Hurricanes. Since Brantley hadn't taken a traditional redshirt before (he medically redshirted in 2023), he was able to keep his final year of eligibility and return to Michigan State after all.
Hitting the Right Notes off the Field
Fitzgerald has also seemed to hit the right notes off the field. One of Jonathan Smith's downfalls was that he never connected a ton with the school and the fans.
Fitzgerald has hardly shied away from where his allegiance lies. He's placed high expectations on himself and his program, embraced the importance of the Michigan game, and been pretty open about wanting to model his program off Mark Dantonio's squads (with the needed modern twist).
It seems to have resonated with the program alumni. The crowd at "Spartan Dawg Con," an alumni golf outing, was noticeably bigger this summer than it was at either one during Smith's tenure, based on pictures posted on both coaches' Twitter/X accounts.
Finding a coach who "gets it" isn't everything, but I find it to be important. It never felt like Smith truly fell under that category. So far, Fitzgerald's motivations and goals seem properly aligned with the fan base's. It's also already easier to see what Fitzgerald is building toward right now than it ever was with Smith.
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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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